The basic idea behind strategic planning process is to focus on future possibilities and drive organizational transformation from the current state to the intended future state while assuming some level of risk, uncertainty and unpredictability of trends. Once the future state is accomplished the process starts all over again. There are several strategic planning models that can be effectively applied in a wide variety of settings; however, an organization should adopt the model that meets its specific needs and reflects the key reasons for planning. Strategic planning doesn’t have to be the arduous, time-consuming, and expensive activity that some organizational leaders believe it to be. It is imperative to develop and use an integrated, time-efficient and dynamic model that effectively aligns strategic and tactical elements while minimizing difficulties experienced by most healthcare organizations involved in strategic planning exercises. It should not come as a surprise that the pathway from the current state to the desired future state of any organization is rarely simple and straightforward. There are multiple factors and variables that may have a significant impact on the quality of patient care, delivery of services and organization’s viability in the future. Therefore, it is critical to continually monitor, analyze and respond to the changes both inside and outside the organization.
