Strategic Planning Models

There is no perfect strategic planning process or model. Each organization should customize the approach that makes the most sense for them considering its culture, the current situation, and the purpose of its planning.

Basic or Conventional Strategic Planning Model

This is the most common model of strategic planning.

It is ideal for organizations that have sufficient resources to pursue very ambitious visions and goals, have external environments that are relatively stable, and do not have a large number of current issues to address. The model usually includes the following overall phases:

1. Take a good look around the outside and a good look inside the organization and update your mission, vision and values statements.
2. Identify multi-year goals, strategies, and a tactics to achieve your updated vision.
3. Develop action plans that specify who, is going to do what, by when, to achieve each goal.
4. Break down action plans by organizational function (sales, marketing, etc.), for greater focus and accountability.

Issue- or Goal-Based Strategic Planning Model

This model works best for organizations that have limited resources, several current and major issues to address, little success with achieving ambitious goals, and/or very little buy-in to strategic planning. This model might include the following phases:

1. Identify 5-7 of the most important current issues facing the organization now.
2. Suggest action plans to address each issue over the next 6-12 months.
3. Include that information in a Strategic Plan.

After an issues-based plan has been implemented and the current, major issues are resolved, then the organization might undertake the more ambitious conventional model. Many people might assert that issues-based planning is really internal development planning, rather than strategic planning. Others would argue that the model is very strategic because it positions the organization for much more successful outward-looking and longer term planning later on.

Organic Strategic Planning Model

The organic model is based on the premise that the long-term vision is best achieved by everyone working together toward the vision, but with each person regularly doing whatever actions that he or she regularly decides to do toward that vision. The model might include the following phases:

1. With as many people as can be gathered, articulate the long-term vision and perhaps values to work toward the vision.
2. Each person leaves that visioning, having selected at least one realistic action that he or she will take toward the vision before the group meets again, for example, in a month or two.
3. People meet regularly to report the actions that they took and what they learned from them. The vision might be further clarified during these meetings.
4. Occasionally, the vision and the lists of accomplished and intended actions are included in a Strategic Plan.

Real-Time Strategic Planning

Similar to the organic model of planning, this model is suited especially for people who believe that organizations are often changing much too rapidly for long-term, detailed planning to remain relevant. These experts might assert that planning for an organization should be done continuously, or in “real time.” The real-time planning model is best suited, especially to organizations with very rapidly changing environments outside the organization.

1. Articulate the mission, vision, and values.
2. Assign planners to research the external environment and, as a result, to suggest a list of opportunities and of threats facing the organization.
3. Present the lists to other members of the organization for strategic thinking and discussions.
4. Assign planners to evaluate the internal workings of the organization and, as a result, to suggest a list of strengths and of weaknesses in the organization.
5. Present these lists to other members of the organization for strategic thinking and discussions, perhaps using a SWOT analysis to analyze all four lists.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 regularly, for example, every six months or year and document the results in a Strategic Plan.

Scenario Strategic Planning Model

The scenario strategic planning model is considered more of a technique than a model. It is often used in conjunction with other strategic planning models and can be highly useful in identifying goals and issues.

This model is used by businesses who want to prepare for various scenarios that could possibly occur due to external forces or a change in environment, such as demographic changes or changes in regulations.

This type of planning model begins by identifying vulnerabilities that could affect a business. For each identified change, discuss several scenarios that could result, including best and worst-case scenarios. You will then want to design responses which suggest what a business may do in each scenario. You can then select common strategies that can be used to respond to changes.

Finally, make a list of the most common problems that could affect a business over the next three to five years.

Alignment Strategic Planning Model

A simple process commonly used by organizations that are relatively small or who have not done much strategic planning before. Its primary purpose is to ensure strong alignment between an organization’s internal operations (i.e., marketing or sales and events) with achieving an overall goal (event success, however defined). It follows the following steps:

1. Establish overall goal for the alignment.
2. Identify which internal operations are most directly aligned with achieving that goal, and which are not.
3. Identify specific approaches or strategies for each internal operation that must be implemented to reach each goal.
4. Monitor and update the plan

Inspirational Model of Strategic Planning

This model is sometimes used when planners see themselves as having very little time or there is high priority on rather quickly producing a Strategic Plan document. Overall phases in this model might include:

1. Gather key stakeholders.
2. Begin by fantasizing a highly inspirational vision for the organization — or by giving extended attention to wording in the mission and vision statements, especially to include powerful and poignant wording.
3. Brainstorm exciting, far-reaching goals to even more effectively serve stakeholders.
4. Include the vision and goals in the Strategic Plan.

While this model can be highly energizing, it may produce a plan that is far too unrealistic and, as a result, might be less likely to make a strategic impact. However, it could be the only approach that would generate some outword-focused discussion that otherwise would not have been written.

Source: https://managementhelp.org/strategicplanning/models.htm