Strategic planning entails laying out the procedures that employees should follow to achieve the goals of an organization. All the departments within an organization are required to apply the stipulated procedures. However, the following are the various factors that affect strategic planning: (1) leadership; (2) organizational culture; (3) size of the organization; (4) expertise of the planners; and (5) environment. This paper will highlight the impact of these factors on strategic planning and explain how the responsibilities are shared.
According to Bryson (2011), every organization has its own unique strategic plan and that is why there are several options to choose. First, a strategic plan can be drafted according to the ambitions of the organization. In this model of planning, ambitions are identified and allocated a specific period within which they must be accomplished.
In order to beat the deadline the tasks are allocated to different persons depending on their skills. The second model tackles issues that are facing the organization. The issues here can be challenges or crises. In this model, the organization prepares to tackle any forth-coming challenge that might interfere with its operations.
Strategic planning is an inclusive task because all organs of the organization carry it out. The leaders are the ones who have the mandate of initiating strategic planning. This is because they are expected to have a clear vision of the future. The employees are important because they are the ones who implement the plan.
Sometimes strategic planning can be induced by suggestions made by employees during formal meetings. However, this is common in issue-based strategic planning. The leadership of the organization can have either a positive or a negative impact on strategic planning depending on its stand.
Additionally, the leadership of the organization is under obligation to come up with a realistic plan and then avail the resources that are needed to implement the plan. Similarly, the same organ should support the other members of the organization to prepare for the implementation process.
This team is also setting the standards that are to be observed during the execution period. Before the leaders draft a plan, they must analyze the organization by evaluating its strengths and weaknesses. This is because the plan may fail to bring the desired results if the organization does not have the necessary strengths.
The leaders should consider the size of the organization because some models are best suited for large organizations and thus, they may not work in a relatively small organization. Besides, understanding the size of the organization will help in estimating the resources that will be required. It is also important to consider the environment of the organization. The environment could be an obstacle to the implementation process and hence the organization must adjust itself to the changes of the environment.
Heizer and Render (2011) reckon that the details of the strategic plan should be communicated to the employees. This is because the plan might require some changes in its operations. When employees understand the necessity of change there will be a smooth transition period as opposed to when they are not aware of the underlying plot.
The tasks of implementing the plan should be assigned according to one’s expertise and this is where the changes in operations may come in. However, team members should be encouraged to embrace the changes that come with strategic planning because it enhances the performance of an organization. This is because the organization is able to overcome any challenges that may come its way.
In conclusion, an organization’s strategic plan depends on the expertise of the people who draft it. This is because they may overlook the most important aspects and in the end, the plan may not work. An organization must prepare for the execution of the plan by availing all the required resources such as the training materials. Moreover, the leaders should oversee the implementation process so that they can identify any setbacks and work on them within the shortest time as possible.
References
Bryson, M.J. (2011). Strategic Planning For Public And Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide To Strengthening And Sustaining Organizational Achievement (4th ed.). San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons.
Heizer, J. & Render, B. (2011). Operations Management (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Prentice-Hall.