Strategic planning is not only about creating a document, but also about creating a dialogue. Conversations are the key to building a shared understanding and a common vision among your organization’s members. They help you clarify your purpose, your goals, and your actions.

As you engage in strategic planning, you need to ask yourself and your stakeholders some essential questions. These questions will help you define your impact, your strengths, your priorities, and your measures of success. Here are some examples of questions you can use:

1. What is our impact, for whom, and, as stewards of a community asset, how do we hold ourselves accountable? This question helps you articulate your mission, your value proposition, and your social responsibility. It helps you identify who you serve, what you offer, and how you ensure quality and accountability.
    
2. What are we best positioned to accomplish and how will we achieve this? This question helps you assess your strengths, your opportunities, and your resources. It helps you determine what you can do better than anyone else, what you can leverage or improve, and what you need to succeed.
    
3. What strategic issues will we prioritize that will make the greatest impact to those we serve? This question helps you focus your efforts, your resources, and your actions. It helps you decide what are the most important and urgent challenges or opportunities you need to address, and what are the best strategies to do so.
    
4. How will we know we are making progress? This question helps you monitor your performance, your outcomes and your impact. It helps you establish clear and measurable objectives, indicators, and targets. It also helps you collect and analyze data, feedback, and evidence to track your progress and evaluate your impact.

At M+S, we believe that conversations are the heart of strategic planning. We can help you facilitate meaningful and productive conversations with your team and your stakeholders. We can also help you document and communicate your strategic plan in a clear and compelling way.