1. Athletic Training Management
Chapter 12
Strategic Planning

2. Strategic Planning Management requires planning
Strategic planning is one way to complete the planning necessary to manage an organization
Strategic planning is only useful if it supports strategic thinking and leads to strategic management
Strategic thinking asks “Are we doing the right thing?”
Uses three key requirements
Have a defined purpose
Understand the environment, particularly the forces that affect or impede meeting the purpose
Able to use creativity in developing responses to these forces

3. Strategic Planning
Strategic Management is the application of strategic thinking about leadership
Attention to the “big picture” and a willingness to adapt
Consists of the following three elements:
Formulation of the future mission in light of changing external factors
Development of a competitive strategy to accomplish the mission
Create the structure to deploy resources to carry out the strategy

4. Strategic Planning
Strategic management is adaptive
Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does, and why it does it
Process is strategic because it plans the best way to respond to circumstances
Process is about planning because it involves intentionally setting goals and a way to meet those goals

5. Strategic Planning
Process is disciplined because it calls for order to keep it focused
Raises a sequence of questions to help planners examine experience, test assumptions, gather and incorporate info about the present and anticipate the future
Process is about fundamental decisions and actions because choices must be made
Plan is ultimately a series of decisions about what to do, why to do it, and how to do it

6. Strategic Planning
Planning involves not making decisions in the future but anticipating the future and making decisions now
Strategic planning is a tool, but not a replacement for judgment by leaders
Process is not a smooth transition from point A to point B, rather a series of steps, both forward and backward, each changing the environment

7. Strategic Planning vs. Long Range Planning
Long range planning is setting a plan to accomplish a goal over a number of years and assumes stability of environment
Strategic planning assumes being responsive to a dynamic changing environment
Leaders assume the environment is ever-changing, often unpredictable
All strategic planning should include the following:
Internal orientation

8. Strategic Planning vs. Long Range Planning
External orientation
Functional integration
Key personnel involvement
Use of analytical techniques
Creativity in planning
Focus on control

9. Components of the Strategic Plan
See figure 12-1, pp for example
Organized around the following topics:
Strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities
Strengths should be emphasized, weaknesses attended to (be honest)
Threats and opportunities often intertwined
Vision
Where you want to be in 3-4 years

10. Components of the Strategic Plan
Mission statement
What you do
Values
Articulates the value system and guides the strategies to be employed and the manner in which they are pursued
Objectives
What you want to get done and what you want to be
Key strategies
Specific tasks that will be pursued

11. Components of the Strategic Plan
Major goals
Specific, measurable goals that should be met in the next 3-4 years
Strategic action programs
Statements to guide future action plans and information gathering

12. Models Model one - “Basic” Strategic Planning
Used in small busy organizations that have not done much planning before
Mission statement
Select goals you must reach to accomplish your mission
Identify specific approaches or strategies that must be implemented to reach each goal
Identify specific action plans to implement each strategy
Monitor and update the plan

13. Models Model Two – Issue-Based Planning
More comprehensive than model one
Often evolved from model one
SWOT
Strategic analysis to identify and prioritize issues/goals
Design strategies to address issues/goals
Design/update vision, mission, and values
Establish action plans
Record issues, goals, strategies/programs, updated mission and vision, and action plans in a strategic plan document and attach SWOT

14. Models Model Three – Alignment Model To align mission and resources
Develop yearly operating plan document
Develop and authorize budget for year one
Conduct organization’s year-one operations
Monitor/review/evaluate/update strategic plan
Model Three – Alignment Model
To align mission and resources
Useful to fine-tune strategies and assess why they are not working
Also may adopt if finding a large number of issues

15. Models Model Four – Scenario Planning
Planning group outlines mission, programs, resources, and needed support
Identify what is working well and what needs adjustment
Identify how these adjustments are to be made
Include the adjustments in the strategic plan
Model Four – Scenario Planning
Use in conjunction with other models to ensure strategic thinking is happening
Select several external forces and imagine how a change will impact the organization

16. Models Model Five – “Organic” Planning
For each change in a force discuss three scenarios (best case, worst case, and OK/reasonable case) which might occur as a result
Suggest what the organization might do
Planners soon detect common strategies that must be addressed
Select the most likely external changes over the next three to five years and respond to these
Model Five – “Organic” Planning
May desire to use continual reference to common values, dialogue around these values, and use continued shared reflection around the current processes

17. Models Clarify and articulate the cultural values (storyboard)
Articulate the group’s vision
Ongoing dialogue about how to reach the vision
Continually remind yourself and others this planning is never over
Be very, very patient
Focus on learning and less on method
Ask the group how they will portray the strategic plans to those expecting a “mechanistic linear” plan format

18. Benefits of Strategic Planning
Clearly define purpose and establish realistic goals and objectives
Communicate those goals and objectives to constituents
Develop a sense of ownership
Ensure effective use of resources
Provide a base from which progress is measured
Building a consensus

19. Benefits of Strategic Planning
Additionally
Provide clearer focus
Bridge staff and board of directors
Builds strong teams
Provides the glue that keeps the board together
Produces great satisfaction among planners with a common vision
Increases productivity
Solves major problems

20. Conducting Strategic Planning
Who should be involved
Chief executive and board chair (if applicable)
Guidelines for membership
Those directly involved in planning
Those providing information
Those who will review the plan
Those who will authorize the plan
If there is a board of directors, they must be involved

21. Conducting Strategic Planning
Ask if the board represents the clientele of the surrounding community
Always include in the group at least someone who has ultimate decision making capability
Ensure as many stakeholders as possible participate
Involve at least those responsible for composing and implementing the plan
Involve someone to orchestrate the meetings
Keep records

22. Conducting Strategic Planning
Different people may be needed more at different times
When in doubt, include the point of view in the process
Involve both board and staff in all phases of planning to the board understands the day-to-day issues and the staff understands the big picture
How many planning meetings will we need?
Variety of factors, but try to complete strategic planning in 2-3 months

23. Conducting Strategic Planning
Scheduling meetings
At most 2-3 weeks apart
Be sure executives believe in the process and are visibly involved
Example planning process
Half-day or all-day meeting to ensure everyone is committed, explain the process, and who will be involved
Visit the mission, vision, values, etc., or identify current issues
Next meeting focuses on finalizing strategies for each issue

24. Conducting Strategic Planning
Have a planning document drafted
Next meeting exchange feedback about the content and format of the document
Next meeting authorizes the document to be moved forward (may be board only)
May use the document to set a yearly operating plan
To address concerns about the time for meetings, ensure they are well run without a lot of extraneous issues
When should strategic planning be done
Depends on the nature of the organization

25. Conducting Strategic Planning
Frequently in an organization where the products or conditions are frequently changing (once or even twice a year)
Once a year in a stable market with a stable organization
Consider the following guidelines
When getting an organization started
In preparation for a major new venture like expansion, shifting focus, offering more options
At least once a year to be ready for the next fiscal year
Action plans updated yearly
During implementation, progress should be assesses quarterly

26. Ensuring Implementation
Frequent complaint is the process is not followed through
People who implement must be involved in the planning
Plan must be realistic
Organize the overall plan into smaller action plans
In the overall planning document specify who is doing what and have realistic implementation dates
Detail what happens in the first 90 days

27. Ensuring Implementation
Translate the plans into job descriptions and performance reviews
Communicate the role of follow-ups
Document and distribute the plan
Be sure one internal person has responsibility to see to implementation in a timely fashion
Chief executive’s support is necessary
Place a hug emphasis on feedback
Have designated checkers to verify completion
Have partners responsible to help each other