All organizations plan; the only difference is their approach. Prior to starting a new
strategic planning process it will be necessary to access the past planning approach that
has been used within the organization and determine how the organization's cultural may
have been affected. Addressing these cultural issues is critical to the success of the
current planning process.

The four possible approaches to planning are:

Reactive - past oriented
Reactive planning is an active attempt to turn back the clock to the past. The past, no
matter how bad, is preferable to the present. And definitely better than the future will
be. The past is romanticized and there is a desire to return to the "good old
days." These people seek to undo the change that has created the present, and they
fear the future, which they attempt to prevent.

Inactive - present oriented
Inactive planning is an attempt to preserve the present, which is preferable to both the
past and the future. While the present may have problems it is better than the past. The
expectation is that things are as good as they are likely to get and the future will only
be worse. Any additional change is likely to be for the worse and should therefore be
avoided.

Preactive - predict the future
Preactive planning is an attempt to predict the future and then to plan for that predicted
future. Technological change is seen as the driving force bringing about the future, which
will be better than the present or the past. The planning process will seek to position
the organization to take advantage of the change that is happening around them.

Proactive - create the future
Proactive planning involves designing a desired future and then inventing ways to create
that future state. Not only is the future a preferred state, but the organization can
actively control the outcome. Planners actively shape the future, rather than just trying
to get ahead of events outside of their control. The predicted changes of the preactive
planner are seen not as absolute constraints, but as obstacles that can be addressed and
overcome.

Next Steps – While still conceptual, transformative
networking offers the possibility of leading change through the networking of
those already interested or involved in similar initiatives, effectively tearing
down existing silos of practice that exist across disciplines and fields of
work. The next step is to develop a proof of concept built on the theoretical
underpinnings above, possibly using Google Wave as the collaboration platform.
Included will be identifying the minimal structure and governance required to
enable self-organization within the network while not constraining what might
emerge. Join this initiative and help create the future of organizing -
networking communities of interest.
http://groups.google.com/group/transformative-networking