So, you're considering strategic planning?

Don't hire an expensive outside consultant. Instead, LEARN to facilitate strategic planning.

You want the motivation a SHARED VISION and CLEAR PRIORITIES can provide to a burned-out team. You're TIRED of the piecemeal approach. You've seen excitement about creating a vision turn into disorganized meetings, unresolved disagreements, and plans that go nowhere. The old way of planning DOESN'T WORK in this era of uncertainty. It's time for IN-HOUSE planning competency.
[READ MORE] Should you LEARN how or HIRE a facilitator?

About the Program

Strategic Planning Facilitation

A 20-week virtual program that gives you the leadership and facilitation skills to LEAD a strategic planning PROCESS and teaches you how to create and execute a Strategic Action Plan. This option is for local, state, and federal resource management agencies or units and nonprofits working in resource stewardship and conservation with 5-100 employees.
[READ MORE] What is a "Strategic ACTION Plan"?

What you'll learn

In Strategic Planning Facilitator's Training, you'll learn:

  • a RELIABLE and REPEATABLE process that allows you to MEET YOUR GOALS while operating amidst complexity

  • how to get the most from ALL FOUR phases of strategic planning

  • STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT so your staff, partners, volunteers, and other key stakeholders are contributors to the process and the end result

  • best practices for SETTING UP PLANNING TEAMS and the skills to FACILITATE a successful planning process

  • how to leverage your purpose and core values to create COMMITMENT and BUY-IN

  • a process to EVALUATE THE CURRENT STATE of your organization, assess its READINESS for planning, and determine an appropriate planning SCOPE

  • how to ROLL OUT and EXECUTE a strategic plan, and how to ADAPT when things change

  • how to make the plan a TOOL THAT YOU USE instead of a document that you read

  • planning ADAPTATIONS specific to resource managers

What people are saying

"The word I would use to describe the course is ‘invaluable.’ It was invaluable for our development as a high-performing team—just as much as it was invaluable for the actual plan and direction for our future."

“This course allowed us to work together and engage our partners to set direction that everyone is in support of, and we have the skills to actually make it happen. I am excited to see it come true.”

“I really appreciated the tools, resources, techniques, etc. that were shared, giving us better ways to approach brainstorming, planning, and in seeking solutions. Having simple and clear language in each step of this process - the where, how, when - was super helpful in building buy-in within the team and in creating the final plan.”

“I’ve never experienced more authentic delivery of content in any training I’ve taken, live or otherwise. Thank you.”

“It’s been incredible for my team to see what they are actually capable of. Thank you.”

“Inspiring, actionable, and challenging us to be better than we were.”

About the Program

The program has two courses, SP1 is a prerequisite for SP2.

Strategic Planning 1: PREPARATION

10 Weeks - FEB-APR 2024 


"Teams who fail to prepare, fail to plan."

This course teaches students phases one and two of strategic planning (setup and readiness). 

Upon the conclusion of this course, students have learned how to set up a planning team, conduct stakeholder engagement, do a proper organizational assessment (all required before any actual planning takes place), and determine their plan scope.

SP1 Learning Outcomes 

  • Prepare staff, board, and key stakeholders for strategic planning
  • Embed the organization’s identity into processes 
  • Assess the organization's current state
  • Evaluate readiness for planning
  • Determine planning scope and objectives

Strategic Planning 2: PATHFINDING

10 Weeks - APR-JUN 2024 


"You don't read a plan, you USE a plan."

This course teaches students phases three and four of strategic planning (planning and execution). 

Upon the conclusion of this course, students have learned how to develop all elements of a strategic plan, how to further engage stakeholders in the process, how to create an execution tool and plan, how to roll out a plan, and how to execute a plan. 

SP2 Learning Outcomes

  • Master a process for developing a vision and plan that align with your purpose
  • Establish strategic focus areas, priorities, specific goals, and action steps
  • Understand rollout and execution
  • Be confident to plan for a complex, rapidly changing environment


In both courses, students learn to be strategic planning facilitators and apply their lessons to their organization as they go through class by facilitating planning meetings onsite. 

At the end of the second course, they have developed a strategic plan with their onsite planning team, and they have the skills and tools to do it over and over.


You can join as a Facilitation Team or as an Individual Facilitator. NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED.  

How does the course work?

Watch this 8 min. video to learn more.

This might be a fit if you...

  • are ready for IN-HOUSE strategic planning COMPETENCY using a process that BALANCES FOCUS with ADAPTABILITY

  • are facing new levels of UNCERTAINTY and COMPLEXITY

  • want CLEAR DIRECTION and SHARED PRIORITIES for employees, partners, and stakeholders

  • are regularly OVERWHELMED and need FOCUS and INSPIRATION

  • work in natural or cultural resource management and conservation in a nonprofit or at a local, state, or federal agency

  • want a USEFUL PLAN by the end of it

That's me!

Let's make sure this is a good fit before you commit. Schedule your no-obligation call now.

Schedule my call

Not exactly a fit?

If you are interested in learning strategic planning but this program isn't the right fit, reach out via our contact page or look at our other live and on-demand programs.

Check out our other programs

  • In-depth Training

    This is a complete strategic planning course, making you proficient in the process from preparation to execution. You’ll learn new ways of thinking, develop proficiency in planning, learn creative processes for engaging people, and leave with a new level of confidence. You'll use and repurpose the skills for your entire career.

  • Expert Instructors

    You get expert instructors. Throughout our careers, we’ve worked on-site nationwide as consultants to small and large organizations, multi-unit collaboratives, agencies, nonprofits, and for-profit entities. And we have worked with hundreds of leaders online, teaching them how to think strategically and plan nimbly.

  • Cohort

    Other resource managers will be in the program with you! You’ll learn from other teams—what are their challenges, and how are they addressing them? How are they engaging their staff? What’s working and not working for them? You’ll build professional relationships with peers and have support within your industry.

  • Substantial toolkit

    We put our private toolkit into this course. To help you be successful, we share every template, agenda, slide deck, process, and tool we’ve developed, plus hard-earned tips, best practices, and troubleshooting recommendations.

  • Learn-apply format

    Between live, virtual classes, you’ll apply what you learn to your organization or team. You will facilitate meetings and workshops, research, conduct brainstorms, make decisions, and apply your lessons as you go. You'll have a complete plan at the end.

  • Support

    You get specific advice for applying the lessons to your organization. We’ll review your homework and debrief assignments to ensure you’re on track to have a strategic plan that serves you. Plus, it’s a small student-instructor ratio (15:1) so you have a lot of support!

Meet your instructors

Lead Instructor Krista Guardino

I refuse to accept the adage, “That’s just how things are” and believe through creativity and collaboration, any problem can be solved and every system can be streamlined. I specialize in questioning assumptions to promote innovation and complex problem-solving. I've worked with people around the country, facilitating the development of strategic plans. My experience with complex organizations is with Silicon Valley tech start-ups. I led marketing for an educational company disrupting the traditional textbook industry, and I'm a fan of people and organizations who are questioning the status quo and doing hard work to change systems.

Founder + Instructor Liz Moore

I love this work! On the surface, it looks like helping leaders solve complex problems, build strong teams, and execute nimble strategies. Underneath, it’s really about delivering experiences that light up people’s courage and turn on their connection to purpose. I’ve spent a decade as a consultant and trainer specializing in strategic planning, change management, and leadership coaching. Going back even further, I’ve been behind the scenes facilitating organizations and individuals to define their purpose and professional identity. I’m a strategic thinking expert, master facilitator, skilled teacher, and coach.

Common Questions + Concerns

  • We don't have time.

    You don’t have time because you are overwhelmed. You are overwhelmed because we've been on a trajectory of increasing complexity and uncertainty. Most teams struggle to figure out what to STOP doing so they can focus on what’s most important. So, here you are, doing too much. In our experience, the only way out of the continuously-reacting mode is to be more strategic. So, find a solution that works for your organization, or keep treading water.

  • What's the commitment?

    20 weeks. 3-5 hours a week of work. We won't pretend it's not a big commitment. Discovering what’s truly important for your organization always requires hard work and investing in your team's future. It also offers unprecedented rewards for clarity, inspiration, and accomplishment. This program is only for people who are willing (not "able," no one has a bunch of free time to throw at this) to put in the time and the work. The kicker? You’ll learn, really learn, how to do strategic planning.

  • My team requires an outside facilitator.

    If your team is dysfunctional, we recommend you start working on team function BEFORE you begin strategic planning. A truly dysfunctional team will implode a planning process. And here's the thing...if you have people who regularly derail business meetings, then you NEED TO LEARN how to facilitate that dynamic instead of allowing it to perpetuate. Our process will teach you. And, if you need a "big stick" to get this type of work done and the "big stick" leaves at the end of the process, how do you expect execution will go? We've been the "big sticks" for a long time and deeply believe that an internally led process results in an EXECUTED plan (instead of a written one). And, of course, there ARE TIMES when complexity requires an outside consultant. We can help you decide what's best for your situation.

  • The timing isn't right.

    You might be correct. Sometimes you need to “let the earthquake stop” to see where all the shelves fall before you figure out how to pick everything up and move forward. But remember: the uncertainty and turmoil we are facing is not likely to diminish in the months or years to come. Have a heart-to-heart with your hesitation (and maybe with an instructor) and make sure waiting is truly the best choice. (If you’ve read this far, we have a hunch it’s time.)

  • Am I really the right person for this?

    Our students are building new and better futures amidst unprecedented uncertainty and certain adversity. And they are doing it from all sorts of positions. Some are educators, program managers, nonprofit leaders, resource managers, facilitators, activists, coordinators, those behind the scenes, and those in the spotlight. It's less about your job titles and more about your PURPOSE-are you in purpose-driven work? Do you want control? Do you want to stop relying on outside facilitators to help you create a vision for the future or costly consultants to tell you how to make it happen? Do you want to self-facilitate? Lead the process? Do you want the skills and the know-how to think strategically and make adaptable plans over and over again? Then it's for you. But if not, that's okay too. There are lots of people out there doing good work that can help you.

  • Can I see a plan?

    Possibly. We are very protective of our client’s confidentiality, and we do have permission to share plans in certain scenarios. It requires that you set up a time to chat with us about the program, and we can determine if there’s a plan we can share. And everyone enrolled in the courses gets to see a variety of finished plans.

  • Can I do a private cohort?

    Absolutely! Maybe you're a resource management unit and want to have a cohort with other units in your area. Or, maybe you would like to take the course with your partner organizations. We require a minimum of ten students to join a private cohort; we can take up to 15. Whatever your interest, let us know. We'll contact you to schedule a time to discuss your needs.

  • How much does it cost?

    All of our full programs are priced to be less than the cost of an external strategic planning expert doing the process for you. You can see current pricing by requesting a brochure via our contact page. Pricing depends on the size of your organization, and we offer early-bird discounts, nonprofit pricing, and situational slide-scales. Head to the upper right-hand corner, click the "contact" page, and request a brochure or schedule a chat with an instructor who can provide pricing for your specific situation. FYI, when you reach out, we won't spam you. We'll just answer your questions.

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