Strategic Planning: Developments and Improvements

This paper presents an update, providing recent developments and improvements to the strategic planning process, building on some of the writer’s earlier papers. The paper assumes that a board, executive committee or other group is charged with strategic planning. Specific developments discussed include the evolution of the planning process, three graphic tools to assist planning groups in their strategic thinking work, searching for a successful strategy and how to use the past as a guide to the future. Finally, the paper identifies several important factors that help in the implementation of strategic plans.