Strategic Planning

A strategic plan acts as a compass. It helps an organization focus on its goals for the future and how to achieve them. In times of chaos and change, a coherent strategic plan helps team members decide what actions to take and know why they are taking them.

There are many reasons why an organization may come to the conclusion that strategic planning is necessary. At the root of all need for strategic planning is change; and extreme change often creates chaos and an uncomfortable transition time. Strategic planning with North Star Facilitators can transform that time of uncertainty to a time of excitement. We do this by helping organizations become more focused, communicate with clarity and create a solid sense of direction.

When Is Strategic Planning Necessary?

Some common scenarios that lead to the need for strategic planning include:

Structural Changes - Your organization has recently acquired, been acquired or merged with other departments or organizations. When this happens you need to bring together different cultures, address mis-trust and often adjust your mission statement.

Economic Changes - Your organization has recently had a significant increase or decrease in funding. You want to show potential funding sources that their investment will have a large positive community impact.

Policy Changes - Your board or senior leadership teams have decided to address a social or health issue you haven’t focused on before. Or, you are focusing on a new target group, product or service.

What kind of strategic planning do we need?

North Star Facilitators offers two primary types of strategic planning based on the extent of the change in your organization. If your organization has never created a strategic plan, or your organization has experienced significant structural, economic and policy changes, you will probably benefit from our two day strategic planning process. If you have a strategic plan and it just needs to be updated, our half day strategic planning update sessions can help get your team back on track. We also have a graphic planning process called P.A.T.H. good for smaller teams needing quick results.