Strategic Planning for Success
Strategic
planning is the process of determining the direction your
enterprise will take. The planning process is not a prediction
of the future. Decisions can not be made for the future, only
for the present. The reason to plan is to avoid having to
manage from crisis to crisis, as so often happens in agricultural
enterprises. Strategic planning is a method of establishing
and maintaining a sense of direction so that you can work
consisitently toward predefined goals.
Planning begins with setting goals. The goals you set for your enterprise will be subjective. Only you can determine what they will be. You will achieve your goals by taking appropriate actions, so the plan you devise should result in some action.
The planning process helps you make the decisions that are most likely to have favorable consequences in the present and in the future. For the natural resource manager, these decisions often have to do with prioritizing the use of limited resources.Remember that your goals will be subjective. They are based on your specific desires, your tolerance for risk, and the length of time you are willing to wait to achieve those goals.
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Defining Your Mission (more...) |
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Setting Goals (more...) |
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Considering the Environment (more...) |
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Closing the Gap (more) |
The strategic planning process helps the manager answer these questions: Where am I going? What is the environment? How do I get to my destination?
A manager who can answer these questions is likely to be successful in sustaining natural resources and maintaining the financial stability of his or her enterprise.