Strategic Planning Guide

Strategic planning involves creating a vision, with supporting goals that can be regularly measured and adjusted as needed. Use this guide and the accompanying worksheet as a starting point for developing your strategic plan. Complete the worksheet. Process Develop a strategic plan by using the accompanying worksheet to record your ideas. 1. Where are we now? • Create a list of your strengths and weaknesses as of today. • Create a list of opportunities and challenges facing you. 2. Where do we want to be? • Create a list of 5 to 10 characteristics that you would like to see in you three to five years from now. • Draft a one-sentence vision statement describing you and what you want it to be in three to five years. 3. How do we get there? • Develop strategic priorities that will help you achieve the vision, considering: – Strengths and weaknesses – Programs and activities you have in mind. – External environment – Achievability in three to five years • Identify annual goals that support each of the top strategic priorities. • Determine the timeline, resources, and people necessary to meet the annual goals under each of the strategic priorities. 4. How are we doing? • Create a strategic planning team to regularly monitor progress and recommend revisions to the plan, if needed. • Allocate sufficient resources for the plan’s implementation. • Continually evaluate all decisions to make sure they support the plan, allow for feedback. • Review your strategic plan annually, including the vision statement, strategic priorities, and annual goals, and revise it as needed. • Repeat the full strategic planning process every three to five years to create a new plan or uphold the current one. Strategic Planning Worksheet Complete this worksheet to create your strategic plan. 1. Where are we now? Today’s date: _____________ Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities for the community (e.g., new businesses, growing population) Challenges facing the community (e.g., economic decline, competing services) Strengths Weaknesses 2. Where do we want to be? Target date: ______________ Key characteristics of future state Vision statement (Include something that will make you stand out from others. 3. How do we get there? To reach our vision, we must achieve the following goals. (On the lines below, write out each of your strategic priorities. Then, in the chart beneath each one, list annual goals that will help you achieve each of them. Though there is no limit to the number of strategic priorities or annual goals in your strategic plan, consider the resources available to you, and focus on goals that you can accomplish.) Strategic priority 1: Annual goals Timeline Resources needed Member assigned Strategic priority 2: Annual goals Timeline Resources needed Member assigned Strategic priority 3: Annual goals Timeline Resources needed Member assigned 4. How are we doing? To monitor our progress, we will take these steps. (List the actions you will take to follow up on the plan’s implementation, including a timeline for checking in and evaluating your progress)