5. select key strategies and actions. 6. link to budget and operational planning. Planning can be mechanical without creativity. But the process of the six steps above can be used to teach organization members how to think about the organization's future. For example the continuous assessment of external trends leads executives and managers to begin to think about these linkages in an ongoing way.
Some organizations plan with only the top executives then communicate the desired plan downward.
Others feel that shaping a company's future is too complex to leave to a few - all ideas are needed. However many executives feel that leaving the campus offers an opportunity for uninterrupted discussions free of the familiar and traditional setting. Retreats are usually most successful when run as a part on a longer process e.g. a two day retreat brings together planning work of the past three months. For many organizations the most active planning period is three to six months. This includes meetings, preparation of reports and supporting data, involvement of managers and employees at various levels and the crafting of a brief but clear plan.