Skip to content

Introduction to Strategic Planning (Online at your own pace)


Adult Enrichment / Business & Consumer -
Online Certificates and Courses 2025

Move your career up with the 21st Century leadership skills of Strategic Planning. Every organization needs to position itself differently for success in this century. And only leaders can both create a successful strategic plan and oversee its implementation.

Create a new leadership skill that will last a lifetime, and outlast industry and career changes. Come away with both the conceptual tools and a new leadership approach to move from dreams to reality for your organization, and your career.

This class can be taken on its own or as part of the Strategic Planning Certificate.


Courses are online and asynchronous, meaning students may login to the classroom anytime during the course session, day or night, 24/7. For more information, go to our Online Professional Development Certificates & Courses FAQ


Class Details:

Unit 1: Think differently
    What Strategic Planning Is, and Isn’t
    Strategic Planning is What Leaders Do
    How to think strategically - - it’s different
    Why strategic plans fail
    Unit 2: The 6 Components of Strategic Planning
      Building the approach
      Constructing objectives
      Forming strategies
      Assigning tactics
Unit 3: Needs assessment, Market research, Environmental scanning
      Finding trends and industry directions
      Scanning the environment
      An 8 Stage Model for Needs Assessment and Marketing Research
      Scoping out your competition for strategic planning
Unit 4: Your Vision as a Leader
      Matching the market with your vision
      Never have one idea (and why)
      When hunches work, when they don’t
      Where do you want to go
Instructor

William A Draves


William A. Draves, CAE, is a chief executive officer of his organization, a Certified Association Executive, leader in his field, and acclaimed futurist.


In 2000 he and his colleague, Julie Coates, laid out nine shifts that would happen by 2020, in their book Nine Shift: Work, life and education in the 21st Century.
The BBC flew their global business reporter from China to their home to interview them for a half-hour program that aired worldwide to millions.
Draves has been in management and leadership positions in a variety of work and volunteer situations. He has taught online for over twenty years, including teaching at the graduate level. With a particular interest in mentoring young people, he teaches a variety of leadership courses. He has been interviewed by Wired.com, The New York Times, NPR, NBC Nightly News, Washington Post, Virtual University News, Chronicle of Higher Education and other national media. Draves has spoken around the world, including Japan, Russia, Australia, Germany, Slovenia, Mexico, England and throughout Canada and the U.S. His TED talk has been heard by thousands.

OE-21341a-ugc

  William A Draves


Online
Sun-Sat, Feb 3 - Feb 28
12:01 AM - 11:59 PM

Su
M
Tu
W
Th
F
Sa

Min Age   18 yr.

Price: $ 195 00
OE-21341b-ugc

  William A Draves


Online
Sun-Sat, Apr 7 - May 2
12:01 AM - 11:59 PM

Su
M
Tu
W
Th
F
Sa

Min Age   18 yr.

Price: $ 195 00
Registration begins  
Jan. 7th at 9:00 AM
OE-21341c-ugc

  William A Draves


Online
Sun-Sat, Jun 2 - Jun 27
12:01 AM - 11:59 PM

Su
M
Tu
W
Th
F
Sa

Min Age   18 yr.

Price: $ 195 00
Registration begins  
Jan. 7th at 9:00 AM
OE-21341d-ugc

  William A Draves


Online
Sun-Sat, Sep 2 - Sep 26
12:01 AM - 11:59 PM

Su
M
Tu
W
Th
F
Sa

Min Age   18 yr.

Price: $ 195 00
Registration begins  
Jan. 7th at 9:00 AM