May 29, 2023 · Watch the Full Strategic Plan Example Case Study with the VP and Chief Strategy Officer of AFCU Strategic Plan Example: (Small Nonprofit) - The Hunger Project Mission: To end hunger and poverty by pioneering sustainable, grassroots, women-centered strategies and advocating for their widespread adoption in countries throughout the world. ... Strategic planning helps companies define their goals, allocate resources effectively, and stay ahead of the competition. By examining case studies and examples from top companies, we can gain valuable insights into the strategic planning process and learn from their successes and challenges. Nike’s Strategic Planning: Staying Ahead of the Game ... Dec 19, 2023 · Strategic Planning While discussing the cases featured in this section, students will find themselves in the shoes of top government officials as they confront difficult trade-offs. The real-world examples at play relate to a host of topics such as transportation and infrastructure, public health, and labor relations. ... This case study provides a detailed examination and evaluation of the goals of the CFAUSD, and provides insight into the direction in which the district should continue. The researcher's goals of this case study are to determine the commitment to the strategic planning process that the CFAUSD has made, recognize the goals of the district, ... CASE STUDY Development of Strategic Thinking & Planning Process CLIENT Technology Company, 4,200 employees CHALLENGE Company did not have a consistent thinking and planning process in place and the quality of strategy differed dramatically across the organization. Desire was to ... Case Study: Strategic Plan Development & Implementation. This Case Study describes how Gagnon Associates helped in the development and implementation of this client’s first, comprehensive strategic plan. The Company. America’s oldest direct-mail catalogue marketing company. The Situation ... Here is a streamlined strategic planning case study for work we did with a $55 million public radio and television broadcasting company. In recent years, the competition seriously eroded a 130,000-plus membership base and sent earnings on a roller coaster ride, dipping into the red for two of the past three fiscal years. ... In most courses in strategic management, students use cases about actual companies to practice strategic analysis and to gain some experience in the tasks of crafting and im-plementing strategy. A case sets forth, in a factual manner, the events and organiza-tional circumstances surrounding a particular managerial situation. It puts readers at ... A Case Study on Strategic Planning for Adapting to Change Dr. Shaista Banu Harris Associate Professor, MBA Department, Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Bengaluru Abstract: Mr. Anand is the owner of ‘Violet Trends’, a chain of clothing retail stores that has been in business for over a decade. ... Jan 7, 2020 · Strategic Planning: Case Studies With Mike Figliuolo Liked by 1,675 users. Duration: 41m Skill level: Intermediate Released: 1/7/2020. Start my 1-month free trial ... ... ">

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Strategic Plan Examples: Case Studies and Free Strategic Planning Template

By Anthony Taylor - May 29, 2023

case study strategic planning

As you prepare for your strategic planning process, it's important to explore relevant strategic plan examples for inspiration.

In today's competitive business landscape, a well-defined strategic plan holds immense significance. Whether you're a private company, municipal government, or nonprofit entity, strategic planning is essential for achieving goals and gaining a competitive edge. By understanding the strategic planning process, you can gain valuable insights to develop an effective growth roadmap for your organization.

In this blog, we will delve into real-life examples of strategic plans that have proven successful. These examples encompass a wide range of organizations, from Credit Unions that have implemented SME Strategy's Aligned Strategy process to the Largest Bank in Israel. By examining these cases, we can gain a deeper understanding of strategic planning and extract relevant insights that can be applied to your organization.

  • Strategic Plan Example (Global Financial Services Firm)
  • Strategic Plan Example (Joint Strategic Plan)
  • Strategic Plan Example: (Government Agency)
  • Strategic Plan Example (Multinational Corporation)
  • Strategic Plan Example: (Public Company)
  • Strategic Plan Example (Non Profit)
  • Strategic Plan Example: (Small Nonprofit)
  • Strategic Plan example: (Municipal Government)
  • Strategic Plan Example: (Environmental Start-up)  

When analyzing strategic plan examples, it is crucial to recognize that a strategic plan goes beyond being a mere document. It should encapsulate your organization's mission and vision comprehensively while also being actionable. Your strategic plan needs to be tailored to your organization's specific circumstances, including factors such as size, industry, budget, and personnel. Simply replicating someone else's plan will not suffice.

Have you ever invested significant time and resources into creating a plan, only to witness its failure during execution? We believe that a successful strategic plan extends beyond being a static document. It necessitates meticulous follow-through, execution, documentation, and continuous learning. It serves as the foundation upon which your future plans are built.

It is important to note that a company's success is not solely determined by the plan itself, but rather by how effectively it is executed. Our intention is to highlight the diverse roles that a company's mission, vision, and values play across different organizations, whether they are large corporations or smaller nonprofits.

Strategic plans can vary in terms of their review cycles, which can range from annual evaluations to multi-year periods. There is no one-size-fits-all example of a strategic plan, as each organization possesses unique needs and circumstances that must be taken into account.

Strategic planning is an essential process for organizations of all sizes and types. It assists in setting a clear direction, defining goals, and effectively allocating resources. To gain an understanding of how strategic plans are crafted, we will explore a range of examples, including those from private companies, nonprofit organizations, and government entities.

Throughout this exploration, we will highlight various frameworks and systems employed by profit-driven and nonprofit organizations alike, providing valuable insights to help you determine the most suitable approach for your own organization.

Watch: Examples of Strategic Plans from Real-Life Organizations 

Strategic Plan Example  - The Bank Hapoalim Vision:  To be a leading global financial services firm, with its core in Israel, focused on its clients and working to enhance their financial freedom.

Bank Hapoalim, one of Israel's largest banks with 8,383 branches across 5 different countries as of 2022, has recently provided insights into its latest strategic plan. The plan highlights four distinct strategic priorities:

  • Continued leadership in corporate banking and capital markets
  • Adaptation of the retail banking operating model
  • Resource optimization and greater productivity
  • Differentiating and influential innovation

Check out their strategic plan here: Strategic Plan (2022-2026)

We talked to Tagil Green, the Chief Strategy Officer at Bank Hapoalim, where we delved into various aspects of their strategic planning process. We discussed the bank's strategic planning timeline, the collaborative work they engaged in with McKinsey, and the crucial steps taken to secure buy-in and ensure successful implementation of the strategy throughout the organization. In our conversation, Tagil Green emphasized the understanding that there is no universal template for strategic plans. While many companies typically allocate one, two, or three days for strategic planning meetings during an offsite, Bank Hapoalim recognized the significance of their size and complexity. As a result, their strategic plan took a comprehensive year-long effort to develop. How did a Large Global Organization like Bank Hapoalim decide on what strategic planning timeline to follow?

"How long do you want to plan? Some said, let's think a decade ahead. Some said it's irrelevant. Let's talk about two years ahead. And we kind of negotiated into the like, five years ahead for five years and said, Okay, that's good enough, because some of the complexity and the range depends on the field that you work for. So for banking in Israel, four or five years ahead, is good enough. "  Tagil Green, Chief Strategy Officer, Bank Hapoalim 

Another important aspect you need to consider when doing strategic planning is stakeholder engagement, We asked Tagil her thoughts and how they conducted stakeholder engagement with a large employee base.

Listen to the Full Conversation with Tagil:

Strategic Planning and Execution: Insights from the Chief Strategy Officer of Israel's Leading Bank

Strategic Plan Example: Region 16 and DEED (Joint Strategic Plan)

Mission Statement: We engage state, regional, tribal, school, and community partners to improve the quality and equity of education for each student by providing evidence-based services and supports.

In this strategic plan example, we'll explore how Region 16 and DEED, two government-operated Educational Centers with hundreds of employees, aligned their strategic plans using SME Strategy's approach . Despite facing the challenges brought on by the pandemic, these organizations sought to find common ground and ensure alignment on their mission, vision, and values, regardless of their circumstances.

Both teams adopted the Aligned Strategy method, which involved a three day onsite strategic planning session facilitated by a strategic planning facilitator . Together, they developed a comprehensive 29-page strategic plan outlining three distinct strategic priorities, each with its own objectives and strategic goals. Through critical conversations, they crafted a clear three year vision, defined their core customer group as part of their mission, refined their organizational values and behaviors, and prioritized their areas of focus.

After their offsite facilitation, they aligned around three key areas of focus:

  • Effective Communication, both internally and externally.
  • Streamlining Processes to enhance efficiency.
  • Developing Effective Relationships and Partnerships for mutual success.

By accomplishing their goals within these strategic priorities, the teams from Region 16 and DEED aim to make progress towards their envisioned future.

To read the full review of the aligned strategy process click here

Download Now Starting your strategic planning process soon? Get our free Strategic Planning Template

Strategic Plan Example: (Government Agency) - The City of Duluth Workforce Development Board

What they do:

The Duluth Workforce Development Board identifies and aligns workforce development strategies to meet the needs of Duluth area employers and job seekers through comprehensive and coordinated systems.

An engaged and diverse workforce, where all individuals, regardless of background, have or are on a path to meaningful employment and a family sustaining wage, and all employers are able to fill jobs in demand.

The City of Duluth provides an insightful example of a strategic plan focused on regional coordination to address workforce needs in various industry sectors and occupations. With multiple stakeholders involved, engaging and aligning them becomes crucial. This comprehensive plan, spanning 82 pages, tackles strategic priorities and initiatives at both the state and local levels.

What sets this plan apart is its thorough outline of the implementation process. It covers everything from high-level strategies to specific meetings between different boards and organizations. Emphasizing communication, coordination, and connectivity, the plan ensures the complete execution of its objectives. It promotes regular monthly partner meetings, committee gatherings, and collaboration among diverse groups. The plan also emphasizes the importance of proper documentation and accountability throughout the entire process.

By providing a clear roadmap, the City of Duluth's strategic plan effectively addresses workforce needs while fostering effective stakeholder engagement . It serves as a valuable example of how a comprehensive plan can guide actions, facilitate communication, and ensure accountability for successful implementation.

Read this strategic plan example here: Strategic Plan (2021-2024)

Strategic Plan Example: McDonald's (Multinational Corporation)

McDonald's provides a great strategic plan example specifically designed for private companies. Their "Velocity Growth Plan" covers a span of three years from 2017 to 2020, offering a high-level strategic direction. While the plan doesn't delve into specific implementation details, it focuses on delivering an overview that appeals to investors and aligns the staff. The plan underscores McDonald's commitment to long-term growth and addressing important environmental and societal challenges. It also highlights the CEO's leadership in revitalizing the company and the active oversight provided by the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors plays a crucial role in actively overseeing McDonald's strategy. They engage in discussions about the Velocity Growth Plan during board meetings, hold annual strategy sessions, and maintain continuous monitoring of the company's operations in response to the ever-changing business landscape.

The McDonald's strategic plan revolved around three core pillars:

  • Retention: Strengthening and expanding areas of strength, such as breakfast and family occasions.
  • Regain: Focusing on food quality, convenience, and value to win back lost customers.
  • Convert: Emphasizing coffee and other snack offerings to attract casual customers.

These pillars guide McDonald's through three initiatives, driving growth and maximizing benefits for customers in the shortest time possible.

Read the strategic plan example of Mcdonlald's Velocity growth plan (2017-2020)

Strategic Plan Example: Nike (Public Company)

Nike's mission statement is “ to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world .”  

Nike, as a publicly traded company, has developed a robust global growth strategy outlined in its strategic plan. Spanning a five-year period from 2021 to 2025, this plan encompasses 29 strategic targets that reflect Nike's strong commitment to People, Planet, and Pay. Each priority is meticulously defined, accompanied by tangible actions and measurable metrics. This meticulous approach ensures transparency and alignment across the organization.

The strategic plan of Nike establishes clear objectives, including the promotion of pay equity, a focus on education and professional development, and the fostering of business diversity and inclusion. By prioritizing these areas, Nike aims to provide guidance and support to its diverse workforce, fostering an environment that values and empowers its employees.

Read Nike's strategic plan here

Related Content: Strategic Planning Process (What is it?)

The Cost of Developing a Strategic Plan (3 Tiers)

Strategic Plan Example (Non Profit) - Alternatives Federal Credit Union

Mission: To help build and protect wealth for people with diverse identities who have been historically marginalized by the financial industry, especially those with low wealth or identifying as Black, Indigenous, or people of color.

AFCU partnered with SME Strategy in 2021 to develop a three year strategic plan. As a non-profit organization, AFCU recognized the importance of strategic planning to align its team and operational components. The focus was on key elements such as Vision, Mission, Values, Priorities, Goals, and Actions, as well as effective communication, clear responsibilities, and progress tracking.

In line with the Aligned Strategy approach, AFCU developed three strategic priorities to unite its team and drive progress towards their vision for 2024. Alongside strategic planning, AFCU has implemented a comprehensive strategy implementation plan to ensure the effective execution of their strategies.

Here's an overview of AFCU's 2024 Team Vision and strategic priorities: Aligned Team Vision 2024:

To fulfill our mission, enhance efficiency, and establish sustainable community development approaches, our efforts will revolve around the following priorities: Strategic Priorities:

Improving internal communication: Enhancing communication channels and practices within AFCU to foster collaboration and information sharing among team members.

Improving organizational performance: Implementing strategies to enhance AFCU's overall performance, including processes, systems, and resource utilization.

Creating standard operating procedures: Developing standardized procedures and protocols to streamline operations, increase efficiency, and ensure consistency across AFCU's activities.

By focusing on these strategic priorities, AFCU aims to strengthen its capacity to effectively achieve its mission and bring about lasting change in its community. Watch the AFCU case study below:

Watch the Full Strategic Plan Example Case Study with the VP and Chief Strategy Officer of AFCU

Strategic Plan Example: (Small Nonprofit) - The Hunger Project 

Mission: To end hunger and poverty by pioneering sustainable, grassroots, women-centered strategies and advocating for their widespread adoption in countries throughout the world.

The Hunger Project, a small nonprofit organization based in the Netherlands, offers a prime example of a concise and effective three-year strategic plan. This plan encompasses the organization's vision, mission, theory of change, and strategic priorities. Emphasizing simplicity and clarity, The Hunger Project's plan outlines crucial actions and measurements required to achieve its goals. Spanning 16 pages, this comprehensive document enables stakeholders to grasp the organization's direction and intended impact. It centers around three overarching strategic goals, each accompanied by its own set of objectives and indicators: deepening impact, mainstreaming impact, and scaling up operations.

Read their strategic plan here  

Strategic Plan example: (Municipal Government)- New York City Economic Development Plan 

The New York City Economic Development Plan is a comprehensive 5-year strategic plan tailored for a municipal government. Spanning 68 pages, this plan underwent an extensive planning process with input from multiple stakeholders. 

This plan focuses on the unique challenges and opportunities present in the region. Through a SWOT analysis, this plan highlights the organization's problems, the city's strengths, and the opportunities and threats it has identified. These include New York's diverse population, significant wealth disparities, and high demand for public infrastructure and services.

The strategic plan was designed to provide a holistic overview that encompasses the interests of a diverse and large group of business, labor, and community leaders. It aimed to identify the shared values that united its five boroughs and define how local objectives align with the interests of greater New York State. The result was a unified vision for the future of New York City, accompanied by a clear set of actions required to achieve shared goals.

Because of its diverse stakeholder list including; council members, local government officials, and elected representatives, with significant input from the public, their strategic plan took 4 months to develop. 

Read it's 5 year strategic plan example here

Strategic Plan Example: Silicon Valley Clean Energy

Silicon Valley Clean Energy provides a strategic plan that prioritizes visual appeal and simplicity. Despite being in its second year of operation, this strategic plan example effectively conveys the organization's mission and values to its Board of Directors. The company also conducts thorough analyses of the electric utility industry and anticipates major challenges in the coming years. Additionally, it highlights various social initiatives aimed at promoting community, environmental, and economic benefits that align with customer expectations.

"This plan recognizes the goals we intend to accomplish and highlights strategies and tactics we will employ to achieve these goals. The purpose of this plan is to ensure transparency in our operations and to provide a clear direction to staff about which strategies and tactics we will employ to achieve our goals. It is a living document that can guide our work with clarity and yet has the flexibility to respond to changing environments as we embark on this journey." Girish Balachandran CEO, Silicon Valley Clean Energy

This strategic plan example offers flexibility in terms of timeline. It lays out strategic initiatives for both a three-year and five-year period, extending all the way to 2030. The plan places emphasis on specific steps and targets to be accomplished between 2021 and 2025, followed by goals for the subsequent period of 2025 to 2030. While this plan doesn't go into exhaustive detail about implementation steps, meeting schedules, or monitoring mechanisms, it effectively communicates the organization's priorities and desired long term outcomes. Read its strategic plan example here

By studying these strategic plan examples, you can create a strategic plan that aligns with your organization's goals, communicates effectively, and guides decision-making and resource allocation. Strategic planning approaches differ among various types of organizations.

Private Companies: Private companies like McDonald's and Nike approach strategic planning differently from public companies due to competitive market dynamics. McDonald's provides a high-level overview of its strategic plan in its investor overview.

Nonprofit Organizations: Nonprofit organizations, like The Hunger Project, develop strategic plans tailored to their unique missions and stakeholders. The Hunger Project's plan presents a simple yet effective structure with a clear vision, mission, theory of change, strategic priorities, and action items with measurable outcomes.

Government Entities: Government entities, such as the New York City Development Board, often produce longer, comprehensive strategic plans to guide regional or state development. These plans include implementation plans, stakeholder engagement, performance measures, and priority projects.

When creating a strategic plan for your organization, consider the following key points:

Strategic Priorities: Define clear strategic priorities that are easy to communicate and understand.

Stakeholder Engagement: Ensure your plan addresses the needs and interests of your stakeholders.

Measurements: Include relevant measurements and KPIs, primarily for internal use, to track, monitor and report your progress effectively.

Conciseness vs. Thoroughness: Adapt the level of detail in your plan based on the size of your organization and the number of stakeholders involved.

By learning from these examples, you can see that developing a strategic plan should be a process that fits your organization, effectively communicates your goals, and provides guidance for decision-making and resource allocation. Remember that strategic planning is an ongoing process that requires regular review and adjustment to stay relevant and effective.

Need assistance in maximizing the impact of your strategic planning? Learn how our facilitators can lead you through a proven process, ensuring effectiveness, maintaining focus, and fostering team alignment.

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Gagnon Associates

Gagnon Associates

Management & Organizational Consulting

case study strategic planning

Case Study:  Strategic Plan  Development & Implementation

This Case Study describes how Gagnon Associates helped in the development and implementation of this client’s first, comprehensive strategic plan.

The Company

America’s oldest direct-mail catalogue marketing company.

The Situation

After years of enviable growth, the company encounters a business down turn and withstands the first layoffs in its history.  Impact on company morale is significant, and though the imperative to resolve on a future course is clear, consensus on future direction remains to be achieved.  This will also be the first time the company has developed a comprehensive plan for the entire enterprise vs. managing its separate business channels independently.

The Approach

Orvis engages Gagnon Associates to lead the executive team and a select group of additional senior managers through a comprehensive team-based Strategic Planning Process . Extensive, confidential interviews of the Executive Team provide, in the words of the CEO, a “needed and welcomed opportunity to ‘go to confession,’” while a consolidated reporting of key interview themes provides them with “new and valuable insights” critical to moving forward.

Guided by Gagnon Associates, executives conduct a comprehensive Scan of the Orvis operating environment and an assessment of the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to serve as a context for planning.  Next, over a two-to-three month period Gagnon Associates leads Orvis senior executives through the rigorous planning process itself.  Executives achieve consensus on company direction and, for the first time, develop concrete, corporate-wide goals, strategies, initiatives, timetables and accountability structures to achieve their common vision.

The Results

Within little more than a year, the COO reports that, due to the “heightened focus” on growth and profitability resulting from the plan, a key distribution channel experiences an 80% increase in sales.  A second channel is forecast to grow by 20%.  A comprehensive brand-building initiative is completed along with the complete revitalization of the human resource function and associated programs.

A reengineering initiative in the company’s merchandise operations/sourcing function transforms the new product development process and achieves 70% of the resulting cost-savings targeted for the next year by year end of the current year.

The CEO credits the Strategic Planning Process with providing “valuable insights that encouraged me to change my style and approach to leading the Company.”   He asserts, “The Planning Conferences themselves provided the leadership group some valuable benefits, especially in the area of clarifying and improving the effectiveness of how we make high-level decisions . . . . We do a better job of ensuring clear disposition of issues and avoiding ‘drift’ than we did before.”

The plan results in a strategic refocusing of company direction, a revitalized organization, and improved business results described by the client as nothing less than “a turnaround.”

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  • Case Studies

Public TV Station Changes Its Strategy

Strategic Planning Case Study

Background:

  • Major public broadcasting company.
  • Producer of highly acclaimed public television shows.
  • Besieged by competition and reductions in federal and corporate funding.

Key Challenges:

  • Losses in two of the last three fiscal years.
  • Downward trend in membership.
  • Lack of internal consensus about the financial viability of key department.
  • New competitors, including internet and cable.
  • Competition from local stations.
  • Build and grow a strong membership base by refining programming to focus on target demographic.
  • Re-position production for long-term growth.
  • Maximize revenue potential from key programs.

Meaningful Change in a Short Timeframe

The Chief Operating Officer was committed to getting to the heart of performance issues that were causing the organization to stumble. He also knew that his position made it difficult to be objective. Late in the year – with the clock ticking down to the start of budgeting for the next two fiscal years – he called Leading Resources Inc. (LRI).

During an intensive three-month “pit stop,” LRI president Eric Douglas guided a dozen of top managers through a process that resulted in a focused set of goals and objectives leading to sustainable growth in the long term and operating surpluses in the short term.

“Experience has taught me it’s valuable to bring in a third party, someone who is absolutely agnostic as to personalities and biases,” the CEO said.

He had collaborated with Douglas when the CEO served as Chief Financial Officer at KQED, San Francisco’s public television station, and was impressed by his insightful, no-nonsense style, as well as his experience working in the media industry.

“I was impressed by Eric’s knowledge of the media business,” said the Chief Executive Officer. “He’s smart and very direct. He had the respect of the staff from the beginning.”

Step 1: The Situation Analysis: Identifying Which Opportunities to Focus On

The first step for Douglas is to gain insight into what is happening. In confidential interviews with managers, he asked frank questions: What’s causing the current situation? What conflicts underlie these issues? Why can’t the organization address them? What factors need to be in place to achieve success?

“The key business driver was revenue from its members,” Douglas said. “However, the programming and membership departments were operating as silos.”

Douglas found that neither department had a clear picture of the target audience they were trying to attract. “It seemed to me that the opportunity lay in building a tighter value chain between viewers and members,” Douglas said.

After a week of interviews, Douglas prepared a situation analysis, focusing on what he felt were the two most crucial opportunities to address during the strategic planning process.

  • Strengthen and grow membership through targeted programming. Outside of pledge periods, programming decisions were often made using a loose definition of “public service” and “quality.” Douglas recommended that Programming and Membership departments work closely together to define the demographics of their target audience. As the two departments fine-tuned programming to reach this target audience, Gross Ratings Points (GRPs) – an industry measurement of time spent viewing – would guide them.
  • Restructure production operation for long-term profitability. Producing had become less economically viable for most major public television stations. With competition falling away, we had the potential to turn its production operation into a long-term growth engine. But only if managers could impose the discipline it would take to restructure their Production Portfolio to favor profitability.

Step 2: Creating Task Forces

Early in the process, the management team met for the first of three strategy sessions. Douglas kicked off the meeting by presenting his analysis.

“People are always relieved when they see the organization laid out, warts and all, so they can talk about it.” Douglas said. “The biggest surprise for many people was that there was a lot of agreement around the weaknesses of the station.”

Douglas assembled the team into task forces to address the opportunities identified in his analysis. Each task force brought together people from multiple departments to collaborate on a specific set of assignments. “Eric’s manner encourages people to express their points of view about issues,” the CEO said. “At the same time, he’s no-nonsense. He keeps the process moving forward. He doesn’t allow the discussion to get into circular arguments that lead nowhere.”

Step 3: Developing Productive “Learning Loops”

“Some of us were surprised by how little we actually understood the financial and operational underpinnings of everything we do,” said the Head of Production. “There was some confusion over resource impacts, margins and so forth. It was the beginning of a process to get that clarity.”

Douglas calls this building “ learning loops .” “As decision-makers share information across departments, their ability to make better decisions rises,” he says.

Douglas sees his role as both a catalyst and a devil’s advocate. “I have taken part in strategic planning processes that failed because the consultant was ‘facilitating’ discussions people wanted to have, rather than telling us which discussions we should be having,” he said. “I ask tough questions and make sure people spend time asking themselves tough questions. Sometimes it is painful. But having an honest dialogue about areas of conflict is the only way to break down barriers and find more creative resolutions.”

Bruns agrees. “When he needs to, Eric he can be firm with everyone at any level of the organization,” he said. “Sometimes it’s easier to be firm with people higher up in the organization than with people working in the ranks. You don’t want to appear heavy-handed. Eric is able to do it in a way that’s very constructive.”

Step 4: Moving from Breakthrough to Strategy

In some cases, the road to consensus proved a bit bumpy. Here’s a brief recap of what transpired over 12 weeks.

Membership and Programming

While the viewing audience was declining, two core groups remained strong and ripe for growth: children and educated women 50+.

Initial Insights: The Membership and Programming Task Force expanded their target audience to include men and women 45+. Guided by results of a major industry study correlating a rise in GRPs with increased multiyear memberships, the group tackled its first task: determining how well their prime-time line-up – a random mix of standard PBS fare – fit its target audience.

Hurdles: There was a lot of room for improvement. But first, we had to clear a major hurdle: the fear of offending PBS by shopping for programming elsewhere. PBS underwrites many productions – an area this organization is keen to develop into a long-term profit center.

Breakthrough Decision: the management team decided its first priority was to increase GRPs – which meant dropping or moving PBS shows that its target audience wasn’t watching.

New Strategy: Using GRPs as a yardstick of success focused their Membership and Programming departments on the importance of collaborating to increase membership dues and renewal rates. The departments meet regularly to analyze the latest GRPs and identify new areas of opportunity based on feedback from viewers.

“It’s very hard to say no in public television,” admitted the CEO. As a result, there was no litmus test for the profit potential of projects production department decided to take on.

Initial Insights: The management team believed that “production was in our organization’s DNA.” “Yet, privately several people wondered whether we could continue in production,” Douglas said.

Hurdles: Douglas led the group through various scenarios – including exiting the production business altogether. “It was a painful discussion,” he said. “But we had to look that scenario in the eye and investigate whether, strategically, it made the most sense.”

Breakthrough Decision: “The beauty of having the conversation about getting out of production was that it scared people. It made them realize that production was not a sacred cow. They decided to purposefully create a future with production, but to be a lot more steely about the projects they undertake,” Douglas said.

New Strategy: In addition to nurturing its core portfolio of successful local and national programs, we adopted a more rigorous framework for accepting production projects. “I’ve officially terminated four projects,” the CEO reported. “Having a business framework gives us a basis for being more discriminating in our choices.” This sets the stage for production to become a growth engine.

Moving Ahead with Measurable Performance Goals

Moving ahead with a clearly defined set of performance goals for the next two fiscal years, they are focused on:

  • Increasing GRPs by 6% in the target demographic.
  • Increasing net membership revenues by 5%.
  • Reducing margins from production by 10%.

“I would encourage any CEO to go through this process,” the CEO said. “In a very short time, we were able to clarify our expectations and unify the staff around common goals, which are the foundation of our new budget. Now, we have a consensus about the next steps we need to take and performance metrics that will let us know when we reach our goals. We’ve really moved forward as an organization.”

“I came away with a certain optimism that we can achieve the goals we want to achieve,” Bruns said. “While the problems we’re facing over the next years are difficult, they’re not insurmountable. This is my second experience with Eric and I wouldn’t hesitate to call on him again. I have that much confidence in him.”

Read more Case Studies or view Examples of Client Experiences .

We hope you enjoyed this strategic planning case study. Learn more about our strategic planning approach , or to schedule a meeting with LRI, contact us online .

case study strategic planning

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COMMENTS

  1. Strategic Plan Examples: Case Studies and Free Strategic ...

    May 29, 2023 · Watch the Full Strategic Plan Example Case Study with the VP and Chief Strategy Officer of AFCU Strategic Plan Example: (Small Nonprofit) - The Hunger Project Mission: To end hunger and poverty by pioneering sustainable, grassroots, women-centered strategies and advocating for their widespread adoption in countries throughout the world.

  2. Inspiring Strategic Planning Case Studies from Top Companies

    Strategic planning helps companies define their goals, allocate resources effectively, and stay ahead of the competition. By examining case studies and examples from top companies, we can gain valuable insights into the strategic planning process and learn from their successes and challenges. Nike’s Strategic Planning: Staying Ahead of the Game

  3. Strategic Planning Cases - HKS Case Program - Harvard University

    Dec 19, 2023 · Strategic Planning While discussing the cases featured in this section, students will find themselves in the shoes of top government officials as they confront difficult trade-offs. The real-world examples at play relate to a host of topics such as transportation and infrastructure, public health, and labor relations.

  4. Strategic Planning in Education: A Case Study

    This case study provides a detailed examination and evaluation of the goals of the CFAUSD, and provides insight into the direction in which the district should continue. The researcher's goals of this case study are to determine the commitment to the strategic planning process that the CFAUSD has made, recognize the goals of the district,

  5. Case Study--Strategic Thinking and Planning Process

    CASE STUDY Development of Strategic Thinking & Planning Process CLIENT Technology Company, 4,200 employees CHALLENGE Company did not have a consistent thinking and planning process in place and the quality of strategy differed dramatically across the organization. Desire was to

  6. Strategic Planning Case Study | Developing & Implementing a ...

    Case Study: Strategic Plan Development & Implementation. This Case Study describes how Gagnon Associates helped in the development and implementation of this client’s first, comprehensive strategic plan. The Company. America’s oldest direct-mail catalogue marketing company. The Situation

  7. Strategic Planning Case Study - Leading Resources

    Here is a streamlined strategic planning case study for work we did with a $55 million public radio and television broadcasting company. In recent years, the competition seriously eroded a 130,000-plus membership base and sent earnings on a roller coaster ride, dipping into the red for two of the past three fiscal years.

  8. Cases in Strategic Management - Carnegie Mellon University

    In most courses in strategic management, students use cases about actual companies to practice strategic analysis and to gain some experience in the tasks of crafting and im-plementing strategy. A case sets forth, in a factual manner, the events and organiza-tional circumstances surrounding a particular managerial situation. It puts readers at

  9. A Case Study on Strategic Planning for Adapting to Change

    A Case Study on Strategic Planning for Adapting to Change Dr. Shaista Banu Harris Associate Professor, MBA Department, Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Bengaluru Abstract: Mr. Anand is the owner of ‘Violet Trends’, a chain of clothing retail stores that has been in business for over a decade.

  10. Strategic Planning: Case Studies - LinkedIn

    Jan 7, 2020 · Strategic Planning: Case Studies With Mike Figliuolo Liked by 1,675 users. Duration: 41m Skill level: Intermediate Released: 1/7/2020. Start my 1-month free trial ...