Mistakes to Avoid in Strategic Planning
There may be a number of reasons why organizations fail to
reap the benefits of strategic planning and management:
Taking shortcuts. Effective strategy requires extensive
research, detailed analysis, and honest evaluation of the organization and its
competitive situation. Poorly researched, vague, or overly ambitious strategies
are usually not successful and make a poor argument for strategy.
Little follow-through. Often, strategic planning is a pro
forma exercise that produces a plan that is placed in a desk drawer. This
perception may be due to the early association of strategies with annual
budgets, among other reasons. Strategic plans should lead to decisions. Because
these decisions are risky, require complex execution, or are in conflict with
the current organizational culture, leaders may be reluctant to translate
intent into action. Strategy requires leadership and good decision makers.