6 Skills of Strategic Planning
(Strategic Planning is key in your organization)
Every day, across America, and globally, entrepreneurs start new businesses. In the public sector, senior leadership face emerging issues on a daily basis. However, in both instances, leaders fail to design for a stable future.
Strategic Plans provide clear and sustaining roadmaps for growth. Read on, we’ll tell you more!
What is Strategic Planning?
Strategic Planning is a process that sets and measures an organization’s desired growth. The Plan results from research and discussion by key stakeholders into the organization’s target market and its competition. Strategic Plans incorporate Succession Planning by identifying and developing high potential employees. A Strategic Plan develops strong objectives and measures performance in achieving those Objectives.
Skills Required and Utilized in Strategic Planning
When developing a Strategic Plan, it’s important that senior management include key stakeholders, i.e., the heads of Sales, Marketing, Finance, HR, IT, and identified high potential employees in the Strategic Planning process. Each will offer their expertise in developing the Strategic Plan. Depending upon the size of the organization, senior management may decide to invite a selected group of additional key stakeholders, i.e., department leaders who will be responsible for setting and managing Goals to meet the Plan’s stated Objectives. The following skills are required by Strategic Planning team members.
Development and Marketing Skills
Strategic Planning team members will shape viable plans for the company’s future growth opportunities. Their social media and marketing knowledge and skills will be highly beneficial to Strategic Plan outcomes. Strategic Planning team members will utilize logical thinking as well as deductive and inductive reasoning. Team members must have an adaptive mindset and enjoy brainstorming and collaboration.
Research, Analytical and Critical Thinking Skills
Strategic Planning team members must be adept at market and trend research, critical thinking, and analysis as these skills will enable them to create viable strategies and solutions. They will be expected to present their findings and growth strategy concepts for specific organizational growth.
Information Systems Technology Skills
An IST Strategic Planning team member is an essential part of Strategic Planning. That person will be responsible for managing and/or consolidating all data and findings. Naturally, as the Strategic Planning process evolves, the IST Department team member will identify and recommend departmental needs and changes. An IST specialist will possess sound computer skills and knowledge of multiple and/or applicable computer programs and systems as well as skills in systems analysis, data analysis, and data infrastructure.
Problem Solving Skills
Strategic Plan team members must possess problem solving skills while analyzing multiple areas of the organization. Their findings and recommended solutions must be communicated to all relevant parties. A leader’s credibility is always on the line so he/she must retain the confidence and respect of others.
Communication Skills
Strategic Planners are required to share the Plan’s research findings and how they will shape the Plan’s desired outcomes.
High quality communication skills include understanding the organization’s current and future market, the organization’s short and long-term needs, the ability to listen carefully to others’ input, and be able to negotiate and collaborate with others.
Each team member must possess the ability to speak to groups, i.e., have high quality presentation skills and use proper grammar as they speak and/or write. Most of all, they must be attuned to their audience. This skill allows the Strategic Plan member to backtrack and clarify while making certain that no one loses focus, opts out, or becomes a naysayer.
Strategic Planning leaders must achieve buy-in from other participants and remain alert to change resistors! Solid preparation, active listening, calm discussions, and collaboration will be required throughout the process by all Strategic Plan members.
Leadership Skills
Leaders involved in the Strategic Planning process must possess Emotional Intelligence. E.I. helps leaders adapt to the continuing change involved in the Strategic Planning process. Result: many will follow! Strategic Plan leaders must also be insightful and tactful; they must be aware when others’ energies or commitment may be waning. Their job, at that point, is to reinvigorate, inspire, and motivate.
11 Benefits of Strategic Planning
Opportunity to define organization’s Objectives, Mission, Vision, Values
Collaborate and align key stakeholders to a shared purpose
Set long and short-term Objectives and Goals
Provide assessment of current market opportunities
Guide for future investment
Opportunity to implement Succession Plans
Define Sales and Marketing objectives
Conduct SWOT analysis, and results to implement future change strategies
Time to assess and measure departmental and workforce performance
Stimulus to set, revise and/or implement Human Resource strategies
Opportunity to develop organization’s Desired Future State
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