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Download strategic plan template in Microsoft Word format.
Strategic Plan Template: Understanding the Strategic Plan
Are you a business owner or entrepreneur and considering putting together a strategic plan to map out the future of your organization? Have you considered using a strategic plan template to help you with this process? A strategic plan is a type of business road map that can be very beneficial as a planning tool, and when using a template this document can be very easy to create. Unlike a business plan which tends to focus on a particular product, service or program, the strategic plan is usually based around the entire organization and is normally more visionary in nature. To help clarify this further, in this article we will discuss the primary purpose(s) of the strategic plan, identify the different models and approaches used by planners and show you some of the categories you should look for when selecting a strategic plan template.
About the Strategic Plan
When creating a business plan, it can often feel like you’re restricted, as you have to be careful to account for your plans and ideas from a realistic financial standpoint. That is not the case with the strategic plan, a document that tends to be little shorter in length and much more visionary in nature—sort of like a business wish-list. Of course, the way you develop your plan will depend upon many different factors, including the leadership and culture of your organization, the complexity and size of the business environment and the in-house expertise for creating plans of this type.
There are a few different varieties of strategic plan models, each with a different starting focus. These models include:
- Goals-based. The goals-based model of strategic planning is far and away the most popular. This model uses your business’ mission and/or vision as its starting point and creates goals and action plans designed to accomplish that mission.
- Issues-based. Issued-based planning starts with a specific issue the company is facing and creates a plan to address that issue.
- Organic. Organic planning also begins with the organization’s mission or vision as its launching point, but this type of plan also identifies the company’s values and creates a plan that will be in accordance with those values.
The exact time frame that the strategic plan will address will vary depending on the scope of the plan and the amount of work it will require. For example, many strategic plans address merely a one-year period, while others may be more expansive, planning for the next ten to twenty years.
Strategic Plan Template: What Should It Include?
The exact format of the strategic plan will depend on the type of model you select, but since goal-based strategic planning is most popular, here we will list and define the various components of that model:
- Vision. This is the “dream” section, identifying where the organization want to be at the end of the planned period.
- Mission. The “mission,” which is usually expressed as a mission statement is brief language that aims to identify the nature of the company and its primary purpose.
- Values. The values of a company, which are usually the collective values of its people, can be generally defined as a set of rules or a type of moral framework for the company or organization.
- Goals/Objectives. The strategic plan template should identify both the long term goals of the company and the shorter-term objectives.
- Strategies/Action Plan. The “strategies” or “action plan” section is an outline of the steps that will be taken to reach the agreed-upon goals and objectives.
- Programs/People. This section will break the action plan down into individual programs and identify the people who will be involved at both the management and support level.
The strategic plan is a vital tool that can prevent stagnation in companies by creating a common vision that all staff can work towards. And when using a strategic plan template, the process is made easier and can be completed more rapidly, as most templates already possess the necessary topics and fields under which the plan will be created.