Practice of the Month: How Creative is Your Strategic Planning?

Even though most of us would agree that it’s a good thing to bring more creativity into our strategic planning efforts, much of the time very little attention or effort goes into actually making it happen. This month’s practice is about taking stock of your organization’s efforts at bringing creativity into strategic planning. You can do this exercise for your part of the organization, or for the organization as a whole, whichever you choose.

Take some time this month to look at how strategic decisions are made in your organization, and how much real creativity is infused in the process. You may want to use the Creativity Toolbox article to survey what kinds of tools and practices your organization uses on a regular basis.

What creativity practices are you or your organization good at? Which do you use regularly? Which do you think your organization would benefit from using more frequently or with more skill?

Consider taking some steps to bring more creativity into your strategic planning. Decide which tools or practices you want to bring in, and identify resources to help you do that. It could make a big difference in how your organization determines its direction, and ultimately in its long term success. You could even consider making some New Year’s resolutions around this topic!