A Four-Step Process for Establishing Strategic Planning ProgramsBlumShapiro ConsultingBSC_632bc171-c6ac-11e3-bee3-6e944f353346James M. KerrJames M. Kerr, Partner, BlumShapiro Consulting, is the author of The Executive Checklist (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014). As a management consultant and organizational behaviorist, Jim specializes in strategic planning, corporate transformation and project & program development.BlumShapiro Consulting Clients[This process] has been used with all kinds of clients from the U.S. Marine Corps to the Home Depot.U.S. Marine CorpsThe Home DepotLiving documents developed and maintained through ongoing, continuous processes used to identify, document and oversee all of the strategic, tactical and operational-related initiatives underway (and intended to be done) within enterprises in order to achieve their visions_632bc172-c6ac-11e3-bee3-6e944f353346[To outline] a process for establishing strategic planning programs_632bc173-c6ac-11e3-bee3-6e944f353346BaselineEstablish a Baseline_632bc174-c6ac-11e3-bee3-6e944f3533461The first step towards establishing a strategic planning program involves the creation of a baseline. A baseline defines the current state of the business. It characterizes the enterprise across the very dimensions outlined in the organization’s vision (see above) including product and service offerings, pricing, distribution and customer support to the internal people, process and technology used to deliver value to the organization’s stakeholder community.It’s important that this baseline mirror reality. So, the baseline report must reflect the organization with all of its warts and blemishes. Without this understanding, it’s possible that important improvement areas will be missed and the work that is necessary to address these shortcomings will not be reflected in the strategic plan – potentially sabotaging the organization’s ability to achieve its vision._632bc175-c6ac-11e3-bee3-6e944f353346VisionCompare the Baseline to the Vision_632bc176-c6ac-11e3-bee3-6e944f3533462With a baseline assessment in place, the next step in establishing a strategic planning program is to compare the baseline to the entity’s vision for the future. This comparison is essential because it will determine the gaps that exist between where the firm is today and where it is heading in the future. Each gap that is identified is then translated into a project or program to be included in the strategic plan._632bc177-c6ac-11e3-bee3-6e944f353346PlanCreate a Strategic Plan that bridges the gaps_632bc178-c6ac-11e3-bee3-6e944f3533463A strategic plan which charts how the firm will get from its current state to the achievement of its strategic vision is developed in the next step. By definition, the strategic plan is comprised of a set of well documented projects and programs that bridge the gap between baseline and target. These initiatives are spread across a multi-year timeline and include a full understanding of interdependencies, completion criteria and detailed execution task lists for each initiative. Without this detail, you don’t have a strategic plan – just a vague itinerary (one that can easily be abandoned if new thought comes around)._632bc179-c6ac-11e3-bee3-6e944f353346AdministrationInstitute an Plan Administration process_632bc17a-c6ac-11e3-bee3-6e944f3533464The final step in establish a strategic planning program is the creation of a strategic plan administration process. This allows firms to make appropriate mid-course adjustments. Plan administration work involves the coordination, review and resetting/reconfirmation of the firm’s projects and programs. In effect the Strategic Planning Process is responsible for ensuring: Executive management review and ownership of the Strategic Plan; The existence of an effective means for the business to articulate new strategic initiatives; The ‘spearheading’ of appropriate changes to existing strategic project/programs plans; and The proper prioritization of newly defined and sanctioned work efforts.Executive ManagementEnsure executive management review and ownership of the Strategic Plan_632bc17b-c6ac-11e3-bee3-6e944f3533464.1Executive ManagementArticulationEnsure the existence of an effective means for the business to articulate new strategic initiatives_632bc17c-c6ac-11e3-bee3-6e944f3533464.2SpearheadingEnsure the ‘spearheading’ of appropriate changes to existing strategic project/programs plans_632bc17d-c6ac-11e3-bee3-6e944f3533464.3PrioritizationEnsure the proper prioritization of newly defined and sanctioned work efforts_632bc1ca-c6ac-11e3-bee3-6e944f3533464.42014-04-17http://www.strategydriven.com/2014/04/11/budget-strategy-make/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net