That led to a wave of work force reductions, quality improvements, and flattening of organizational structures in order to reduce costs and increase productivity. But once that had been accomplished, the path to continued viability became less clear. The benefits of improving in incremental steps are immediate and gratifying but a focus on those improvements assumes that the needs of the future are just an extension of the needs of today. This is an appropriate tactic for the short term. However, this approach represents continuous improvement, rather than strategic planning.
Strategic planning is less a process of evolution than one of revolution.
It is a process of inventing new ways of doing business by challenging the old and by focusing the organization on what it can be as opposed to what it is, which isn't easy. A clear mental picture of the desired future state of the organization, which must be consistent with the values and mission. They are the foundations of the culture. Changes to principles are made only with careful consideration for the values, the employees, and the customers. The specific and quantifiable objectives to be accomplished in the planning time frame which will make the vision a reality when they have been achieved.