F. Planning Strategically

This theme extends our study into the construction of planning strategically. It goes beyond the simple skills of planning for operations, budgets and projects. Instead we will also examine how to set shared visions and values. In contemporary organisations a leader's role focuses on both assisting to set direction and completing the planning processes so that ownership of the direction and vision may be shared. This de-emphasises the role of the leader as inspiring and continually motivating people to perform and the manager actually implementing the plan. Individuals need to do both management and leadership activities if planning is to be successful.

The key terms in this theme will often blur into many separate definable concepts that are hard to related back together. Many concepts should be considered in conjunction with topics covered in other themes (i.e. Interpersonal People Skills). Visions, values, meaning, purpose, and goal orientation all have at their core how direction is communicated to others. The theme does not, however, seek to be a template on how to conduct strategic planning. Rather, we will seek to illuminate the essential aspects as to how to facilitate the setting of sustainable plans for an organisation within a planning process.

In parenthesis to this study we explore topics that are often not well understood. As such, not understanding the topics in this theme often lie at the heart of why so many managers, in so many modern organisations, spend the bulk of their time on interventions and remedial activities caused by a failure to plan strategically.