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The organization must agree on the process to be used to develop the strategic plan. This step is essential because of its consensus building potential. Establishing buy-in at the beginning of strategic planning is a critical success factor to effective execution. Said another way, the more that people are involved in developing the organization's goals, the more engaged they will be in putting forth the effort to carry out the plan.

Also, the decision makers need to get clear about the organization's mandates. Although many people believe they understand the mandates, over time organizations fracture and develop disconnected views of their responsibilities. This step re-unifies the group's understanding into an integrated whole. This step's information is critical to later steps when the participants must agree on the agency's purpose and work to be able to form cohesive goals and objectives.

The explanation that follows will help you build important common ground at the beginning of the process and will provide power to your efforts in focusing understanding in a single direction.