PART 1 AN OVERVIEW 1

Introduction 3
The Context and Process of Strategic Change 15
Readiness Assessment Worksheets

1 Interviewing People About the Proposed Strategic Planning Process 28
2 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges (or Threats) 34
3 Barriers to Strategic Planning 38
4 Expected Costs of Strategic Planning 39
5 Expected Benefi ts of Strategic Planning 40
6 Thinking Strategically About Strategic Planning 41
7 Should We Proceed with the Strategic Planning Process? 51

PART 2 CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIC PLANNING: TEN KEY STEPS 53

Step 1 Initiate and Agree on a Strategic Planning Process 55
Worksheets

8 Plan the Planning Effort 62
9 Strategic Planning Team Membership, Roles and Responsibilities, Reporting Relationships, Tasks, and Competencies 71
10 Meeting Agenda 73
11 Meeting Summary 74
12 Meeting Evaluation 76
13 Designing Learning Forums 77
14 Strategic Planning Process Communications Plan 79
15 Creating an Elevator Speech 81

Step 2 Clarify Organizational Mandates 83
Worksheets

16 Initial Compilation of Mandates 85
17 Background for Group Discussion of Mandates 86

Step 3 Identify and Understand Stakeholders, Develop and Refine Mission and Values, and Consider Developing a Vision Sketch 89
Worksheets

18 Stakeholder Identifi cation 94
19 External Stakeholder Analysis 96
20 Internal Stakeholder Analysis 99
21 Power Versus Interest Grid 102
22 Key External Stakeholder Engagement 104
23 Key Internal Stakeholder Engagement 106
24 Mission Statement 108
25 Values Statement 111
26 Vision Sketch 114

Step 4 Assess the Environment to Identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges 119
Worksheets

27 Internal Strengths 123
28 Internal Weaknesses 125
29 External Opportunities 127
30 External Challenges (or Threats) 129
31 Competencies, Distinctive Competencies, and Distinctive Assets 131

Step 5 Identify and Frame Strategic Issues 135
Worksheets

32 Individual Strategic Issue Identifi cation 139
33 Operational Versus Strategic Issues 143
34 Master List of Key Strategic Issues 145
35 Master Strategic Issue Statement 148

Step 6 Formulate Strategies to Manage the Issues 151
Worksheets

36 Some Key Questions for Identifying Strategies 154
37 Strategy Statement 157
38 Criteria for Evaluating Suggested Strategies 159
39 Checklist for Contents of the Strategic Plan 162

Step 7 Review and Adopt the Strategic Plan 163
Worksheets

40 Plan Review and Adoption Process 165
41 Plan Evaluation 168

Step 8 Establish an Effective Organizational Vision for the Future 169
Worksheet

42 Vision of Success 171

Step 9 Develop an Effective Implementation Process 175
Worksheets

43 Evaluating Priorities for Existing Strategies, Programs, Products, Services, and Projects 183
44 Evaluating Priorities for Proposed New Strategies, Programs, Products, Services, and Projects 184
45 Prioritizing Strategies, Programs, Products, Services, and Projects 185
46 Creating Implementation Recommendation and Action Teams (I-Teams) 186
47 Action Planning 196
48 Microsoft Project Schedule Template 199
49 Strategy/Action Status Report Form 207

Step 10 Reassess Strategies and the Strategic Planning Process 209
Worksheets

50 Improving Existing Strategies 211
51 Improving the Strategic Planning Process 212

RESOURCES 213
A Model Readiness Assessment Questionnaire 215
B Brainstorming Guidelines 225
C Snow Card Guidelines 227
D Strategic Planning Workshop Equipment Checklist 229
E Conference Room Setup Checklist 231
F Model External Stakeholder (or Customer) Questionnaire 233
G Model Internal Evaluation Questionnaire 245
H Analyzing and Reporting Results of Internal and External Surveys 265

Glossary 267
Bibliography 271