Are there strategic planning tools that focus on the gain, not the gap?
When you focus on the gain you look at how far you have come toward your goals or aspirations.

This is in contrast to focusing on looking at how far you have to go and what you need to improve to get to your goal.

This is where a SOAR comes into play. SOAR is an articulation of an organization’s Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results. People are more familiar with the SWOT, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

Like a SWOT, it provides a framework for articulating your strategies through open brainstorming with your team.

Unlike a SWOT, the SOAR focuses more on articulating your vision and aspirations and aligns your actions toward the results you want to see in the world.

The SWOT takes a more competitive approach. It assesses the threats and weaknesses of the organization in the marketplace.

The SOAR, is more collaborative. It focuses on how your organization uses its strengths to create opportunities with others in the marketplace.
It is a leadership tool for setting the vision with an aspirational results-driven action plan.

Both tools are valuable, but the SOAR might be more inspirational to your team.

Now You: Do you focus on your gains or your gaps?

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