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Impacted PartiesResearch & Market IntelligenceStrategic Planning

The Value of Engagement in Strategic Planning

InciteOctober 31, 20243 min read

Even the best-laid strategic plans can fall short without insights from the right people. Engagement is a powerful tool that provides valuable viewpoints on where your organization stands, and where it could go.  

At Incite, this involves actively listening to and collaborating with all impacted parties to create a shared sense of ownership. This helps our clients make informed decisions that mitigate risk, so they can create an adaptable strategy that reflects the needs of everyone involved–all leading to an increased chance of long-term success.

In strategic planning, businesses typically work with two main groups for engagement: internal and external parties. Let’s break these down a bit more: 

Internal Impacted Parties

These are internal individuals or groups within an organization who are directly involved in the day-to-day activities and decision-making processes. These viewpoints are pivotal in making any strategic plan successful and can include employees, management and executives, board members, and shareholders.

External Impacted Parties

External impacted parties are people or groups who aren’t directly part of an organization but are affected by its actions, products, or services. Depending on the scope of your project or initiative, these groups could include customers/clients, suppliers, and the broader community. 

As for which type of engagement is best, our best strategic planning includes a mix of internal team members and external impacted parties, such as clients, potential clients, and industry influencers. While this process is more time-consuming, it provides a complete range of perspectives that enable us to identify gaps and come up with a strategy that aligns with the best interests of everyone who will be impacted.

”By inviting impacted parties into the conversation, you can create an emotional connection and gather a broad spectrum of insights...

Whatever level of connection you choose to engage with, remember, anything is better than nothing. Skipping out on obtaining feedback from key voices in your internal and external groups could lead to major challenges, such as resistance, legal complications, or even project failure–just to name a few.

As Incite President, Ted Kouri, says, “By inviting impacted parties into the conversation, you can create an emotional connection and gather a broad spectrum of insights that will help you gain a clearer picture that helps build lasting impact.”  

Key Takeaways

Internal and external engagement are essential in crafting effective strategies that stand the test of time. When you actively involve and listen to your internal and external impacted parties, you’re giving your business the ability to make informed decisions that will guide your priorities in the right direction. Choose to ignore these groups, and you run the risk of weakening your strategic plan and the relationships you have with these individuals.

Our advice? Invest in a comprehensive engagement process every 2-3 years to stay on top of evolving needs and emerging opportunities for sustained success and more importantly, happy employees, customers/clients, and other partners.

Looking to elevate your strategic planning success?

Incite understands that the best strategies come from listening to a full range of perspectives. Our 360-degree approach allows us to create plans that address real challenges and opportunities. Contact us today to get a strategy that works for everyone involved.

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