Strategic Planning Kit For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Introduction

You have two choices when it comes to running your organization: (1) Be intentional about the path your organization follows or (2) turn on autopilot. Turning on autopilot is kind of like hopping into your Hummer, turning on the satellite navigation system, and following the directions from your home to Las Vegas. Computers aren't the best at making decisions, so you may get to Las Vegas eventually, but are you going to Las Vegas, New Mexico, or Las Vegas, Nevada? If you plot your course before you set off, you're more likely to get to the correct destination.

If you're running your organization without a plan, you're just using the navigation system and not paying attention to how you're getting there. An astonishing 90 percent of businesses are running without a plan. That 90 percent is hoping that the navigation system doesn't fail and that it correctly assumes the end destination. But because you're reading this book, you're ready to run the show, and you're close to joining the elite 10 percent that know a strategic plan is important.