In the strategic planning work we do at Starboard Leadership Consulting, it is not unusual for us to engage in discussions about organizational values. While the mission succinctly tells people who you are and why you are in business, value statements describe what you care about, how you treat people, and what you value most….

For years we’ve been telling anyone who will listen “Not having a strategic plan is like trying to sail without a rudder.” Without a strategic plan, you are at the mercy of the changing winds with little control over how far you’ll drift or where you’ll end up. Of course, while there are lots more…

Over the years, we’ve seen well-intentioned people cause strategic planning sessions to grind to a halt as they try to bend the group to their personal definitions of “mission” and “vision.” Somehow the words and concepts have become jumbled, and the result is that way too much time is wasted on terminology rather than on…

Why do some businesses thrive during challenging economic times while others fail? “In our business we plan to succeed.” That’s how Denis St. Peter, President of CES, describes his firm’s approach to strategic planning. It is that commitment to planning that positioned CES, an engineering firm headquartered in Brewer, Maine to expand its business to…

We find the biggest obstacle in the way of embarking on a strategic planning process is the last strategic planning process. Too often the last planning process took too long, involved way too many meetings, and resulted in a plan that has been sitting on the shelf ever since. Add to this the reality that…

For some, the word “retreat” is a dirty word. It too often means a day (or more) spent in a windowless room engaged in conversations and discussions that rarely seem to do much to advance the organization. Even the word “retreat” suggests going backward instead of forward. Should it surprise us then that nonprofit board…

For most organizations, strategic planning is a major undertaking requiring a significant investment of time and resources. Before you make that investment, take time to explore what board, staff, and other key stakeholders want from your planning process. Don’t assume that everyone has the same expectations for the planning process and the final product. Failing…

There are lots of reasons given for deferring strategic planning to some future date, but here are a few that we hear most often: We have too much going on right now We need to add some new board members before we start planning We need to wait for our new board members to get…

Whether you are the CEO, president, or executive director, the reality is that you have a lot on your plate! While you know your organization should have a strategic plan, there are plenty of obstacles that can get in the way of launching a strategic planning process. What follows are our thoughts on why there…

Recognizing the inefficiency that often comes with committee processes, it can be tempting to think you can develop a strategic plan in short order by just getting the “right people” in the room to power through the planning process. As tempting as that might be, what it ignores is the importance of getting buy-in and…