Leadership Work

Strategic Planning is a process to help you gain better control of your practice; provide focus and clarity to your team, and develop concrete action plans to achieve the results you desire.

The purpose of Strategic Planning is to plan 3-5 years out, then translate that into goals and an action plan for the current year.

Strategic Planning Approach

The Strategic Planning (SP) should be clean and simple. The goal is to provide concrete results. There are three easy steps to the process. Each step addresses a question:

1. Where do we want to go? (Vision/Mission)*
2. Where are we today? (SWOT analysis)**
3. What do we have to do to get there? (Priorities and Action Plan for current year)

*Note: If the practice does not have a Vision or Mission, we need to start there.
**SWOT Analysis =Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis.

SP usually involves the whole practice team or in very large practices, the department heads and practice leaders. It usually takes at least three days on site to complete a SP plan. The first day is a tour, observation, and interviews with key employees. Day two is spent in the strategic planning session, and Day three is spent in a final meeting to finish the Action Plan. 

The SP timeframe is predicated upon the completion of pre-work and preparation. For example, information needs to be gathered from clients and employees. Financial trends, other internal business data, and external issues that impact the practice also need to be identified and collected in advance of the SP session.

Strategic Planning Benefits

Practice owners that do SP usually find, that in addition to helping them gain clarity, focus and improved control of their business, it is a great team-building exercise. The SP discussions educate everyone about the practice’s business, values and goals and help get everyone on the same page and working together to achieve them.

Strategic Planning is a process that helps you gain better control; provides focus and clarity to your team, and develops concrete action plans to achieve the results you desire.

Assessment: Attitude and Readiness to Do Strategic Planning

These questions are designed to determine your attitude and readiness to do strategic planning. Which statement from the list below seems the closest to your situation?

1. You are considering, or have just completed, a major change or transition of some kind.
2. You are stalled or drifting and don't have fresh ideas for how to recharge and grow.
3. You are in trouble and seeking solutions.
4. You've been told you have to do it. (Usually by a consultant or new owners.)
5. You are in the habit of doing annual strategic planning and can't imagine running your practice without it.

There is never a bad time to do strategic planning. Strategic Planning can help re-energize a stalled practice, jump start growth in a good practice, and turnaround a crisis.

To find out if Strategic Planning is right for your practice, contact KG Marketing & Training, Inc. There is no charge to ask questions and get acquainted! E-mail Karyn or call at 937-748-1156.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and follow her on her Blog.

Karyn Gavzer and her company, KG Marketing & Training, Inc., provide strategic planning, customized programs, assessments, consultations, client surveys, staff surveys, training and talks for:

• Companion Animal practices
• Veterinary Specialty practices
• Associations
• Industry

You can connect with Karyn on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and follow her on her Blog.