CHAPTER IV INTRODUCTION TO STRATEGIC PLANNING DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN "Strategic planning is an effective corporate tool with great application

n to the public relations field. As people in any other area of business, skilled public relations professionals need to function within the disciplines of controlled budgets, specific methodologies and objective evaluation of results," Sheryll Reid, President, Argyle Communications Inc., Toronto, Ontario. Strategic planning involves both a process and a philosophy. The process in which you involve as many people in your business or department as possible - is considered as the most important part of the whole exercise. Advantages of a strategic plan: helps create a framework from which consistent business decisions can flow provides you with the opportunity to assess your business or department in the context of your competitive or hierarchical position, and in relation to the future needs or demands of your clients GUIDELINES IN STRATEGIC PLANNING First, budget enough time to reduce scrambling to solve problems later on to demonstrate purpose and good organisation Second, follow a definite procedure establish overall objectives for your firm or public relations department think through your organisations philosophy of doing business and define it as clearly as you can review your organisational structure, alongwith all available resources keeping your objectives and organisational philosophy in mind, establish the strategies and tactics to meet them

 plan necessary changes in your structure and resources that are required to meet your objective set up policies as necessary to guide you in the day-to-day operation of your organisation establish management programs and define systems and procedures that will help your organisation do its job better STAGES IN DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN Determine what your corporate mission is or should be and work with your staff to develop the major elements of this mission statement. These could be: to achieve and maintain a reputation for a superior level of expertise and innovation by your people in public relations practice a reputation for high ethical standards to maintain continuous growth. Set specific objectives sub-divide objectives for different functions like marketing. employee, financial etc. Likely objectives could be to provide the most responsive, creative and cost effective services of any public relations firm increasing net fee billings by 20% per year and maintaining a pretax profit margin of 10% Strengthening national and international capabilities

IMPLEMENTING A STRATEGIC PLAN Strategies to achieving objectives acting quickly to rectify problems so that client/management dissatisfaction are not allowed to develop providing regular opportunities for client/management to evaluate your services or instituting formal semiannual reviews internal idea generating session for improving client service

 making new business development top priority by setting aside specific staff time for canvassing prospects and developing proposals.

Set policies from this document policies should be considered as assisting the normal flow of activity in any organisation, rather than as rigid do's and don'ts that trample initiative and creativity. well thought out policy can actually free up your own and your staffs time and energy by setting a certain code of action in a given situation. Keep your plan alive at the end of your strategic planning exercise, write up your plan in clear language and ensure that each staff member has a copy explain document to any staff member not involved in the planning process the plan can and should be changed when it is necessary to abandon or redefine a course of action let the document serve you and your staff by helping you reduce ad hoc problem solving, time wasting fire fighting and impulsive decision making.

Edited & Extracted from the Public Relations Journal in 1992