To develop an effective business or strategic plan, the process doesn’t need to be complicated. Sometimes simpler is better. This is especially the case for non-profit organizations or communities for whom planning involves many different people and interest groups. But simplicity also pays off for many for-profits, excepting those that face a lot of market complexity.

Here are a few simple planning methods that can be used to ferret out the data needed for a formal, written plan. Which one best applies just depends on the organization’s dynamics, and a variation on one or more of them of might work best for a given planning team.

Traditional Planning

1. Clarify mission
2. Create vision
3. Define objectives that must be achieved to enact the vision
4. Specify incremental goals to accomplish each objective
5. Identify initiatives to accomplish goals
6. Describe measures of success and how they’ll be monitored

SWOT Analysis

1. Identify the organization’s strengths and weaknesses
2. Identify the strengths and weakness of major competitors
3. Determine opportunities and threats as a function of step 1 and step 2
4. Create programs to capitalize on opportunities and mitigate threats
5. Develop an action plan that defines objectives, resource needs, roles, and responsibilities for each program
6. Monitor and evaluate the programs and periodically update the plan

Alignment Model

1. Describe or map mission, vision, values, and existing programs and resources
2. Identify what’s working well and what needs adjustment
3. Determine how adjustments should be made
4. Specify each adjustment in terms of program and resource needs
5. Incorporate adjustments into a revised strategic plan

Scenario Planning

1. Identify significant external forces that influence the organization or that hold the potential to do so (e.g., changing regulations, demographics, markets)
2. For each force, discuss three future scenarios (best, worst, and reasonable case) that are likely to arise as a function of change
3. Determine considerations held in common by all cases
4. Identify the changes most likely to occur in the next 3-to-5 years
5. Draft a “greatest common denominator” strategy that responds to these changes
6. Outline best- and worst-case contingency plans

Organic Planning

1. Clarify the organization’s values and vision through dialogue and storyboarding
2. Discuss the Policies, Programs, and Processes that are needed to realize the vision
3. Meet regularly to refine these 3 P’s
4. Focus on progress, not perfection in meetings
5. Determine the most effective way to present the plan and report on organizational progress to each stakeholder group

Situation-Target-Path

1. Evaluate the current Situation and how it came about
2. Define Targets (objectives and goals) for improving the situation
3. Map out the Path to achieve these objectives and goals

Draw-See-Think-Plan

1. Draw an image of an end state that everyone desires
2. Depict in words and images today’s actual situation
3. Brainstorm the specific actions that must be taken to close the gap
4. Map out the resources and groups required to take actions

Where-What-How

• Where are we now? (Baselining)
• Where do we want to be in the future? (Benchmarking)
• What’s the difference? (Gap Analysis)
• How will we get from here to there? (Action Planning)
• How will we know when we’re there? (Evaluation and Feedback)