Strategic planning needs to evolve over time

By Nick Hernandez bio Some of my counterparts have a firm belief that strategic planning is a rigid process which should occur once every three to five years. The process they undertake is often done during an off-site planning session with the outcome being printed up in a large three-ring binder. In less than six months, those binders are sitting on a shelf somewhere collecting dust, never to again see the light of day. I, on the other hand, believe that strategic planning should be a continuous process involving the ongoing adjustment of means and ends. We should also view planning as an evolutionary process involving continuous adjustment and improvement. We can think of strategic planning as a solution-by-evolution rather than solution-by-engineering. We should generally not view strategic planning as trying to solve a problem in one iteration because most healthcare business problems are too complex (especially in today’s environment) to be solved that way. To quote Helmuth von Moltke (German Field Marshal): “No plan survives contact with the enemy.” Moving quickly In many cases, it is more advisable to find a workable solution quickly and improve the solution as time permits. What matters most is not generating the best […]