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The Council For Strategic Planning Inc.
Your Guide To Extraordinary Results
Please feel free to take our strategic self-audit to help you assess where you currently stand with regards to your current strategic planning methods.
The Strategic Self-Audit
The Council For Strategic Planning Inc.
Cleveland, Ohio Phone: 440 542-0999 Fax: 440 542-0990 Email: JLMenger@aol.com www.cfsp.com
Company Name_______________________ Evaluator_________________________ Date__________
Read and score the following 20 questions. Prior to starting, define your top management team by individual.
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1. Is a strategic planning document produced each year that defines goals and objectives out at least 3 years?
A. Yes, out 3 or more years 5 pts.
B. No, but out 2 years 4 pts.
C. No, but 1 year 2 pts.
D. No, not even 1 year 0 pts.
Score _____
2. Does the top management team take responsibilty for the strategic plan?
A. All members say yes 5 pts.
B. Most members agree 4 pts.
C. At least 2 would say yes 2 pts.
D. One or none 0 pts.
Score _____
3. Does top management team feel that strategic planning is a top priority and give it sufficient emphasis?
A. All members say yes 5 pts.
B. All but 1 or 2 3 pts.
C. Not really 0 pts.
Score _____
4. Does your company have a defined set of written procedures for performing strategic planning ?
A. Yes 5 pts.
B. No 0 pts.
Score _____
5. Are your goals measurable and supported with action plans that detail steps, responsibilities, time frames, and resources required?
A. Yes 5 pts.
B. Not completely, partially 3 pts.
C. No 0 pts.
Score _____
6. Do you regularly assess your operating environment with regards to customers, competitors, market changes and the economy?
A. Yes, monthly 5 pts.
B. Yes, quarterly 3 pts.
C. Yes, at least every six months 2 pts.
D. Once a year or less 0 pts.
Score _____
7. Have you identified and tracked opportunities and threats inside and outside the company?
A. Yes, track regularly 5 pts.
B. Yes, but very rarely 2 pts.
C. No, not really 0 pts.
Score _____
8. Is a regular review of operations conducted with measurable results tracked?
A. Daily to monthly as required 5 pts.
B. Yes, monthly with financials 2 pts.
C. No, not regularly checked 0 pts.
Score _____
9. Have you defined strengths, weaknesses, and core capabilities?
A. Yes 5 pts.
B. Only some of the above 3 pts.
C. No 0 pts.
Score _____
10. Written down in our strategic plan is strategy for operating the business based on our analysis of competitors, the market, strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and risks, and core capabilities?
A. Yes 5 pts
B. Not all of the above, but most 3 pts.
C. Strategy not well defined 0 pts.
Score _____
11. The company management makes ongoing decisions based on the written strategy?
A. Yes 5 pts.
B. Not really, but it helps 2 pts.
C. Not really 0 pts.
Score _____
12. The company assigns responsibilities based on action plan implementation and resource allocation?
A. Yes 5 pts.
B. High visibility projects only 3 pts.
C. Not really 0 pts.
Score _____
13. All employees know expectations of them and can see measurable results regularly?
A. Yes 5 pts.
B. Know expectations only 2 pts.
C. See tracking only 2 pts.
D. See neither 0 pts.
Score _____
14. Monitoring progress of our strategic plan with our management team is organized and regular?
A. Yes 5 pts.
B. Not on a regular basis 3 pts.
C. Only when in trouble 1 pts.
D. No 0 pts
Score _____
15. The individuals responsible for strategic planning and implementation are rewarded in relation to performance?
A. Yes, 20%+ is variable income 5 pts.
B. Yes, 10% is variable income 2 pts
C. Merit reviews cover this 1 pts.
D. No, get to keep job if ok 0 pts.
Score _____
16. How does senior management's point of view stack up against the competitors?
A. Distinctive and far sighted 5 pts.
B. Pretty much the same 3 pts.
C. Lagging behind 1 pts.
D. Do not really know 0 pts.
Score _____
17. Among employees, what is the balance between anxiety and confidence in the companies direction?
A. Employees positive and know direction of the company 5 pts.
B. Employees a little anxious, but feel part of the team 4 pts.
C. Very anxious, but know direction of the company 2 pts.
D. High anxiety, everyone is on their own 0 pts.
Score _____
18. Does your advantage building tend to focus on catching up with competitors or building new advantages?
A. We set the pace 5 pts.
B. Sometimes ahead, other times behind 3 pts.
C. Usually trailing competition 1 pts.
D. Always trailing 0 pts.
Score _____
19. How are you performing with regards to your financial plans?
A. Completely meet or exceed 5 pts.
B. Inconsistent results, but above competition regularly 3 pts.
C. Rarely meet goals set 0 pts.
Score _____
20. Each year in your planning, does your team review the past year's goals and results as a learning tool?
A. Always 5 pts.
B. Inconsistent, but usually does happen, especially if poor 3 pts.
C. Rarely, we look forward 0 pts.
Score _____
Total for 20 questions _____
90 to 100 points: Very good to excellent preparation for achieving goals and continuous growth. Significant market changes will be anticipated and could actually result in an advantage relative to the competition.
80 to 89 points: Better strategic planning habits than most. However, probably missing some good opportunities. Significant changes in target markets will probably be anticipated and serious difficulties avoided.
70 to 79 points: Middle of the road procedures are probably resulting in middle of the road results. Missing good opportunities and profits. Market downturns can be hazardous.
Under 70 points: Underperforming. Big opportunities available for both growth and profitability. Significant market changes could go undetected until it is too late to react without serious financial impact.
At this point we suggest that you may want to have other members of your staff take the audit. This allows you to discuss and compare results.
If you would like to talk with us about your results. Please contact Joe Menger at 440 542-0999.
You can also visit our partner firm at www.mengergroup.com