According to a Foundation for Community Association Research report, "Strategic planning is the cornerstone of every common-interest community." Strategic planning enables your business or organization to define and reach its goals. In this book, author Steven C. Stryker offers an accessible guide to developing and implementing a strategic plan. You learn quickly and easily how to: *Identify opportunities for growth *Discover strengths and weaknesses within your organization *Assess your organization's ability to utilize your strengths *Formulate goals for your organization to achieve success *Understand the tools and processes required to meet those goals *Prepare for any challenges that may arise and overcome them *Communicate your goals and plans to all members of your organization *Make strategic planning an integral part of your organization's development Businesses and organizations of all types and sizes can use the information presented in this book. It offers practical advice on all stages of strategic planning, from formulating goals, to implementing the plan, to measuring its success. This is an essential guide for all organizations looking to take advantage of their strengths and opportunities for growth and success.

Although consultants influence the outcome of major endeavors in the fields of management, finance, government, and engineering, few attempts have been made to establish the tenets and techniques of consulting. In Principles and Practices of Professional Consulting, author Steven C. Stryker outlines the basic tools required of this critical skill. In doing so, he looks into the history of consulting, the consulting process itself, and the key practical skills and techniques that are needed for successful consulting. Case examples based on real-life situations aptly demonstrate the applicability of the material to current consulting activities. After introducing the topic and presenting some background information, this book goes through the process of consulting from meeting and securing clients, to planning and implementing a proper strategy, to terminating and evaluating assignments. It provides techniques and principles at each stage of the process which are sure to improve one's consulting practice. This book presents much crucial information that can be immediately used by professionals and students in various disciplines. It is both comprehensive, covering all the essential aspects of professional consulting by uniting theory and practice into a single resource, and accessible, presenting this information in a clear-cut manner that allows it to be easily used by anyone wishing to learn more about the important art of professional consulting.