Strategic plans should be ambitious, but realistic. Pushing the envelope of what is achievable, without becoming overwhelming. Strategic plans should identify what is going to be pursued, and what is not going to be pursued.

We insist upon two things: grounding the plan in data and research, and engaging key stakeholders in the planning process. When Boards, staff and stakeholders are authentically and meaningfully engaged, they buy in enthusiastically and help the strategies and plans succeed when it comes time for implementation.

Establishing clear task owners, timelines, dependencies, budgets, and action plans is the easy part. Communicating what’s going to be different and reducing the resistance and internal friction that inevitably comes with change, is what sets our approach to Operational Planning apart.

Beyond accountability matrices and GANTT charts, operational plans need to ensure staff understand and buy into the new priorities. Incorporating change management planning techniques, we ensure individuals understand their roles and how they are personally connected to the organization’s purpose, and delivering the new priorities.

Coming up with neat new ideas is relatively simple. Coming up with strategically relevant ideas that deliver on your organizational objectives is more complex. Through our LaunchPad approach, we have helped corporations and organizations identify innovations that leverage their core competencies, address unmet needs, and drive tangible results.

Change can be difficult. See how we help teams manage change

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