SWIFT Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is often relegated for use at the corporate level only or dropped all together. That is because people think that it requires a lot of time and effort. Good strategic planning can and should be used for corporations, departments, divisions, units, projects, teams, and even individuals. It is simply a process of determining where you want to go and how you will get there.

"Strategic" generally means that it is longer term, i.e., over the next 5 to 10 years or more rather than over the next 5 to 10 months. Corporations often spend months or years developing detailed strategic plans. Effective, workable plans can be developed in a matter of days or weeks -- or even hours in some cases.

First of all, let me establish some basic principles that I follow for a plan. An effective strategic plan should:

• Be simple, easily communicated, and understandable by those who develop and follow it.
• Be alive -- never static or "cast in stone".
• Look out as far as possible -- 10 years or more is appropriate.
• Constantly evolve without lacking direction. Avoid "getting it perfect".

Some plans, particularly for corporations or major company divisions, require developing detailed information on the current company, industry trends, and competition (called SWOT -- Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). Done properly, this research is ongoing and feeds the strategic planning process. I'll explore the planning process rather than the research process.

"SWIFT Strategic Planning" means focusing a group of people to develop a strategic plan without taking weeks or months of effort. By building the plan using short, facilitated sessions that "peel away the layers" of the plan, we build highly effective plans without losing group energy.

Here's How

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