A Short Definition of "Strategic Planning"
Published June 29, 2007
A while back I wrote How To Develop a Business-Aligned Social Media & Social Networking Strategy which described a structured approach to strategic planning. That turned into a 2,200-word white paper and described a process for situations where a structured development process might be called for. This is how I described it:
Some organizations develop strategies for adopting social media and social networking based on an informal process that proceeds spontaneously and with minimal central coordination. Others prefer a more formalized process, especially in situations where management recognizes the potential for impacting so many different corporate functions. This paper is intended for the latter group.
I recently had an opportunity to write a brief descriptionof strategic planning. Here it is:
A strategic planning process delivers a set of defined initiatives (projects) that achieve a desired set of business goals. The planning process involves a definition of these business goals, an assessment of the resources available for meeting these goals, and the definition of specific plans (initiatives) that are designed to achieve the goals. The process usually incorporates a ranking exercise that identifies the highest priority initiatives.
Copyright © 2007 by Dennis D. McDonald
