Out of strategic planning come decisions like: "we will approach this target market, not that one", "we will offer these products or services, not those", "we will accomplish this objective before anything else." Written plans demonstrate that careful consideration has been given to the future. It is easier to make these kinds of decisions strategically with a longer-term view. When things get stressful, it becomes difficult to see all of the options well enough to make educated decisions.

"We have a basic idea of where we are headed, why write it down?"

Unwritten goals are simply thoughts that will change as often as your opinions change. The act of writing out goals helps to clarify them and can provide an objective way of tracki

Things are ok. But how do you know you are thinking BIG enough? Are you leveraging the strengths, interests and talents on your team? Will you wind up in a place that will make you happy? What exactly is the best game plan? It is not that you haven't been thinking about these questions. The business environment is complex and the choices are daunting. How do you answer the hard questions?

For the same reasons that pilots use maps when they fly cross-country and chefs follow recipes, it makes good sense to work towards organizational and personal goals with a written plan. One can operate without a plan, and many do, but the results probably won't be optimal.

A strategic thinking and planning process can help to create a framework where you take control of the business, instead of sitting back and watching the business taking control of you. For many, the process of planning (thinking, discussing, researching and analyzing) is even more useful than the final plan. A planning process can help to sharpen a vision, evaluate alternative paths, build common understanding and commitment, balance dreams with reality, and transform uncertainty into action.

SOUNDS GOOD BUT MOST SMALL BUSINESSES DON'T PLAN

Although there is a lot of research correlating success with planning, it probably won't surprise you that the majority of small businesses don't have a written strategic plan. The reasons why are varied but some common themes include: "It's not the best use of my/our limited time", "planning takes away flexibility", "there are too many uncertainties", "we have a business plan", "building consensus is too difficult", and "it will cost too much".

These are all real concerns, especially to the small business owner. The dichotomy is that the very reasons why organizations avoid planning are the same reasons that planning can be so effective. Let's take a look....

TIME- "We are so overwhelmed - hiring, making sure our customers are happy, getting new products out - we just don't have time to think about next week, forget about next year. Somehow, the future will just have to take care of itself." Thinking versus action provides a dilemma for many professionals. We are action oriented. When we are doing something, we feel productive. When we take the time to think, we feel unproductive. We need to do both. Without investing the time and effort to think about where we're headed, it is likely we won't get there.

When we become so involved in the day to day that we risk losing perspective, it is time to step back. If we stay mired in the trenches, the easiest solution is often implemented, not the best one. Planning takes time, but it leads to a focused use of the limited time available.

FLEXIBILITY- "We like to stay open to opportunities as they arise."

Creating a strategic plan doesn't mean that your business can't be flexible. A plan sets the foundation so that when things start changing; there is a baseline from which to evaluate new opportunities.

Out of strategic planning come decisions like: "we will approach this target market, not that one", "we will offer these products or services, not those", "we will accomplish this objective before anything else." Written plans demonstrate that careful consideration has been given to the future. It is easier to make these kinds of decisions strategically with a longer-term view. When things get stressful, it becomes difficult to see all of the options well enough to make educated decisions.

"We have a basic idea of where we are headed, why write it down?"

Unwritten goals are simply thoughts that will change as often as your opinions change. The act of writing out goals helps to clarify them and can provide an objective way of trackin

SOUNDS GOOD BUT MOST SMALL BUSINESSES DON'T PLAN

Although there is a lot of research correlating success with planning, it probably won't surprise you that the majority of small businesses don't have a written strategic plan. The reasons why are varied but some common themes include: "It's not the best use of my/our limited time", "planning takes away flexibility", "there are too many uncertainties", "we have a business plan", "building consensus is too difficult", and "it will cost too much".

These are all real concerns, especially to the small business owner. The dichotomy is that the very reasons why organizations avoid planning are the same reasons that planning can be so effective. Let's take a look....

TIME- "We are so overwhelmed - hiring, making sure our customers are happy, getting new products out - we just don't have time to think about next week, forget about next year. Somehow, the future will just have to take care of itself." Thinking versus action provides a dilemma for many professionals. We are action oriented. When we are doing something, we feel productive. When we take the time to think, we feel unproductive. We need to do both. Without investing the time and effort to think about where we're headed, it is likely we won't get there.

When we become so involved in the day to day that we risk losing perspective, it is time to step back. If we stay mired in the trenches, the easiest solution is often implemented, not the best one. Planning takes time, but it leads to a focused use of the limited time available.

FLEXIBILITY- "We like to stay open to opportunities as they arise."

Creating a strategic plan doesn't mean that your business can't be flexible. A plan sets the foundation so that when things start changing; there is a baseline from which to evaluate new opportunities.

Out of strategic planning come decisions like: "we will approach this target market, not that one", "we will offer these products or services, not those", "we will accomplish this objective before anything else." Written plans demonstrate that careful consideration has been given to the future. It is easier to make these kinds of decisions strategically with a longer-term view. When things get stressful, it becomes difficult to see all of the options well enough to make educated decisions.

"We have a basic idea of where we are headed, why write it down?"

Unwritten goals are simply thoughts that will change as often as your opinions change. The act of writing out goals helps to clarify them and can provide an objective way of tracki

These are all real concerns, especially to the small business owner. The dichotomy is that the very reasons why organizations avoid planning are the same reasons that planning can be so effective. Let's take a look....

TIME- "We are so overwhelmed - hiring, making sure our customers are happy, getting new products out - we just don't have time to think about next week, forget about next year. Somehow, the future will just have to take care of itself." Thinking versus action provides a dilemma for many professionals. We are action oriented. When we are doing something, we feel productive. When we take the time to think, we feel unproductive. We need to do both. Without investing the time and effort to think about where we're headed, it is likely we won't get there.

When we become so involved in the day to day that we risk losing perspective, it is time to step back. If we stay mired in the trenches, the easiest solution is often implemented, not the best one. Planning takes time, but it leads to a focused use of the limited time available.

FLEXIBILITY- "We like to stay open to opportunities as they arise."

Creating a strategic plan doesn't mean that your business can't be flexible. A plan sets the foundation so that when things start changing; there is a baseline from which to evaluate new opportunities.

Out of strategic planning come decisions like: "we will approach this target market, not that one", "we will offer these products or services, not those", "we will accomplish this objective before anything else." Written plans demonstrate that careful consideration has been given to the future. It is easier to make these kinds of decisions strategically with a longer-term view. When things get stressful, it becomes difficult to see all of the options well enough to make educated decisions.

"We have a basic idea of where we are headed, why write it down?"

Unwritten goals are simply thoughts that will change as often as your opinions change. The act of writing out goals helps to clarify them and can provide an objective way of tracki

When we become so involved in the day to day that we risk losing perspective, it is time to step back. If we stay mired in the trenches, the easiest solution is often implemented, not the best one. Planning takes time, but it leads to a focused use of the limited time available.

FLEXIBILITY- "We like to stay open to opportunities as they arise."

Creating a strategic plan doesn't mean that your business can't be flexible. A plan sets the foundation so that when things start changing; there is a baseline from which to evaluate new opportunities.

Out of strategic planning come decisions like: "we will approach this target market, not that one", "we will offer these products or services, not those", "we will accomplish this objective before anything else." Written plans demonstrate that careful consideration has been given to the future. It is easier to make these kinds of decisions strategically with a longer-term view. When things get stressful, it becomes difficult to see all of the options well enough to make educated decisions.

"We have a basic idea of where we are headed, why write it down?"

Unwritten goals are simply thoughts that will change as often as your opinions change. The act of writing out goals helps to clarify them and can provide an objective way of tracki

Out of strategic planning come decisions like: "we will approach this target market, not that one", "we will offer these products or services, not those", "we will accomplish this objective before anything else." Written plans demonstrate that careful consideration has been given to the future. It is easier to make these kinds of decisions strategically with a longer-term view. When things get stressful, it becomes difficult to see all of the options well enough to make educated decisions.

"We have a basic idea of where we are headed, why write it down?"

Unwritten goals are simply thoughts that will change as often as your opinions change. The act of writing out goals helps to clarify them and can provide an objective way of tracking them against actual results. Magic happens when you put goals on paper, they start to become real. You begin to make commitments, and are open to opportunities you may not have noticed before.

UNCERTAINTY- "Strategic planning is a business school concept developed when people thought they could anticipate and predict the future. How can we plan in a world that is highly uncertain?"

Uncertainty is a real issue in forward planning. However, putting our heads in the sand probably isn't the best solution. Most organizations have their strategies, structure, and service offering challenged on a regular basis. To remain successful it is vital to ask the following strategic questions on a regular basis:

Where are we now? Where are we going? How are we going to get there?

Strategic planning helps a business evaluate market opportunities. To do this effectively, the process includes collecting and analyzing information about the business environment, understanding internal strengths, and developing a set of 'key assumptions'. Optimal strategies are designed based on all of these factors. As the environment changes, so should our plans. One way to assess whether it is time to conduct a new strategic planning process is to check your list of 'key assumptions' on an annual basis to see if anything has changed.

I HAVE A PLAN- "I wrote a business plan when I started the business"

The act of strategic planning is often confused with a business plan. Business plans are usually drafted to obtain financing, then wind up filed away. The strategic planning process is an activity that is conducted every few years to evaluate opportunities, wrestle with environmental changes, build consensus, and to create updated goals. The output (a strategic plan) is a short working document that defines the positioning and future of the organization, with an action plan to get from here to there.

ORGANIZATION DYNAMICS- "I could never get everyone to agree on the best way to move forward. Anyway, shouldn't it be my vision?"

An effective planning process will help to get people talking, and ensure that the business owner/CEO benefits from the ideas of his/her team. A good process is designed to build confidence, support and commitment among all involved. Even if only a limited group is included in the process, the completion of a strategic plan provides a great opportunity to communicate the company's direction and core values to employees.

The use of an outside facilitator can greatly enhance the effectiveness of a planning process and keep the process on track. There is often a strong tendency of those participating to focus the discussions on today's problems. An outside facilitator can help to broaden thinking and make sure that new ideas and directions are generated.

COST- "We don't have a budget for planning."

With all the activities that make up running a business, setting priorities in the context of a plan is important. Without a plan, the limited resources of a