In challenging times organizations have to find ways to cut back wherever possible and forgo any apparently discretionary expenditures, not only of cash, but also of time and energy. The problem, of course, is to determine what to eliminate and what to protect.
Organizations plan for a number of reasons. Many of them sound as if they would best be done reflectively, in quiet times:
- a new organization may need to articulate and agree on purpose and means
- a mature organization might need to
- - find new challenges
- - shake complacency
- - invigorate stakeholders
- - move to the next level
- a challenged organization might need to solve a problem of direction, consensus, or funding
Notwithstanding these usual intentions, the real reasons to plan are even more pressing during periods of impending crisis. When strained resources are about to require a choice between cutting programs or cutting staff, strategic planning can seem to be pretty far down the list of priorities. However, planning is not a luxury that is best sacrificed when stresses and strains mount. It can be exactly what is needed to illuminate a path through difficult times.
Here’s why:
- If you don’t take the time to step back and re-evaluate when conditions change, when will you?
- H.L. Mencken said that “for every complex problem there is a simple solution... and it is always wrong.” The simple solution of doing less of the same - or taking other ostensibly obvious steps - in times of heightened need may not be the best approach to serving an organization’s mission.
- In the face of a complex situation, the combined experience of many minds is likely to identify options and suggest nuances that any one decider would miss. Looking at a situation from a variety of perspectives is more likely to flag the truly critical issues and to find the new opportunities in them, as well as the challenges.
