Course on Facilitating Effective Strategic Planning

In a fast-evolving business environment marked by complexity, competition, and rapid change, strategic planning has become not just a managerial tool, but a critical success factor for institutional survival and growth. However, the real challenge lies not only in developing plans, but in how the planning process itself is facilitated—making it inclusive, actionable, and aligned with the organization’s long-term direction.
This course Facilitating Effective Strategic Planning , offered by Geneve Institute of Business Management, provides a practical and structured approach to facilitating strategic planning. It focuses on enabling participants to guide teams, simplify frameworks, encourage collaboration, and translate strategy into tangible, results-driven actions.

Target Audience:

• Senior executives and C-suite leaders responsible for steering long-term strategy and organizational transformation.

• Strategic planning and performance directors aiming to enhance their facilitation methods for goal alignment.

• Organizational development and quality professionals seeking to embed strategic practices into institutional culture.

• Management consultants and advisors who support clients in structuring and facilitating planning sessions.

• Leaders and decision-makers seeking to connect vision with daily operations through actionable planning processes.

Objectives:

• Deepen participants’ understanding of the key stages and principles of strategic planning in a simplified and practical manner.

• Equip attendees with facilitation tools and techniques to conduct strategic planning workshops effectively.

• Enable professionals to build integrated strategic models that reflect the organization's goals and evolving needs.

• Strengthen participants’ abilities to analyze internal and external environments and convert insights into strategic inputs.

• Improve coordination across departments by linking strategic priorities with operational implementation plans.

Course Outline :

• Foundations and Dimensions of Strategic Planning

  • Understanding the purpose and components of strategic planning.

  • Differentiating strategic planning from operational and tactical planning.

  • The role of vision, mission, and core values in strategic alignment.

  • How long-term thinking supports sustainability and innovation.

• Assessing the Current Situation: Institutional Environment Analysis

  • Applying SWOT and PESTEL tools to gather and interpret data.

  • Mapping internal strengths and weaknesses versus external opportunities and threats.

  • Turning assessment results into actionable strategic direction.

  • Recognizing trends and signals relevant to strategic foresight.

• Crafting Vision, Mission, and Strategic Objectives

  • Formulating a visionary yet achievable long-term direction.

  • Defining a concise and purpose-driven mission statement.

  • Translating aspirations into measurable and targeted strategic goals.

  • Ensuring alignment between organizational values and strategic intent.

• Setting Priorities and Strategic Pillars

  • Classifying initiatives by impact and feasibility.

  • Designing a time-phased roadmap with short-, mid-, and long-term targets.

  • Structuring strategies into logical and focused strategic themes.

  • Balancing ambition with realistic resource allocation.

• Role of Teams in Facilitating Strategic Planning

  • Identifying the right stakeholders to involve in planning sessions.

  • Clarifying roles and contributions of team members during planning.

  • Fostering interdepartmental collaboration during strategic discussions.

  • Creating a participatory environment based on trust and shared ownership.

• Decision Support Tools in Strategic Planning

  • Using comparative matrices and prioritization frameworks.

  • Leveraging scenario analysis and digital planning tools.

  • Weighing risks and benefits when evaluating strategic options.

  • Establishing criteria to select initiatives aligned with vision.

• Translating Strategy into Executable Plans

  • Breaking down strategic goals into action-oriented plans.

  • Assigning responsibilities, timelines, and resources.

  • Aligning operational planning with budgeting and staffing.

  • Building consistency between strategic intent and implementation.

• Strategic Monitoring and Performance Evaluation

  • Developing clear and relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

  • Setting up review cycles to monitor progress and measure impact.

  • Making real-time adjustments to respond to changes.

  • Linking evaluation results to continuous improvement processes.

• Embedding Strategic Thinking into Organizational Culture

  • Gaining leadership commitment to strategic execution.

  • Promoting employee engagement with strategic objectives.

  • Aligning internal communications with strategic priorities.

  • Overcoming resistance to strategic change within teams.

• Building a Sustainable Strategic Planning Framework

  • Designing adaptable planning structures for future use.

  • Integrating strategy into organizational policies and processes.

  • Developing internal planning capabilities and knowledge transfer.

  • Preparing second-line leaders to carry forward strategic continuity.