Simplified Strategic Planning: A No-Nonsense Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast! by Robert W. Bradford

A practical and realistic guide to strategic planning. Here's a reader review:

If you are looking for startling new insights on strategic planning, or gimmicky, buzzword-laden books aiming to be best-sellers, this one is not for you. This is ideal as a first book on strategic planning since it provides a realistic, carefully set out action plan for developing a competitive strategy and implementing it to produce results. Even if you have read dozens of books on strategy, the no-nonsense, concise guidance of this book makes it valuable. The book is the result of extensive work by the authors with small and medium-sized businesses. It not only presents the strategy process in admirably clear terms, it provides templates and guidance throughout the process. Simplified Strategic Planning will not make you gasp at new insights, stun you with incredible depth, or woo you with seductive writing. It will make it much easier for you to form and implement a definite strategic plan for your business.

Applied Strategic Planning: How to Develop a Plan That Really Works by Leonard Goodstein, Timothy Nolan, J. William Pfeiffer

Written by three top consultants and trainers, Applied Strategic Planning shows managers and CEOs a clear, totally effective way to identify and implement strategic objectives.

Applied Strategic Planning surpasses other strategic planning models in many key areas, including:

* Emphasis on organizational culture
* Integration of business and functional plans
* Performance audits
* Gap analysis
* Values clarification

Goodstein, Nolan, and Pfeiffer take managers through all phases of the strategic planning process, including:

* How to determine if an organization is ready for strategic planing
* Effectively communicate a corporate vision
* Recognize the role of culture in changing strategic direction
* Understand the various roles of a consultant
* Write effective mission statements
* Create contingency plans

Containing charts, diagrams, and checklists along with illuminating examples from the authors, extensive consulting experience, and even cartoons that convey important points, Applied Strategic Planning lets managers at the helm navigate expertly through today's unpredictable business climate.

Strategic Thinking: A Step-By-Step Approach to Strategy, Second Edition (Paperback) by Simon Wootton, Terry Horne

In Strategic Thinking, Simon Wootton and Terry Horne teach step-by-step the thinking skills required for sound strategic planning. The authors set out questions to ask and teach how to learn to formulate strategies and write clear and concise strategic plans. The steps taught are easy to apply in the real world. The authors used a very practical approach, and wrote in simple language. The book also has a CD ROM with practical examples that can be used as templates to facilitate the formulation of strategies.

The book teaches a nine step process covering the gathering of information, formulating ideas and planning action. The gathering of information involves an analysis of what is changing, carrying out an audit and reflecting on what one knows. In formulating ideas, one is required to predict where the organisation is headed, decide where it should be going and take care of obstacles to achieving organisational objectives. Planning action involves thinking creatively about alternative courses of action, evaluating their feasibility and making decisions on implementation of the plans.

Team-Based Strategic Planning: A Complete Guide to Structuring, Facilitating and Implementing the Process by C. Davis Fogg

A somewhat different resource because it helps you with the process of developing strategic plans within a team or group environment.

Strategic planning is a critical part of running a business, but when you get a team of people together to plan, it can often become a confused exercise in grand visions without a clear process for establishing workable goals. This book is unique in providing both guidance for the actual content of strategic plans and techniques for how to plan in a team context. Readers will discover how to:

• structure the process so it custom fits their company needs

• effectively facilitate the process (keep meetings on track, train others in planning skills, document decisions made at meetings, present and communicate the plan)

• use teams and teamwork smoothly and productively to create a far-reaching plan—and then to implement it

Features detailed guidelines for each step, dozens of flowcharts, and three self-contained "facilitator’s guides" to follow.

Strategic Planning Training by Jeffery Russell

This book is an all-in-one, how-to guide for developing strategic planning, thinking, and decision making competencies of CEOs, managers, supervisors, and frontline employees. It offers a practical set of interactive and customizable training modules that will serve as a roadmap for developing the right framework, culture, and philosophy in your organization. The book is useful for both new and experienced strategic planning trainers and offers extensive background material plus practical advice to help you avoid common pitfalls. In addition, the book offers an extensive "toolkit" of methods and techniques to improve any group or team’s problem solving and decision making skills. The accompanying CD-ROM includes handouts, checklists, assessments, and PowerPoint™ slides that are ready for immediate use.

High Impact Tools and Activities for Strategic Planning: Creative Techniques for Facilitating Your Organization's Planning Process (Ring-bound)
by Rod Napier, Clint Sidle, Patrick Sanaghan

Not just another book on the theory of strategic planning, here are dozens of recipes for creative group activities to facilitate strategic planning in any organization. Designed for use by consultants, facilitators, and management team leaders, step-by-step instructions guide you through exercises for gaining employee and management participation, gathering feedback from management about the current state of the organization, creating an organized mission, vison and values statement, and planning so that the vision becomes reality. Ready-to-use reproducible materials and handouts are also included.