Fundamentals of Strategic Planning
Who is the course for?
This course is for anyone who actively contributes to the long-term planning of the organization and desires to be proactive, rather than reactive, to situations as they arise.
Skill Level
Foundational
Time Commitment
Weekly Time Committment
60 Minutes/Week
Duration
3 Weeks
Leader Behaviors
This course strengthens your skills in the following leader behaviors:
- Inspires
- Sets Goals
- Solves Problems
Course Overview
Strategic planning provides organizations with a sense of direction and outlines measurable goals. It also allows organizations to foresee their future and prepare accordingly. With a strong strategic plan, organizations can be proactive rather than merely reacting to situations as they arise. Being proactive allows organizations to keep up with the ever-changing trends in the market and always stay one step ahead of the competition.
This course examines the strategic planning process, the importance of vision statements, core values, and the importance of SWOT analysis. In this course, you will discover how to create effective strategic planning for your organization.
Completing this course will help you:
- Identify the strategic planning concepts and the importance of vision statements
- Examine the importance of core values and SWOT analysis
- Determine how to create an effective strategic plan for your organization
Learning Path
Session 1 - Strategic Planning Concepts
This session will focus on defining strategic planning and its importance. We will identify an organization’s vision and the negative impact of not creating a vision. In this session, we will explore the basic steps in strategic planning and identify the importance of choosing a good leader for the strategic planning team.
Virtual Session (30 minutes) + Online Journal (15 minutes) + Activity (15 minutes)
Session 2 - Core Values and SWOT Analysis
This session explores core values and how they guide you. We will examine the importance of a SWOT analysis in the strategic planning process. We will also analyze the process for validating the organization’s strengths and weaknesses.
Virtual Session (30 minutes) + Online Journal (15 minutes) + Activity (15 minutes)
Session 3 - Creating a Strategic Plan
In this session, we will identify the importance of writing your goals, determine how to use SMART objectives to achieve your goals, and recognize the importance of monitoring and evaluating. Finally, we will explore the importance of reward and celebration in an organization.
Virtual Session (30 minutes) + Online Journal (15 minutes) + Activity (15 minutes)
Leader Behaviors
This course strengthens your skills in the following leader behaviors:
- Inspires
- Sets Goals
- Solves Problems
Why people choose LEL for Leadership Development
The insights from this course have changed how I approach leadership. I now feel equipped to handle challenges more effectively and inspire my team every day.
An invaluable experience! The practical strategies and hands-on exercises helped me build strong leadership skills that I apply daily in my role.
Frequently asked questions
What is strategic planning training?
Strategic planning training teaches you to set a clear organizational direction and turn it into measurable goals, using proven tools like vision statements, core values, SWOT analysis, and SMART objectives. Leadership Edge Live delivers it as a three-week live virtual course, one hour a week, so a team learns the process together and leaves with the start of a real plan rather than theory.
Is strategic planning training worth it for a small business?
Yes, strategic planning is often more valuable for a small business than a large one, because a small team cannot afford to waste months reacting to problems it could have seen coming. This course teaches a lean planning process built around SWOT analysis and SMART goals that a 10 to 300 person company can run without a consulting budget or a dedicated strategy department.
How does SWOT analysis fit into strategic planning?
SWOT analysis is the step where you map your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats before you set any goals, so the plan is built on an honest read of where you stand. In this course, SWOT sits after you define vision and core values and before you write SMART objectives, which keeps the goals grounded in reality rather than wishful thinking.
How is strategic planning different from just setting annual goals?
Annual goals tell you what you want to hit this year; strategic planning tells you where the organization is going over the next few years and why, so the yearly goals actually ladder up to something. That difference matters most when a bigger competitor is moving fast, because a real plan lets a smaller team stay proactive instead of constantly reacting.
Can this strategic planning course be taken online by a team?
Yes, the course is delivered live online in three weekly sessions of about an hour each, so a distributed team can attend together without travel or a heavy time commitment. Because it is facilitator-led rather than self-paced video, the SWOT and goal-setting work is done on your real situation, and you can register a team for a free trial session first.
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100% of program profits support March of Dimes.