Strategic Planning
Helping leadership teams clarify direction, set priorities, and translate vision into practical action.
At North Star Strategies, strategic planning isn’t just about producing a document — it’s about creating alignment. Our process helps boards, staff, and partners think clearly, collaborate effectively, and make decisions that move the organization forward with confidence.
Our Approach
Every planning process is tailored to the organization’s needs, but each shares three core elements:
Collaboration: Leaders, staff, and stakeholders co-create the plan to ensure ownership and realistic execution.
Evidence-Based Insight: Data, diverse perspectives, and scenario thinking inform every recommendation.
Actionable Results: Plans are specific, prioritized, and designed to be implemented immediately.
Workshops and retreats are structured to help teams align around the big picture while defining practical next steps.
The SchellingPoint Process
North Star Strategies is a Certified Partner of SchellingPoint and uses the SchellingPoint process and technology to surface honest and insightful input in remarkably little time.
This online, anonymous approach combines proven communication theory with innovative software to reveal where leaders agree, disagree, and why.
You receive:
A clear understanding of where consensus exists — and where it doesn’t
Insight into the top activities that will have the greatest impact
Early visibility into likely resistance and how to address it
A foundation for ongoing dialogue that builds ownership and accountability
This process typically takes only 30 – 90 minutes per participant, yet yields the depth of multiple in-person sessions.
Learn about the SchellingPoint process in this 3-minute explainer video at the top of this page.
What You Can Expect
Our clients consistently achieve:
Sharper strategic focus – clarity on what matters most
Faster alignment – measurable consensus across diverse groups
Stronger execution – practical roadmaps with assigned responsibilities and timelines
As one client put it:
Why North Star Strategies
For nearly three decades, we’ve helped nonprofits, associations, corporations, and public agencies achieve breakthrough clarity on complex issues.
Our facilitation draws from the work of Chris Argyris at Harvard, applying advanced dialogue techniques to uncover hidden assumptions and accelerate consensus.
Founder Tracy Morgan, MBA (Harvard) and BSE (Princeton), has led more than 100 strategic planning engagements — from national initiatives to local organizations. Her book, How to Conduct an Effective Strategic Planning Process with Minimal Effort, distills these best practices for leaders who want to strengthen their organizations.
Case Study: Delaware Children’s Museum
When the Delaware Children’s Museum needed a plan to measure and communicate its community impact, North Star Strategies facilitated a collaborative process that engaged staff, board, and partners in defining clear outcomes.
The result: a measurable framework linking programs, performance, and mission.