Successful organizations are often the result of a leader’s vision. But how do these leaders take their vision from the drawing board to the boardroom? In order to turn visions into reality, a plan must be put in place. A strategic planning method can effectively implement the vision of an organization and assist in the planning and achievement of goals. This report will examine the general structure and purpose of the strategic planning method, two specific types of strategic plans, and the situations where these specific types are most appropriately used.
Strategic Planning
The Business Dictionary (2015) defines strategic planning as “A systematic process of envisioning a desired future, and translating …show more content…
As Treen (2000) states, “No organization can expect to grow if it does not innovate or experiment”. However, given the wide variety of organizations around the globe, there is no “one size fits all” strategic plan. Two examples of a how a strategic plan can be tailored to one organizations specific needs will now be examined to show how the strategic plan can be tailored to the specific needs of an organization.
The Organic Strategic Planning Method One example of how to approach the strategic planning process is called the Organic Approach to strategic management. This approach can be likened to biological systems in the sense that they are “self organizing”. Lannon (2009) points out that different plants and animals all operate individually, but find balance naturally between themselves while finding ways to thrive. He further states that some would hesitate to call this process strategic at all due to its lack of rigidity, but adds that absence of structure does not mean it lacks strategy.
The first step to implement this plan is to clarify the vision and values of the organization. Once these are outlined, the team members meet and identify actions that they can undertake to achieve this vision. Future meetings outline the results from each participating member, and are used to repeat the process until the sufficient progress is made …show more content…
Analyzing the needs of the organization is imperative to choosing a planning strategy that will provide the most effective results. An Organic Approach might be best suited when the vision involves many diverse people or when stakeholder interaction is a primary focus of the organization. The Scenario Planning Approach would be best implemented when trying to plan for the unexpected. Military strategy is an area where scenarios were first used, but the model has been adopted by businesses where forecasting results drives profits and success like the financial and oil