"I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." --Dwight D. Eisenhower
Those that have worked with me before know that I’m a fan of planning and systems. (Accusations that I have control issues aren't entirely without merit.)
Opponents of strategic planning often stress that since nothing can be predicted, plans are useless. And while it’s true that no one strategy document will perfectly take into account all variables, there is a sweet spot between a rigid, overly detailed strategy and rudderless organizational management.
And as the quote above stresses, it is also the process of planning itself that can yield valuable results, whether you're a small service-oriented civil society organization (CSO) or a large international implementing organization:
1. Planning as Self-reflection. Who are we as an organization, and where are we going? For any mission-driven organization, these are critical questions. Pausing to examine the direction you're headed allows you to take a more eagle-eye view rather than being stuck in the hundreds of ongoing operational decisions your organization routinely faces.
2. Planning as Change Management. Change is inevitable. How is the environment in which you’ve been operating changing? Are your beneficiaries’ needs different? Are funders beginning to stress new priorities? Discuss how you can address these changes for the best of your group.
3. Planning as Resource Management. We all have limited resources. Ensuring that they align with our evolving priorities helps to maximize the resources (time and money) we do have.
4. Planning as Communication. Bringing in multiple viewpoints as part of planning both lends a diversity of opinions to the process plus builds buy-in from your team. Communicating what you've learned from planning not only shows transparency but gives your team valuable insights into organizational priorities.
Still not convinced? Then remember what Thomas Alva Edison once said, "Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning."
Randal Mason [6] is the Director of Strategic Development
Image: Discussion results from a working group during the US-Russia Civil Society Summi [7]t [7] that IREX co-chaired in June.
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