Seven Success Factors for Strategic Planning

1: The timeframe covered by the strategic plan has shortened.

While traditionally, a five year plan was the norm, we strongly encourage non-profits to have their plan cover a three year period. Why? Quite simply, FOCUS. Three years brings a sense of urgency to the objectives of the plan that requires focus and a defined implementation approach. Equally important, the operational and funding environment is changing too rapidly to plan for a five year period, and three years also provides needed continuity for business planning that typically has a one-year cycle.

2: Select the Strategic Planning Committee wisely.

Most non-profits have a strategic planning committee or task force that is a subset of the Board and senior staff. How many individuals should be on the committee and how should they be selected? We recommend the committee be made up of no more than seven members and that they be selected based on Board members asking a simple question, “Whom do I trust to develop a plan I can approve?” When recruiting the committee, other elements should include a potential member’s personal commitment to fully participate in the process from start to finish, their proven ability to think strategically, their willingness to form a consensus plan for which they are but one voice, and their ability to positively and proactively communicate the strategic plan.

3: Have the Board approve a written strategic planning charter for the Committee.

The Board, who has the final authority to approve the plan, should formally task the committee with any and all requirements, particularly communication and any intermediate reporting requirements. This step, in addition to a well-selected committee, will allow the Board to step back and allow the committee to do its work, and in turn the committee will have confidence that the Board will ultimately approve their recommended plan with perhaps a few minor modifications.

4: Take time to develop the Strategic Plan.

Strategic planning is a process that involves informed dialog among the committee members over a period of time such that a consensus emerges as a natural outcome. Our recommendation is that 4-5 months in about the right amount of time for most nonprofits. We actively discourage strategic planning retreats that occur over a one- or two-day period. This doesn’t do justice to the evolution of thinking that occurs as individuals hear other points of view, review data and analysis, and have an interactive dialog with other members of the committee. The passage of time is a necessary part of the strategic planning process.

5: Keep the strategic plan very focused.

As easy as it sounds, keeping a strategic plan focused is quite difficult. By our definition, a strategic plan states intentional changes the board and senior staff agree to make over a three year period with the available resources. Focus is about prioritizing the desired changes and selecting only those that can be implemented with the skill set and available time of the staff as well as the financial resources made available by the Board. Focus also includes an element of specificity regarding each goal undertaken in the plan. We use the term objectives to add the necessary specificity to achieve a goal. Clearly articulated objectives with specific end measurements are central to achieving results.

6: Address implementation during plan development.

Of the objectives that emerge from the process as priorities, ask the question, “What strategies and tactics will be used to meet this objective, and what resources are needed?” Having this discussion often results in refinement of the plan as the realities of implementation are explored. The first implementation task of any strategic objective should be to develop a detailed implementation plan that includes responsibilities, resources, and timeline. Ownership and support are important to successful implementation.

7: Regularly monitor and discuss implementation.

The Board and senior staff should agree on how best to regularly monitor implementation. The staff should be given the freedom to proceed with day-to-day implementation; however, the Board should regularly monitor progress so that additional support on a task-by-task basis can be provided if progress slows. Success is about implementing the changes sought, not just developing the plan, and the Board and senior staff should own the successful implementation. Most high-success nonprofits specifically discuss their on-going implementation efforts 3-4 times per year, and many have “dashboards” with key metrics to assist in monitoring implementation and results.

While there are numerous elements to the strategic planning process, seven are the keys to success, and perhaps surprisingly none have anything to do with the specific contents of the plan:

  • Strategic Plan timeframe

  • Strategic Planning Committee composition

  • Board mandate

  • Don’t rush plan development

  • Focus, focus, focus

  • Address implementation head on

  • Regularly monitor and discuss results

Mission + Strategy Consulting uses a variety of processes and techniques to assist in facilitating your planning process. From traditional environmental scans and SWOT analyses to research, interviews, and focus groups to on-line tools customized to your effort, we bring our knowledge and experience via a process that is right for you.