Although strategic planning is intended to be a mobilizing activity, one must remain vigilant so as not to cause the opposite effect. Ending the exercise with 15 goals, 45 initiatives and more than 200 projects to start the new year is not necessarily healthy and motivating!

Before going any further, an analogy with the Western custom of New Year resolutions is in order. With each passage to the new year, people take a time of reflection to review their path, their situation, their desires. On January 1st, people make a commitment to themself to achieve a personal goal. In 2007, a study by Richard Wiseman of the University of Bristol, involving 3,000 people, showed that 88% of the New Year’s resolutions failed [1]. 

The exchanges with several people on the subject show that the departure is often made in lion to make room for the abandonment during the year. If many resolutions are made, they are usually abandoned more quickly. When discussing successes, it is interesting to note that some key elements come back. The success rate seems to increase depending on the realism of the objective, the support and accompaniment received, the quality of the prioritization and the benefits observed. So, to respect your resolution, you have to be motivated and believe in it, clearly define the activities to be carried out from the start, free up time, review your prioritization, be supported and see the benefits. Should what applies to an individual also apply to a group of people?

Strategic planning is a process that can make all the difference in the evolution of an organization and its employees. However, to derive the maximum benefit from it, it is necessary to aim for a balance between operations and projects to be carried out to achieve business objectives on the one hand and human resources and their needs on the other. 

[1] Wikipedia

Image from Geralt