What are the main pitfalls that an organization may encounter when undertaking strategic planning?

Strategic planning is very important for any organization that is developing its plans for the future. However, there are some pitfalls that exist with the strategic planning process.

One pitfall is the expense of the process. Strategic planning can be expensive. Usually, a facilitator knowledgeable in strategic planning needs to be hired. If workers are being paid for their time, this will add to the expense of the process. It may necessary to rent hotel...

Strategic planning is very important for any organization that is developing its plans for the future. However, there are some pitfalls that exist with the strategic planning process.

One pitfall is the expense of the process. Strategic planning can be expensive. Usually, a facilitator knowledgeable in strategic planning needs to be hired. If workers are being paid for their time, this will add to the expense of the process. It may necessary to rent hotel rooms and meeting space. Food will need to be provided. The cost of going through the strategic planning process can be quite expensive.

Another pitfall is getting people to believe in the process. There are people who may doubt the value of strategic planning. They may not be very committed to the process. They may also be threatened by the changes that could occur as a result of the strategic planning process. As a result, they could end up sabotaging the process.

Finally, if the process is completed, it needs to be implemented. Since it is usually only a part of the entire group that is involved in the strategic planning process, it will be necessary to thoroughly explain to the entire group how the process evolved and what will occur as a result of the strategic planning process. It isn’t easy for people to change their habits and their ways of operating. There may be resistance to implementing the strategic planning. Implementing the new plans requires a great deal of commitment, patience, and energy.

While strategy planning can be a very important and a very necessary activity for an organization, there are some obstacles to overcome in order to successfully create and implement the new strategic plan.