I often work with corporate leaders who are eager to change their workplace cultures to reflect increased levels of inclusion and belonging. However, culture change is a complex and long-term project that requires vision, planning and follow-through from leaders. Although the strategic planning process is quite involved, I outline three important strategies needed for effective culture change.
A strategic plan is a document that guides organizations in the achievement of their core objectives. According to the Harvard Business School Online, “Strategic planning is the ongoing organizational process of using available knowledge to document a business’s intended direction. This process is used to prioritize efforts, effectively allocate resources, align shareholders and employees on the organization’s goals, and ensure those goals are backed by data and sound reasoning”.
1. Crafting a Clear Vision & Mission Statement
A clear vision and mission statement helps organizations focus on corporate goals and objectives. When all employees understand the vision and mission for the organization, working towards culture change becomes more clear.
2. Identifying Core Objectives
In addition to a clear vision and mission statement, identifying an organization’s core objectives ensures that the strategic planning process is aligned to those activities. For example, in Forbes’ 2024 list of America’s Best Employers for Diversity, Progressive Insurance was ranked number one. The company’s website identifies, “integrity”, “the golden rule”, “objectives”, “excellence” and “profits” as core objectives on their website. Using these core values as the foundation, leaders can spearhead the strategic planning process in a focused way.
3. Allocating Resource
An effective strategic planning process require the allocation of resources. This ensures that that the process itself is a priority. Resource allocation includes:
a. Setting aside financial resources
b. Identifying human resources which includes those employees involved in the process, leaders who can champion the process, and where needed, the use of external professionals whose expertise may be required at different points in time.
The strategic planning process is often spearheaded by senior leaders, but make no mistake, this process requires buy-in and feedback from all employees. Employees ought to understand why there is a need for a strategic plan, what the organization hopes to do with the outcomes and how the organization will benefit from the process. They must also believe that their experiences and views will be taken into account. Let me know if these points resonate with you and your teams. I would love your feedback and ideas for future posts about the strategic planning process.