You’re in a job interview and the interviewer asks, "What is your experience with strategic planning?

1 Explain what strategic planning is

Strategic planning is the process of defining and communicating the purpose, direction, and priorities of an organization. It involves assessing the current situation, identifying the desired outcomes, developing strategies and action plans, and monitoring and evaluating the results. Strategic planning helps non-profit managers to allocate resources, manage risks, and create value for their beneficiaries, donors, partners, and staff.

2 Give examples of your involvement

The interviewer wants to know how you have participated in or led strategic planning processes in your previous or current roles. You can use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to structure your examples and show your achievements. For instance, you can describe a situation where you faced a challenge or an opportunity, the task or goal you had to accomplish, the action you took to plan and implement a strategy, and the result you achieved or learned from.

3 Highlight your skills and knowledge

Strategic planning requires a range of skills and knowledge, such as analytical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, leadership, and project management. You can showcase these skills and knowledge by explaining how you used them in your strategic planning examples. For example, you can mention how you conducted a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) to identify the internal and external factors affecting your organization, how you engaged your stakeholders in developing a shared vision and mission, how you communicated your strategy to different audiences, how you coordinated and supervised the execution of your action plans, and how you measured and reported on your impact.

4 Demonstrate your fit with the organization

Strategic planning is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Different organizations have different cultures, values, and expectations when it comes to strategic planning. You can demonstrate your fit with the organization by researching their strategic plan and aligning your examples and skills with their vision, mission, goals, and activities. You can also ask questions about their strategic planning process and challenges, and show your interest and enthusiasm in contributing to their success.

5 Be prepared for follow-up questions

The interviewer may ask you some follow-up questions to probe deeper into your strategic planning experience. For example, they may ask you how you dealt with uncertainty, complexity, or resistance, how you adapted to changing circumstances or feedback, how you balanced competing priorities or demands, or how you evaluated the effectiveness or sustainability of your strategy. You should be ready to provide more details, evidence, or examples to support your answers and demonstrate your competence and confidence.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?