Strategic Plan Research In order to develop an effective strategic plan for a given business organization, research into that organization's specific values, mission, and overall vision needs to be conducted, and an awareness of the internal and external operating environments must also be obtained. In other words, a fundamental part of strategic planning is conducting research, and in fact without this underlying research strategy is ultimately useless. Knowing the company as well as the industry, community, and network of trade in which the company operates is essential to developing a specific, workable strategy that will take advantage of opportunities presented in these areas and minimize the company's exposure to associated risks. Certain areas of the research methodologies necessary in strategic planning are outlined below,...

By using these elements to specifically guide the research -- not in the collection of facts, but in the degree to which certain facts are paid more attention and in how these facts are analyzed -- direct strategic recommendations can be made from the research. That is, the values, mission, and vision of the organization will not be used to create blinders or biases in the research being conducted, but will inform how all information obtained through the research is perceived in its relation to the company's strategic objectives and its underlying culture.…