Strategic planning is a well-regarded process amongst numerous health care professionals and executives (Zuckerman, 2005). Healthcare organizations must plan for a growing trend of patient health awareness and physician accountability. With the advancement of technology and education, health care knowledge is ubiquitous. The competition amongst providers and physicians continues to grow as patients seek the most qualified and responsible individual or health care organization out of a plethora of choices. Health care organizations strive to provide the utmost quality of care to remain competent within such a fast-paced industry. Such a goal calls for an organization with exceptional strategic planning …show more content…
With benefits, however, come a few drawbacks to strategic planning that if conquered, may result in a successful future for any organization. One of the top barriers to investing in a strategic plan is finances. Strategic planning can be costly, but research indicates the risk of failure is tenfold when a plan is nonexistent (Hambrick & Fredrickson, 2001). Because of the complexity of strategic planning, members of the organization invest copious amounts of time and effort in developing a well thought-out plan. Careful assessment of both internal and external factors takes time and adequate analysis. For example, if a health care organization finds itself in an economic downtown (external factor), a facility 's workforce may be reduced (internal factor). One factor that ties to balancing finances is failing to involve the necessary individuals that will carry the plan into the right direction. There exists a possibility of involving too many players, or maybe not enough. Some players may also not be a good fit culturally or not knowledgeable enough to undertake such a significant role. Employee commitment and sustainability can negatively influence the strategic planning process. Employees may feel underpaid, or find such a complex planning process incomprehensible. Failing to include and/or prioritize relevant issues can also causes strife within strategic planning. For example, an organization may find that adding new x-ray equipment is more