
Before we begin the Strategic Planning process, I like to meet with several key people within the organization.
I try to ask several questions below, doing my best to document the responses.
From the responses and how much overlap or separation I understand, we can develop the best way to co-create a strategic plan for the organization.
24 pre-strategic planning questions
- What have you done in the past with strategic planning that pleased you the most?
- How did you determine what worked and did not work from those plans?
- What is the CEO’s longest goal (what by when) accountable for?
- What is the longest goal that the Senior Management team is accountable for?
- What is working well within the organization – that can be left alone?
- Describe trends you see in the industry. How will we evaluate those trends, and which do we need to be in front of?
- Who will be a part of this planning process?
- What will be their role for the people who are a part of this process?
- How much creative dissonance vs. resonance are you seeking?
- What are areas of the company distinct/unique/special?
- How long will this plan be?
- Who can I talk with to understand the agency better?
- What do you feel was the best part of your past/current strategic plan? Worst part?
- How will we track progress/regress?
- Forecast your financials? Up – down – stable?
- Forecast staffing? Up – down – stable?
- Describe the role + accountability you expect from me.
- What is the most significant threat or challenge?
- On a scale of 0 – 10, with 10 being prepared and 0 being the opposite, where are you about this threat/challenge?
- What does +2 look like? How will you know? What will be different?
- What areas are you willing to let go of, shed, or eliminate? What makes you sure those are the areas?
- What uncomfortable changes does the agency have to make in the next 5 years?
- What is ‘untouchable’? Where are those boundaries?
- Budget?