. Strategic
. . Planning

Strategic Planning Overview

Strategic planning is the process of developing a strategy to implement an organizations strategic objective or objectives. The terms "business strategy" and "strategic objective" are interpreted in so many ways that it is appropriate to define each of the terms to add clarity to our service offering.

Definitions

Business Strategy “ A business strategy is made up of carefully crafted words making up templates, which in turn act as filters through which all planning, tactics and decisions are passed through before implementation.

Strategic Objective “ A strategic objective is therefore, a business strategy developed to guide an organization in meeting business objectives.

The Emerald Approach to Strategic Planning

At Emerald we use a systematic process or "methodology" in the strategic planning process. We believe it is our role to collaborate in strategic planning by adding value to the process through the contribution of ideas and knowledge relative to the planning process.

• Identify and clarify the strategic objectives, which are to be implemented
• Assure the accurate formulation of company strategic objectives has been accomplished
• Identify the results expected from the development of the strategic plan
• Develop a systematic plan for the execution of the strategic plan
• Create metrics, which can be used to evaluate the success of the strategic planning process as well as the implementation of the plan itself

The nature of strategic planning is to create a plan, pass it on for implementation and wait for the results. Objectives and strategies are misunderstood by managers and executives alike and often die a swift death at the point of execution. It is therefore critical to the success of a strategic planning effort to build in expected results and metrics to measure successful deployment. The plan should also include an initial training session with implementers and the development of an evaluation and implementation process to assure the strategic planning is successful.