"Six Stages of the Planning Process"

First: Why does our organization or business exist?

1.  State our Vision -- where do we want our organization or business to be.

• "We Envision an organization or a company where . . . . . . "
• A most global description, in present terms, describing our view of the future

2.  What we Believe about our World -- the forces that really "drive" the organization: 

• about our products or services, 
• about our market's needs and wants, 
• about our technology, 
• about our production capability and capacity, 
• about our methods of promotion, 
• about our methods of distribution, 
• about our natural resources, 
• about our size, growth, and profit 

3.  State our Mission -- the action statement for our organization or company, combining our Vision and our Beliefs:

• who we are
• who we serve
• what products and services we offer
• how we make them available
• Broad and Brief statement
• More a statement of "WHAT" than "HOW"
• Pulls us forward -- What you want it to be, even if not fully there yet

Second:   What are our Final Standards of Expectation?

1.  Values-- the guiding principles we are willing to publicly proclaim and actually live by.

2.  Culture-- traditions, ethics, and other standards which influence the way things get done in our organization or company.

3.  Climate-- the interpersonal and physical environments: is the organization accepting enough, safe enough and rewarding enough?

Third:   What do we have to work with?

1.  Environmental assessment--identifying factors which can impact our mission: 

• strengths
• weaknesses
• opportunities
• threats
• competition
• constraint

2.  Strengths and weaknesses are internal to the organization: identify, capitalize on our
strengths, and minimize or eliminate our weaknesses.

3.  Opportunities and threats are external to the organization: identify, take advantage
of the opportunities, and counter the threats.

4.  Competition and constraints can be either internal or external. 

• Competition is any activity or condition that competes for the same resources.
• Constraints can arise from social, political, legal, educational, industrial, or managerial activities or conditions which prevent or inhibit accomplishing the organization's mission. 

Fourth: Where do we intend to be?

1.  Goals (Strategy Areas) directly support our mission. Goals are specific statements of what we "will" do.  They do not deal with questions of "how" -- that task is left to the Objectives which follow the Goals. Each Goal begins with a definite statement of what we will do or have, such as:

• "We will design a comprehensive personnel program including recruitment, staff development and compensation"
• "We will develop organizational practices that will provide structure for effective and efficient delivery of services."
• "We will design and implement a plan to recruit, retain, and develop quality personnel in sufficient numbers to support . . . "
• "We will develop and implement a long-range plan to assure appropriate facilities and an environment conducive to.. "
• "We will design and implement …."
• "We will develop and implement a plan ….."
• "We will provide access to ……"

2.  Objectives are much more specific, and they look at the "How's" of getting the goals accomplished.   The objectives must be -

• S-pecific
• M-easurable
• A-chievable
• R-ealistic
• T-imely

3.  Analysis of the Difference -- determining the difference between where we are and where we want to be.

Fifth:   How can we get there?

1.  Strategies and Tactics-- specific action steps to implement our objectives-- the right people doing the right things at right time in the right way.

2.  Statements of how to apply the Five Resources: 

• people
• property
• time
• money
• technology (or knowledge)

Sixth: Assessment or Evaluation - How will we know we've arrived?

1. Management--establishing budgets, controls, and reporting systems 

2. designating a coordinator to monitor each element of the strategic plan.