When is the right time to start your strategic planning for 2022?

It’s probably sooner than you think. The time is now!

This might feel strange considering we are still 3 months shy of the end of the year, but consider this:
Do you find that your strategic plans generally aren’t finalized until well into the New Year?
Or that your end of year priorities tend to get in the way of your planning process?

If you wait too long to get started on your strategic plans for next year you will be putting yourself in a difficult situation. Don’t keep telling yourself that you will just get to it later – it’s a trap!

Strategic planning for the coming year is always considered an important task in an organization, but what we often see is a lack of urgency, with the task continually getting pushed back until its compromised. You don’t want to go into 2022 blind!

It’s important to get ahead of the game! Organizations who think of and work on their strategies earlier in the year have a serious advantage going into the New Year. Not only will they have more than enough time to research and choose the right strategies for their business, but also have a better understanding of how to execute those plans effectively.

So why is having a strategic plan important?

• You don’t want to run into the same issues as you did this year
  Strategic planning creates an opportunity for you to reflect on your organization to see what did and didn’t work, where the opportunities for growth and improvement lie, and how you can frame your goals and objectives moving forward into the New Year.

• You can outline a clear path for your organization moving forward
  You can’t just jump into the new year without a plan and hope to just come across success. Having a strategic plan in place acts as your organization’s roadmap, clearly defining the best route to take to achieve your organizational goals.
  
  Planning for the year ahead can also help to guide your organization through any challenges that may await – we have all seen our fair share of these over the last 18 months.

• It helps to improve your organizational self-awareness
  By creating a comprehensive strategic plan, you will gain a better awareness and understanding of the organization’s strengths and weaknesses and how you are faring against your competitors.

• It helps to simplify decision-making
  Does your leadership team have trouble making decisions or saying no to new ideas? This is where a strategic plan can help! By creating your strategy you are highlighting the activities that are a priority and necessary for success. Having these clear priorities makes it easier to stay on the right track and not get distracted by ineffective or unimportant initiatives.

• It drives alignment within your organization
  In many organizations, there are people who contribute their best efforts towards their roles, but the truth is that their role has little effect on the strategic success of the organization. When creating your strategy, you are essentially constructing a method to better align all of your organizational resources (including your team) to maximise the success of your organization.

As the end of the year approaches, it is not uncommon to feel a bit bombarded with work, but that is why carving out some time now to get a start on your strategic planning is important! The more organized and serious you are about this task, the clearer your path will be towards achieving your organizational goals.

Want some help with your strategic planning for the new year?
Get in touch with me to discuss: steve@permanentprogressllc.com