The key stakeholders involved in strategic planning are those who have a vested interest in the success of the organization. A stakeholder is anyone who has a stake in the value that the organization creates. This can include owners, customers, sponsors, employees, volunteers, government agencies, the community at large, and other organizations that are dedicated to the same cause. At Prosper, we believe that it is essential to involve not only management staff and the board of directors, but also a wide range of internal and external stakeholders in strategic planning. In order to ensure success, it is important to involve all stakeholders in the strategic planning process.
This includes everyone from program staff to volunteers, donors, community members, and those who use their programs and services. However, involving so many people can be daunting, especially when everyone has different perspectives and priorities. This post will help you think about who to involve, how, and when. Every organization must have a strategic planning committee. This is the group that will lead the strategic planning process from start to finish.
In most cases, it is comprised of the nonprofit organization's management team and can sometimes include members of the board of directors. We recommend that this group does not exceed seven people. These are the people who will do the hard work in developing the plan and then take responsibility for its implementation. You'll need to keep communicating with other stakeholders as well. Implement your communication plan: After creating a communication plan as part of your organizational strategy, remember that it is essential to ensure its implementation along with your strategic plan.
Stakeholder participation helps organizations to proactively consider the needs and wants of anyone involved in their organization, which can foster connections, trust, and acceptance of key organizational initiatives. For key stakeholders who invest the most in the success of their plan, they will want to make sure they have a thorough understanding of your vision, mission, values, strategic priorities, and objectives. These sessions can be held virtually or in person and provide an opportunity for a two-way dialogue between key stakeholders and senior leaders before beginning the strategic planning process. Be sure to be proactive and consult your stakeholder map to make sure your organization is continuously meeting the needs of each of your stakeholder groups. Surveys can be used to help gather the opinions of a wide variety of stakeholders before strategy sessions for the management team to consider. By grouping stakeholders into these categories, the strategic planning committee will be aligned around how different people should participate in the process. In addition, stakeholders will have a wealth of relevant knowledge and experience that their senior leaders may want to take into account to help their organization be more effective, sustainable, and viable in the long term.
The community in which a sports organization exists also plays a role in the strategic planning process. Once you have clearly identified the stakeholder groups and the functions of the strategic planning process, you can now map out your project plan and think about how and when to involve each group depending on what is expected of them.
