Do a realistic amount of listening and learning for your organizational capacity and stage of development. This planning process stage tends to be the most time and resource intensive. Your information will never be complete or perfect. With careful consideration of who needs to be involved, you can maximize your available resources to collect valuable perspectives, input, and data to inform your planning.
Consider when in your strategic planning process to gather input. Gaining input at the beginning can provide important insights as you start to envision your strategic direction, while engagement later in the process focused on specific ideas can serve as an opportunity to test feasibility. Your strategic planning process may include engagement opportunities more than once.
One engagement method does not fit all. From staff to clients to funders to partner organizations, many individuals and groups care about the success of your nonprofit and are impacted by your decisions. Take time to prioritize the individuals and groups you will engage during the Listen stage and the approaches you will use for engagement.
For those engaged in the Listen stage, be clear about the input and/or decision-making opportunity as well as their level of influence in the process. Tension may develop when roles and expectations are unclear.
There are other organizations working in the same space as your nonprofit for a similar purpose. Recognize that you are part of a larger movement and learn about best practices in your field. Your nonprofit’s position within the larger landscape is a key consideration in strategic planning. Spend time talking about and connecting with other organizations doing similar work. What are the strengths of these organizations, and what sets your nonprofit apart?