What is the Value of Strategic Planning to Your Organization?
What is the value of strategic planning to my organization? At NMBL Strategies, we know it’s a fair question to ask, and one that should be asked before starting the process. Many people feel that if they can’t survive today why should they worry about tomorrow. The simplest answer is that a Strategic Plan should assist you with both today and tomorrow, aligning mission, vision, and planning to a clear path forward. Looking at it another way, if you never worry about tomorrow you’ll always be in the same situation as you are today. Let’s dive a bit deeper into this with some examples:
Surviving Today
We have no better example of how a Strategic Plan can help you survive today than our work with America’s Black Holocaust Museum. In coordination with several efforts, the strategic plan was brought to a major Milwaukee donor who saw the plan as well as the leadership and direction of the organization and proceeded to make a pledge to ABHM for its first eight-figure gift in history.
Whether you’re a nonprofit or a small business, having a clear path can inspire staff, donors, investors, and even customers. In practice, you’re making believers of people by letting them know there is a tomorrow and what it will look like for your organization. It also allows you to focus on building your future because you know your needs, your opportunities, and how to position yourself for growth. If you don’t know where you are going, how will you start getting there?
Story on the America’s Black Holocaust Museum gift
Strengthening Tomorrow
This is typically where groups think their strategic plan will pay off. When it comes to knowing their direction, nonprofits think of their organization like a ship. Setting sail is a great start, but setting sail with a distinct path toward the destination is far better. However, in strategic planning, it’s not just one destination that needs to be reached for your organization. There are checkpoints along the way which indicate your success and growth. These checkpoints identify your direction and perhaps signal for you to change direction. This is a big piece of why we make sure there are Performance Measures that look at both short-term and long-term goals in a strategic plan. It is also important to celebrate reaching those milestones. Strategic planning is a journey, and if your team feels like it is just checking boxes along the way, they will grow fatigued, lose interest, and perhaps move on to another organization. The destination is a point of focus but every milestone along the way is an achievement worthy of notice and celebration.
To truly strengthen your tomorrow, make your whole team a part of the strategic planning process and make sure they are included in both the effort AND the celebration!
NMBL Strategies specializes in making both today and tomorrow matter to your organization. Whether you are a nonprofit, small business, or public-private partnership, we are here to ensure our clients find success. Reach out today to see how we can support your growth!
