Strategic Planning vs. Strategic Thinking

Over the past several years, we have had the pleasure to create strategic plans for a myriad of different schools, colleges, universities, and non-profits.  Along the way, we have learned a lot about what makes for a strong strategic plan, including the need for data-driven processes, internal collaboration and inclusivity, and key stakeholder buy-in.  And, it turns out some of these very issues create both conflict and tension, and often hinder an organization from doing the important “thinking” that is necessary for the future.  Rather than really examining and organizing around a “preferred future”, some organizations can get caught up in merely satisfying the needs of internal constituencies so that everyone feels good about the plan.

During the next week, we will release our seventh in the Ten Trends series.  The focus will be on the concept of strategic thinking, as opposed to strategic planning.  We will offer our insights from experience and best practices, as well as our belief on where the education industry needs to focus in order to create more effective strategic plans.  It promises to be an exceptional white paper that will help your organization think through their planning processes anew.

We will post Trend Seven:  Strategic Planning vs. Strategic Thinking on our blog and PubHub sites early next week, right after the 4th of July weekend.  We hope you will enjoy it and will share it with your colleagues.