How can you improve your strategic planning skills?

1 Assess your current situation

Before you can plan for the future, you need to understand where you are now. This means conducting a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) of your program, as well as a PESTLE analysis (political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors) of your external environment. These tools will help you identify your program's value proposition, competitive advantage, and potential risks and challenges.

2 Define your vision and mission

Your vision is your long-term aspiration for your program, while your mission is your purpose and reason for existence. Your vision and mission should be clear, concise, and compelling, and they should guide your strategic planning process. They should also be aligned with the organization's vision and mission, and reflect the needs and expectations of your stakeholders.

3 Set SMART goals and objectives

Your goals and objectives are the specific outcomes you want to achieve for your program, and they should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Your goals and objectives should be derived from your vision and mission, and they should be prioritized according to their importance and urgency. You should also define the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will help you measure and track your progress and success.

4 Develop your strategies and action plans

Your strategies are the broad approaches you will use to achieve your goals and objectives, while your action plans are the detailed steps you will take to implement your strategies. Your strategies and action plans should be realistic, feasible, and flexible, and they should consider the resources, constraints, and dependencies of your program. You should also assign roles and responsibilities, deadlines, and budgets for each action plan.

5 Monitor and evaluate your results

Your strategic planning process does not end with the execution of your action plans. You need to monitor and evaluate your results regularly, and compare them with your expected outcomes and KPIs. You need to collect and analyze data, feedback, and lessons learned, and use them to identify gaps, issues, and opportunities for improvement. You need to also communicate your results to your stakeholders, and celebrate your achievements and successes.

6 Review and update your plan

Your strategic plan is not a static document, but a dynamic framework that needs to be reviewed and updated periodically. You need to adapt your plan to the changing internal and external conditions, and to the emerging needs and demands of your program. You need to also incorporate the best practices and innovations that can enhance your program's performance and value. You need to keep your plan relevant, current, and aligned with your vision and mission.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?