Strategic planning is the backbone of organizational success, providing a roadmap to guide teams toward a shared vision. However, even the best strategic plans require periodic review to ensure they remain relevant and actionable. But how do you determine whether your organization needs a complete refresh of the plan or a strategic realignment? Let’s break it down.
Below, we provide a checklist to help you assess your strategic plan's current state and decide whether a realignment or a complete refresh is the right course of action.
Strategic Realignment Checklist: Keep the Vision, Refocus the Team
A strategic realignment is best when your organization’s vision and goals remain relevant, but the team or implementation has veered off course. Realignment focuses on celebrating achievements, adjusting processes, and re-engaging the team. Use this checklist to evaluate if realignment is the right move:
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Vision and Mission Are Still Clear and Relevant
- Do the vision and mission still align with your organization's values and current environment?
- Are team members inspired and committed to the original vision?
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Significant Progress Has Been Made
- Can you identify measurable achievements or milestones that reflect progress toward the strategic goals?
- Are there successes to celebrate that validate the plan’s relevance?
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Implementation Challenges Have Emerged
- Are barriers preventing the team from executing the plan effectively (e.g., lack of resources, unclear roles)?
- Has the team encountered unexpected external factors requiring adjustments to timelines or tactics?
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Team Engagement Needs a Boost
- Are some team members disengaged or unclear about their roles in the strategic plan?
- Has staff turnover affected implementation, leaving gaps in ownership?
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Capacity Development Is Needed
- Does the team require additional training or skills to execute the plan effectively?
- Is there an opportunity to invite more stakeholders into the process to strengthen implementation?
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The Plan Is Becoming Static
- Are timelines or action steps outdated, making the plan feel rigid or less actionable?
- Does the team need to revisit priorities to adapt to current conditions?
When to Proceed with Realignment
If most of the above apply to your organization, a strategic realignment is the way to go. Realignment involves:
- Celebrating successes to re-energize the team.
- Adjusting the implementation plan for flexibility.
- Re-engaging stakeholders in the vision they helped create.
- Developing team capacity by building skills or onboarding new contributors.
Complete Refresh Checklist: A Clean Slate for a New Direction
A complete refresh means starting over to redefine your vision, strategic directions, and implementation plan. This process is necessary when the foundation of the strategic plan no longer serves the organization. Use this checklist to determine if a complete refresh is needed:
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The Vision or Mission Feels Outdated
- Does the current vision fail to resonate with internal or external stakeholders?
- Has the organization’s mission shifted significantly due to market trends, community needs, or leadership changes?
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Barriers Are No Longer Relevant or Have Shifted
- Are the identified barriers in the original plan outdated or no longer the root causes of challenges?
- Have new systemic issues emerged that the plan does not address?
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Strategic Directions Lack Impact
- Are the strategies ineffective or misaligned with the organization’s priorities?
- Is the team struggling to connect daily operations with the strategic goals?
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Implementation Feels Stalled or Abandoned
- Have team members lost motivation because the plan feels disconnected from current realities?
- Are there no clear metrics or progress checkpoints to measure success?
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External Factors Have Drastically Changed
- Has your industry, market, or community experienced dramatic shifts since the plan was developed?
- Do stakeholders have new expectations or demands that the plan cannot meet?
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Stakeholders Are Disengaged
- Has the team moved on from the strategic plan due to lack of ownership or understanding?
- Are key stakeholders asking for a new vision to better align with current opportunities?
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Alignment with Values Is Missing
- Does the plan no longer reflect the core values or culture of the organization?
- Have ethical considerations or community priorities shifted, requiring a new approach?
When to Proceed with a Refresh
If these factors resonate, it’s time for a complete refresh. This process involves:
- Redefining the vision to inspire and align with current realities.
- Identifying and addressing new barriers that hinder progress.
- Developing fresh strategic directions that eliminate obstacles and seize opportunities.
- Creating a focused implementation plan that motivates action and tracks results.
Making the Decision: Realign or Refresh?
After completing the checklists, ask yourself these critical questions:
- Does the team still believe in the current vision and mission?
- Are the barriers tactical (requiring adjustment) or foundational (requiring redefinition)?
- Is the current team capable of executing the plan with minor adjustments, or do we need to rebuild ownership and capacity from the ground up?
When the foundation of your strategic plan is sound but the execution is off, realignment can reinvigorate your team and get the plan back on track. When the foundation itself is no longer relevant, a refresh is essential to chart a new course for success.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
At Vision Fusion, we specialize in guiding organizations through both strategic realignments and complete refreshes. Whether you need to re-engage your team or redefine your vision, our facilitative approach helps you uncover insights, align stakeholders, and create actionable plans for powerful outcomes.
Let’s explore what your organization needs to move forward. Schedule a discovery call today!
