My Approach to Strategic Planning

Through my military history, I have learned that successful military outcomes required a strategic planning approach that effectively harmonized three essential elements: Ends (objectives), Ways (the vision and processes to accomplish on your ends), and Means (the resources and capabilities required to achieve your desired objective state). 

Over the years, I have gained a different appreciation for strategic planning, based on a common 5-step approach: 

1. Understand Where You Stand – What is the health of your organization? Do you have good independent assessment data on the critical success factors that influence your status in your current environment?
2. Form a Coherent Vision – Have you created a sense of purpose in the organization?
3. Identify the Gaps – Have you conducted a gap assessment to determine shortfalls in resources such as infrastructure, capabilities, talent, etc.?
4. Establish realistic goals – Are the goals supported by objectives that will drive actionable activities that enable your vision?
5. Execute, Analyze, Revise – Strategic planning is not a static activity, so you must have a method in place to continuously monitor results and adjust accordingly.

I will advise and coach clients on important business decisions by providing strategic consulting advice. I believe in the importance of providing advice and recommendations based on common business and/or organizational best practices. That is why I believe in continuous learning because it can challenge common institutional biases and provide a diverse perspective, set of methodologies, and approaches for addressing strategic risk.

At Switch Strategic Consulting, I believe that business development is a process aimed at growing a company and making it more successful. That can include seeking new business opportunities, building and sustaining connections with existing clients, entering strategic partnerships, and devising other plans to boost profits and market share.