Sports Participation and Happiness - Essay Example

To ensure that the strategic plan is aligned with the organization's mission, vision, and value statements, there is need for the strategic team to enhance team work while developing the plan. At the same time, the team should be conscious of the core values of the organisation and its mission and vision in the process of formulating the plan.  By so doing, the strategic plan will be aligned with this organizations values since it will be having a number of people contemplating on them as they formulate the strategic plan.

Assessment of the internal and external environment is fundamental while developing a strategic plan for an organisation. The internal environment, is made up the organisations strengths and weakness while the external environment is made up of the organisations opportunities and threats (Dooris, Kelley, & Trainer, 2004). Understanding of these factors is necessary while developing a strategic plan that can contend with the challenges of an organisation proactively. Some of the sources to use while analysing the internal environment is the assessment of the factors affecting the organisation internally. They include physical resources, human resources, processes and activities and the past experiences.

  Understanding the assets and problems of the organisation, will be useful in developing a strategic plan for an organisation that will maximise on the strengths and the same time work towards minimising the weakness (Helms & Nixon, 2010).  For comprehensive coverage of the internal environment of the organisation, there is need to be aware of the perception of other people on the organization. This is important because they may see problems or assets that the organisation can’t see. To establish other people’s point of view apart from that the group that is developing the strategic plan, the team should include data collection from people on their perception. The information will be obtained by conducting focus groups, having listening sessions, conducting surveys and having meetings with people. By so doing, the strategic planning team will have a comprehensive coverage of its internal environment which will eventually lead to a more inclusive and well informed plan that will maximize on the organisations challenges.

                                                    External environment

While developing a strategic plan, analysis to the factors that an organisation does not have control over, is fundamental since it enable the team to develop a plan this is line with its external environment. The external environment is made up of the opportunities and threats to the organisations prosperity. Some of the factors that affect the organisation externally include future trends, this involves study of the change of culture in the industry (Dooris et al., 2004). This can be studied by doing a study on the trends of the organisation and the industry as a whole.

As much as the trends may not be within the organisation's control, it is important to have the prior knowledge on what may happen in the future while planning. Secondly, there should a comprehensive study of the local, national and international economy while coming up with a strategic plan. This is important because it will lead to development of strategic plan that is conscious of the economic status externally hence mitigating possible losses and maximising on profit making in the process (Lu, 2010). Third, there should be a study on the funding sources like donors, foundations and legislatures who might cut their contribution anytime. Demographics, determine the prosperity of n organisation, thus, it is crucial to study any changes in the demography where the organisation serves. This knowledge enable the team will minimise the possibility of loss making and maximise on profit making. Lastly, it is the study of possible competition from other organisation. Thus with that in mind, the strategic plan that will ensure that they have a relative advantage over their competitors. For instance, involvement of advertisement in the plan.