Erica Olsen - Strategic Planning Kit For Dummies

Strategic Planning Kit For Dummies, 2nd Edition

by Erica Olsen

Strategic Planning Kit For Dummies, 2nd Edition

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Copyright 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2011938574

ISBN 978-1-118-07777-1 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-17848-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-17849-2 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-17850-8 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Author

Erica Olsen holds a BA in Communications and an MBA in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management. Shes frequently tapped to lecture at the University of Nevada in Reno and the University of Phoenix in Reno on management and planning topics. She hosts workshops and has spoken at conferences nationwide.

As one of the developers of MyStrategicPlan, Erica has stripped strategic planning of its fate as a static document. With her online strategic planning system, any organization, regardless of size and budget, can build a plan in a matter of weeks (or even days). After completing the plan, the online system actually helps organizations execute the plan instead of just shoving it on a shelf. Her team developed MyStrategicPlan because they believe in inspiring big ideas and creating the laser-like focus to achieve them.

MyStrategicPlan is just one of several services offered by Ericas company, M3 Planning. M3 also does on-site strategic planning facilitation and retreats, as well as market research consulting. Over the last several years, M3 has developed and reviewed thousands of strategic plans for organizations across the country.

In addition to authoring Strategic Planning Kit For Dummies, 2nd Edition, Erica has coauthored Strategic Planning Made Easy: A Practical Guide to Growth and Profitability (M3 Planning, Inc.) and contributes regular columns to local, regional, and national business publications.

When Erica isnt lecturing, writing, or planning, shes alternately kayaking, backcountry skiing, rock climbing, biking, running, or bagging peaks around the Western Hemisphere with her husband, Gregor.

Erica always enjoys hearing from her readers. If you have questions about your strategic planning or if you have a success story to share, please contact her through any of the following methods:

E-mail: erica@mystrategicplan.com
Website: www.mystrategicplan.com
Blog: Strategically Speaking, www.mystrategicplan.com/blog

Dedication

To all the business owners, executive directors, and managers in this world who have a big vision: May you successfully reach that big, hairy, audacious goal.

Authors Acknowledgments

My sincere thanks and appreciation goes out to everyone who had a hand in putting this book together. The journey was an amazingly wonderful and enlightening experience, and Im grateful for the remarkable opportunity to author this book. I must recognize a few specific people.

To my book brain trust, who provided ideas, recommendations, and suggestions at every turn thank you for making this book as good as it could be. I want to specifically thank Alissa Schwipps, Michael Lewis, and technical editor Clint Burdett, for all your help. I would also like to thank the graphics and layout teams at John Wiley & Sons, Inc., who made this book come to life and the marketing teams who brought this book to business owners and managers everywhere. And a special thanks to Howard Putnam, author of The Winds of Turbulence (Howard D. Putnam Enterprises), for his kind words.

To our strategic planning clients whove all contributed to this book through their examples, questions, suggestions, and experiences thank you for the opportunity to work with your organizations. Working with you is a pleasure and gift to everyone at my company.

Thank you to my great friends for sticking by my side even when I was buried in my writing. Youre a continual source of encouragement. Special thanks go out to my friends and colleagues who made this edition fabulous, specifically Milan Sperka and Connie Armstrong, and to the rest of my team, Russell Persson, Vanessa Lindeberg, Cammy LoRe, Kim Perkins, Kristin Larsen, Shannon Forster, and Elsa Ozuna-Richards.

To my family, whos the best family in the world, thank you for supporting me in everything I do. My brothers Ryan and Brett, you provided needed distractions in between my deadlines and kept me focused on what mattered. Grandma and Grandpa Olsen (aka G & G), you instilled the entrepreneurial spirit in our family; to you Im eternally grateful. Aunt Marlene, youre an amazing mentor; thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom with me. Mom, youre a one-of-a-kind business partner and mentor; thank you for taking care of the business and our clients when I was facing looming deadlines. Dad, you added needed clarifications, answers, and content ideas whenever I needed them; thank you for dropping everything to help me. Youre as much the author of this book as I am. Youre the best.