Chapter 9. Strategic Planning

Whenever I think of strategic planning meetings, I'm reminded of a scene from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland between Alice and the Cheshire Cat.

Alice: "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"

Cat: "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."

Alice: "I don't much care where –"

Cat: "Then it doesn't matter which way you go."

Strategic plans are our roadmap (aka strategy) for the company. Strategic planning is the process of creating that roadmap.

Strategic planning is different from operational planning, although they are related. Operational planning focuses on the daily activities of the organization. I tend to think of it as the tactical activities that happen each day with a focus on the internal organization. And obviously, proper execution of the company's organizational plan is critical to the success of the company's strategic plan.

However, strategic planning takes a wider scope. It's not just about what happens inside...