I am a big fan of strategic planning. I think it’s vital. I’ve been a part of a few dozen efforts either as a participant or consultant. They’ve been vital to my professional development. They’ve helped me make mortgage payments.

But I have found that most strategic planning processes will fail.

There’s some danger in me saying this, but I have seen it too often. So, considering I have said that it is vital but it is also prone to failure, why do you bother? Well, the key is knowing what needs to be done differently. Here’s what I’ve seen happen when it goes well and is done right.

1. There are multiple champions. In previous posts I’ve written about infusing awareness across functional areas to increase the attention on developing competencies. This blog post focuses on the leadership competency of the ACPA and NASPA Professional Competencies. People believe that leadership equals LEADER, but what I’ve seen is there is a need for many to lead and to do so from wherever they are in the organizational chart. The same is true with strategic planning. There has to be at least one really good champion and multiple parts of the cheering squad on board. Take the time to invest people to champion attention to the strategic priorities of your organization.

2. It’s not so much a plan as a philosophy. People love to see the final plan but in this case the process is as important as the product. Additionally, the implementation is more than just attention to the document. There has to be an ethos of strategic THINKING, not just PLANNING. As you develop the document engage people in discussions about how to anchor the changes in the culture. How can you create an environment in which people think mission, vision, values, goals FIRST and then launch into action every day?

3. The laundry list doesn’t work. I’ve been as guilty as anyone in thinking “we need to get it all on paper so everyone knows our plans and how they fit in”. Actually, too much of a good thing is simply too much here. Focusing on a few key actions to help facilitate the strategic priorities is better than brainstorming a list of several. For example, if your strategic priority is to retain students then having four to five action items, broadly written, can be better than having 20 very specific ones. You can flush out the specifics when you develop operational plans. In fact, give your broad items off to a separate committee to develop operational plans. Think of it as the Myers-Briggs spectrum – big thinking vs. detail oriented. Strategic thinkers have to go wide. Operational planners need to go deep.

4. The plan is seen as static or unchangeable. People like to think 5-10 years in strategic planning. I’m not sure that people can create a road map to the future with that long of a distance in mind. I’d go three at most. It’s like saying that you’re driving from New Hampshire to California (which I have done) and the map you create in New Hampshire will not and cannot change. Life throws things in your way. Strategic planning is no different. Yes, mission, vision, goals/strategic priorities/objectives, values may all stay the same but actions and especially how you operationalize those actions through tactics should be revisited annually. Therefore, strategic planning isn’t a thing you work through every five years; because you’ve adopted strategic planning as a philosophy (see number 2) you then take time throughout each year to revisit, reaffirm and revise.

The leadership competency has a strong focus in ensuring the planning process occurs and taking the time to think with innovation about the future. What can you do to ensure your next planning process doesn’t fail? How can you create a culture of attention to the plan? These are questions I plan to ask when I’m next involved in a planning process.