Leading the Strategic Planning Process - Club Managers ...

142 Chapter 4Strategic and Long-Range Planning Should Complement Each OtherThe operational focus of strategic and long-range planning lies mainly in capitalimprovement projects, land utilization, and the development and maintenance ofan integrated, multiple-year plan consistent with the vision and mission of theclub. Ideally, this plan is continuously updated.Just as the strategic and long-range plans should complement each other, sotoo should the hierarchy charged with those planning efforts work fluidly andconsistently. There is much variation among clubs’ strategic and long-range planningefforts, but typically one of the following three scenarios occurs in clubs:1. No strategic or long-range planning. The least desirable scenario for a club isthat it has neither a strategic planning nor a long-range planning committee.Clubs without either committee are at a distinct operational disadvantage;their product offerings, markets, and services tend to develop as reactions tomember comments, without cohesion or structure. If the formation of strategicand long-range planning committees is currently impractical for yourclub, an ad hoc committee that occasionally reviews strategic and long-rangeplanning efforts is better than nothing at all.2. Merging strategic and long-range planning. The second configuration mergesstrategic planning with long-range planning into one standing committee.While this is often a very effective model, the demands on the committeemembers are numerous. The success of the single committee depends onthe organization of work: What are members of the committee charged withaccomplishing? If duties are not carefully decided, assigned, and prioritized,the committee members can become overwhelmed with work—especially inan existing club that establishes a combination long-range planning and strategycommittee for the first time.3. Separate strategic and long-range planning. The third governance model separateslong-range planning and strategic planning into two discrete standingcommittees. The functional advantage of having two committees is thepotential division of work among the volunteer, member-composed committees—thereis not an unreasonable time commitment required of either. Themain disadvantage is the separation of planning issues and coordination ofthe committees’ efforts. Simply stated, long-range planning efforts should notbe separated from strategic considerations.Given these three scenarios, the one most common—and perhaps most practicalfor the average club—is the single-committee model. Though the demands oncommittee members are larger, coordination of effort is streamlined, which is oftenthe most important consideration in planning efforts. Clubs without a strategicplanning committee should create one.The Strategic Plan as a Living ElementIs strategy treated as if it were the blood which courses throughout the body ofthe club? If not, it should be. A club’s strategic plan should be the “nourishment”