Final answer:
The initial step in the strategic planning process is developing a mission statement, which sets the foundational context for the organization's purpose and guides all other stages of the planning.
Step-by-step explanation:
In strategic planning, the first step is typically developing a mission statement. This step defines the core purpose of an organization, what it stands for, and why it exists, providing a foundational guide for all subsequent planning. Once a clear mission statement is established, the next steps often include conducting a SWOT analysis (assessing the organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats), setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals and objectives, and then identifying strategic initiatives to achieve these goals.
It is essential to consider the 5 W's to help make the goals specific: who is involved, what you want to accomplish, where you need to go, when it needs to be accomplished by, and why you're wanting to do it. All these elements come together to form a strategy that ensures the problem is well understood, and that the solutions are both feasible and impactful. This strategy includes analyzing and breaking down the problem, defining clear objectives, and working step by step to meet those objectives. Therefore, the answer to the student's question is developing a mission statement.