When leaders tell members of their team that it’s time to do strategic planning, some people get excited. Other people groan. Not everyone loves strategic planning processes – often because of negative previous strategic planning experiences, including because of myths/misconceptions about what and who strategic planning involves. At Credence, we run multiple strategic planning processes every year, for both large and small organizations. We have found that busting strategic planning myths can help organizations to improve their strategic planning experience.

Myth #1: “Strategic Planning doesn’t matter. We already know what we need to do.”

Strategic planning can look like it doesn’t matter: in well-run organizations, employees and leaders know what to do and how to do it well. In fact, organizations can stay on course without a plan as long as the answers to several key organizational questions don’t change. Briefly, these questions include: Who are we? Why are we here? What shall we do?

Unfortunately, the answers to these questions can change without anyone really noticing. New technology, a growing or shrinking organization, new competition, a changed client base, new leadership, an organizational rift, a sense of mission drift, organizational malaise, changing economic realities, team exhaustion, aging leadership – all are examples of change that impacts the answers to an organization’s key questions. Strategic planning provides an opportunity to (a) celebrate and learn from what the organization has accomplished; (b) assess current reality and consider key organizational questions; and (c) establish a direction that grounds the organization in its core commitments, sets organizational direction, and invigorates and motivates staff.

Myth #2: “Strategic plans just sit on a shelf. They don’t change anything.”

When strategic plans ‘sit on a shelf’, people become discouraged and cynical – they invested time in a process that ultimately did not impact the organization or its direction. There are several ways to avoid creating strategic plans that simply fill space on a shelf.

1. Create plans that are doable. A strategic plan that is too big or that establishes too many priorities and goals can be overwhelming, stymying the organization’s ability to act on its commitments. At Credence, we recommend a maximum of three or four priorities, alongside a reasonable number of concrete goals to animate those priorities. What is a ‘reasonable number’? This varies from one organization to another, depending on the number of staff, the time frame of the plan, the industry the organization is in, etc. Typically, organizations establish anywhere between three and ten concrete goals per priority. Establishing a target for the number of hoped-for goals to animate each priority can help to create a smoother planning process and can strengthen the likelihood that the organization will act on its commitments.
2. Complete your operational plan. Strategic plans typically involve three “buckets”: organizational statements (vision, mission, values); the plan itself (key priorities and concrete goals); and the operational plan (the details that define who does what and by when alongside contingencies the organization must keep in mind). When organizations complete only the first or second buckets of the plan but do not complete the third bucket, it is difficult to translate ideas into action and track progress over time. An effective planning process ensures all three buckets are attended to before the plan is completed.
3. Report on your progress. It is deceptively easy for people (all of us included) to forget the progress we have made, whether over the course of a conversation, in organizational life, or with respect to the actions already taken on strategic planning commitments. Regular reporting regarding the work being done on the plan ensures that people see and experience the organization living into its commitments. This builds momentum and generates excitement for the organization’s vision and direction.

Myth #3: Vision, Mission and Values processes are a waste of time.

Some organizations wonder whether it is important to spend time on their vision, mission, and values (VMV). If VMV statements are not in place (or they need to be updated), spending time in this “bucket” of the strategic planning process can help organizations establish their “why” (why they exist) and their “who” (their identity and the core values that are emblematic of that identity). If VMV statements are in place, a strategic planning process can nonetheless meaningfully review and affirm these statements to ensure they remain “alive,” thereby influencing the rest of the strategic planning process.

Strategic planning processes alone do not help organizations to thrive. For that matter, effective organizational statements also do not help organizations to thrive. Vision, mission and value statements do, however, reflect an organization’s culture. There is a saying that culture eats strategy for breakfast. Another way of saying the same thing is: We’ve rearranged the chairs, but we are still looking out the same window. When organizations allow time for meaningful conversations about their core statements, they are making space for culture conversations – conversations that can help ensure the efficacy of strategic planning processes. (Sidebar: For organizations with significant culture challenges, it is often best to set aside strategic planning initiatives until an intentional process to review and heal the culture is completed.)

Myth #4: “Strategic Planning isn’t in my skill set. It’s better if I leave this to others.”

Setting an organization’s direction requires a diversity of skill sets and insights from across the organization. Some people think in a big picture fashion, while others are more detail-oriented. In the early stages of the strategic planning process, it is common to take stock of current reality: How is the organization doing currently? An effective facilitator will steward this conversation in a fashion that ensures both dreamers and detail-oriented people can contribute their insights. In the dreaming and visioning stage of a strategic planning process, the big-picture thinkers shine. In the nuts-and-bolts planning associated with strategic planning, however, it is the detail-oriented people who shine. Effective strategic planning ensures diverse skill sets are welcomed and encouraged throughout the process.

Myth #5: “Can’t we just do this as leaders? Do we need to include everyone?”

Several years ago, a strategic planner told me that he has done away with everyone but the top five people of the organization when he leads strategic planning processes. In his view, engaging the rest of the leaders and the organization slowed down strategic planning and made the process more cumbersome. While creating a plan that involves a diversity of voices can feel slow, generating buy-in for the plan is more complicated when people beyond the organization’s leadership do not have a voice. It is also harder to develop an effective plan without the insights from people with diverse experiences from across the organization.

To ensure a diversity of voices has input into the strategic plan while nonetheless protecting organizational time and energy, Credence prefers an “accordion” approach to strategic planning. This approach, like a true accordion, expands and contracts, to allow for both larger and smaller group initiatives throughout the planning process. Practically, we want to hear from a range of participants prior to facilitated group meetings. Facilitated meetings, however, typically involve a representative subset of the original list of participants. The finalization of the plan itself is completed by a smaller group of leaders with regular check-ins with the group involved in the facilitated conversations. In this way, a cascading group of individuals is involved throughout the process, ensuring the inclusion of a diversity of voices, buy-in and an efficient use of time and money.

Myth #6: The strategic planning process will take too long and will be too arduous.

Strategic planning processes do not need to take too long; nor do they need to be arduous. At Credence, we have found that effective beginnings generate efficient endings. Practically, this means investing in: (a) interviews or focus groups with key players alongside other forms of data collection to start the planning process; (b) a well-crafted listening report that provides participants with the information they need to engage in strategic thinking; (c) ensuring an effective Reference Group is in place to support discernment at key stages of the process; and (d) effective facilitation to ensure conversations move forward in a manner that hears diverse voices while staying focused on the task at hand.

Myth #7: Strategic Planning is boring. I’d like to be inspired.

Strategic planning processes should be joyful and lifegiving. An effective process celebrates the organization’s achievements, considers the organization’s current reality (reviewing strengths and challenges driven by both internal and external forces), re-grounds the organization in its core commitments, and sets a direction that propels the organization forward. Busting the myths and misconceptions of the strategic planning process can help organizations create processes that are inspiring and that lead, ultimately, to inspiring and motivational strategic plans.

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Supporting Leaders, Engaging Teams. Transforming Organizations.

Credence believes strategic planning can be inspiring, collaborative, and tailored to your organization’s unique story.

Explore more about Credence’s approach and how Credence can support your organization’s next planning process at https://credenceandco.com/services/strategic-planning/