The primary motive for organizations to do strategic planning is to make decisions based on preplanning research and purposeful thinking. There are many specific reasons for a corporation to initiate a strategic planning process, including the following:

• provide a structure for management
• give the organization better control over external forces
• serve as a tool for deciding and resource allocation
• develop a strategy for innovation so the organization can compete effectively
• bring everyone together within the organization in order that they’re on an equivalent wavelength
• raise management/employee awareness of current issues and operations
• reawaken and motivate key people within the organization
• position the organization for a merger or joint venture
• create a document suitable for fundraising and/or public relations
• increase morale within a corporation and develop a way of trust and cohesion
• set the stage for the organization to make a “quantum leap” to a new level of product/service development or functioning