Tip 1: Develop specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-limited objectives that cover the time horizon of your strategic plan. For example, “Increase gross revenue from all sources by 27% by May 30th 2005”.

Tip 2: Produce a written plan. This written plan should be short, to the point and outline the decisions made. The written plan is the tool to communicate the decisions made; it is not the end product.

Tip 3: Focus on process and results. The way you develop your strategic plan can have as much to do about your organization’s long-term success as the actual strategy itself. Involve key stakeholders either as participants (directly or indirectly) or as information providers.

Tip 4: Focus your strategy on dealing with the key strategic questions first. If you have any burning strategic issues address them first. This frees the participants from wondering throughout the whole process when you’re going to deal with the issues and consequently allows them to engage more effectively throughout the whole process.

Tip 5: Implement the plan. Strategy without implementation isn’t going to move your organization forward very far, if at all.

Tip 6: When developing your strategic planning process keep in mind the issues you have to deal with, the stage of your organization’s development, the amount of information that needs to be gathered and reviewed, the number of stakeholders that need to participate, the organization’s strategic competence, (i.e. how well it has done strategic planning in the past) and amount of resources (including time) that can be allocated to the process.

Tip 7: Select the planning horizon for your strategic plan based on your specific needs. There is no magic in 3 to 5 years. Before you select your time horizon give thought to the degree of turbulence within your external environment, degree of turbulence within your organization and the extent to which you anticipate your organization’s strategy to change.

Ron Robinson is the president of ABARIS Consulting Inc. He can be reached at (519) 472-9788 or rrobinson@abarisconsulting.com. This article is provided free of charge, for information purposes only and is not intended, represented or to be inferred as providing advice. ABARIS Consulting Inc. makes no warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability for accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided in whole or in part within this article.