MHA’s Executive Briefing links to a great strategic planning article by Dan Beckham:

A primary reason to undergo a strategic planning process is to produce a written document called a strategic plan. But this may be one of the least important benefits of a solid planning process.

Strategic planning provides a powerful opportunity for a leader to take a stand and point the way. Teddy Roosevelt once said the presidency makes for a “bully pulpit.” The same can be said for any CEO’s position.

While primary responsibility for strategy and strategic planning resides in the executive suite, smart leaders reach out and enlist the rest of the organization in defining a future worth achieving and determining the best way to get there.

People tend to own what they help create. And they tend to implement what they own. Setting off a strategic conversation throughout the organization builds ownership and commitment. Strategic planning launches such conversations. A solid strategic planning process forces the organization to think strategically.

Read the entire article.