Strategic Planning

WHEN YOU CONSIDER YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN...

Does it drive your daily decisions, and how you spend your time and resources?
Does your plan reflect an earnest and ongoing, prayerful effort to discern God’s will and follow it obediently?
Do your primary stakeholders understand the plan, and are they supportive?
Is it reviewed regularly by the Board, and does the Board look to the leadership team for updates and changes?
Is your plan agile and adaptable to ensure it remains relevant?

If you desire to answer ‘yes’ to the questions above, let us introduce you to a proven, comprehensive process for envisioning, mapping and planning that God can use to transform your organization

DISCERN® is a Spirit-led process of faith, where together we seek to hear and understand God’s will for the future of your organization and articulate it in a way that enables you to pursue it with organizational passion (unity of vision) and excellence (demanding your very best).

D

efine

This element of the Strategic Planning process involves envisioning your desired
future and setting the course to chart the path and trajectory to get you there.

i

nvite

We want to invite God into the planning process, and recognize the biblical basis for planning. Prayer and discernment are a key part of the process.

s

tructure

There are several key factors that impact the success of a strategic plan: the length of the plan, the role of the Board and leadership team, the planning committee members, the internal communications strategy, etc. We will structure your process to maximize its success.

c

onvene

We want to invite God into the planning DISCERN is a facilitated process involving four to seven sessions to promote alignment and agreement, perform SOAR1 analysis, establish strategic themes and goals, and conduct scenario planning.

e

ducate

The leadership team and board will be trained in using the plan, and keeping it relevant and updated.

r

eport

Our process includes rolling out a communication plan, including written pieces, social media, website, etc.

n

avigate

We will provide guidance on implementing and updating your plan, and developing the capacity to execute it.

keys to a successful planning process

Know yourself: mission, vision, core values, strengths
and weaknesses
Understand your world: external driving forces that
impact success
Build the case for strategic change
Articulate your desired future
Identify the gaps between present reality and intended future
Design a plan to get you from here to there
Develop a clear process and ensure the capacity to
execute

characteristics of a successful plan

DISCERNMENT

Hearing the word of God as a community and responding to the word of God as the leadership he has called into place for this moment in time

CLARITY/SIMPLICITY

The best plans are easy to understand and elegant in their simplicity.

UNITY

The process and the plan should have widespread acceptance by
stakeholders, with a unifying vision that creates community and energizes everyone in their work.

AGILITY

The plan must be adaptable to the changing landscape of your work, The plan must be adaptable to the changing landscape of your work,
accompanied by a process of how and when the plan is changed to
ensure the plan remains relevant and strategic.

CAPACITY

The organization must have the capacity to execute the plan, including
leadership competence, a culture that can embrace change and the
resources to support the goals.