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

1. What have you done in the past with strategic planning that pleased you the most?
2. How did you determine what worked and did not work from those plans?
3. What is the CEO’s longest goal (what by when) accountable for?
4. What is the longest goal that the Senior Management team is accountable for?
5. What is working well within the organization – that can be left alone?
6. Describe trends you see in the industry. How will we evaluate those trends, and which do we need to be in front of?
7. Who will be a part of this planning process?
8. What will be their role for the people who are a part of this process?
9. How much creative dissonance vs. resonance are you seeking?
10. What are areas of the company distinct/unique/special?
11. How long will this plan be?
12. Who can I talk with to understand the agency better?
13. What do you feel was the best part of your past/current strategic plan? Worst part?
14. How will we track progress/regress?
15. Forecast your financials? Up – down – stable?
16. Forecast staffing? Up – down – stable?
17. Describe the role + accountability you expect from me.
18. What is the most significant threat or challenge?
19. On a scale of 0 – 10, with 10 being prepared and 0 being the opposite, where are you about this threat/challenge?
20. What does +2 look like? How will you know? What will be different?
21. What areas are you willing to let go of, shed, or eliminate? What makes you sure those are the areas?
22. What uncomfortable changes does the agency have to make in the next 5 years?
23. What is ‘untouchable’? Where are those boundaries?
24. Budget?