What is Strategic Planning?
Strategic planning is essential for the future of the information professions and organizations. One of the most important (and worthwhile!) things I learned from taking my LIBR 204 class was how to conceptualize, research, gather data, formulate ideas and construct a strategic plan for an information organization during the Organizational Analysis project. Not only was this helpful to practice in a team-setting in class, but learning about planning processes from a scholarly perspective will also help significantly contribute to my readiness for engaging in strategic planning with my (current/future) employer at my (current/future) workplace.
Strategic planning is "the process of creating action steps designed to achieve the overall strategy" that "identifies and sets the overall direction of an organization" (Evans & Alire, 2013, Ch. 4, Strategic Planning, para. 1). Others consider it as a "way to introduce a period of change, assessment, and self-identification" or a way for organizations to "demonstrate their institutional value and be accountable to their stakeholders" (Stephan, 2010, p. 189; Sayed, 2013, p. 100). By generally incorporating strategic initiatives over the long term (the next two to five years), many strategic plans are formulated by staff committees, although they are generally instigated by figures in upper management.
Strategic planning typically consists of carrying out a few comprehensive steps, which include:
Environmental scanning
SWOT analysis
Mission, vision and values statements
Strategic planning (including action plans, goals and objectives)
The components listed above will be discussed in more detail throughout other webpages on this site. It is important to consider that there are several ways of approaching the strategic planning process and no particular technique or model is "right" or "wrong", as long as adequate, sufficient, appropriate and timely (internal and external) environmental data is being gathered. Evans and Alire suggest that the "ideal strategic plan" combines elements of many different approaches; regardless, "it is a highly labor-intensive and time-consuming process" (2013, Ch. 4, Strategic Planning, para. 3), and is one that must be "inclusive, collaborative, data-driven, transparent, forward and outward directed, and action oriented" (Stephan, 2010, p. 189).
Other scholars consider the notion that strategic planning approaches are not necessarily unified and rightly suggest that confusion around the process may cause some level of "apathy" or resistance amongst individual stakeholders as well as at the organizational level itself (Cervone, 2014). Truly, there is no "silver bullet" for strategic planning that is not without some potential limitations or faults (Sayed, 2013). Planning leaders must endeavor to remedy this confusion and other potential issues as soon as possible if they arise and instead develop an organizational culture which incorporates "trust and faith that the process will be fair, equitable, and will look after the members of the organization as well as the organization as a whole" (Cervone, 2014, p. 159). Leaders must be engaged but not domineering, planning participants must be committed and knowledgeable, and stakeholders must be included and welcomed into the planning process. Resources of all types must not be overestimated but carefully analyzed and brought into purposeful focus for the fulfillment of the organization's strategic goals.
Strategic planning is "the process of creating action steps designed to achieve the overall strategy" that "identifies and sets the overall direction of an organization" (Evans & Alire, 2013, Ch. 4, Strategic Planning, para. 1). Others consider it as a "way to introduce a period of change, assessment, and self-identification" or a way for organizations to "demonstrate their institutional value and be accountable to their stakeholders" (Stephan, 2010, p. 189; Sayed, 2013, p. 100). By generally incorporating strategic initiatives over the long term (the next two to five years), many strategic plans are formulated by staff committees, although they are generally instigated by figures in upper management.
Strategic planning typically consists of carrying out a few comprehensive steps, which include:
Environmental scanning
SWOT analysis
Mission, vision and values statements
Strategic planning (including action plans, goals and objectives)
The components listed above will be discussed in more detail throughout other webpages on this site. It is important to consider that there are several ways of approaching the strategic planning process and no particular technique or model is "right" or "wrong", as long as adequate, sufficient, appropriate and timely (internal and external) environmental data is being gathered. Evans and Alire suggest that the "ideal strategic plan" combines elements of many different approaches; regardless, "it is a highly labor-intensive and time-consuming process" (2013, Ch. 4, Strategic Planning, para. 3), and is one that must be "inclusive, collaborative, data-driven, transparent, forward and outward directed, and action oriented" (Stephan, 2010, p. 189).
Other scholars consider the notion that strategic planning approaches are not necessarily unified and rightly suggest that confusion around the process may cause some level of "apathy" or resistance amongst individual stakeholders as well as at the organizational level itself (Cervone, 2014). Truly, there is no "silver bullet" for strategic planning that is not without some potential limitations or faults (Sayed, 2013). Planning leaders must endeavor to remedy this confusion and other potential issues as soon as possible if they arise and instead develop an organizational culture which incorporates "trust and faith that the process will be fair, equitable, and will look after the members of the organization as well as the organization as a whole" (Cervone, 2014, p. 159). Leaders must be engaged but not domineering, planning participants must be committed and knowledgeable, and stakeholders must be included and welcomed into the planning process. Resources of all types must not be overestimated but carefully analyzed and brought into purposeful focus for the fulfillment of the organization's strategic goals.