Strategic planning skills to turn strategy into action
Learn a practical, step-by-step strategic planning approach that you can apply immediately back in the workplace. Through each step, you’ll practice strategic planning tools, explore real-world examples, and work through case scenarios. You’ll leave better equipped to think strategically, communicate direction, and turn strategy into action.
Course Features
Want a better sense of what learning with CMC is like? Learn more about the CMC Classroom Experience.
Business leaders and professionals who play a role in strategic planning, operational planning, or executing organizational priorities. Individuals wishing to strengthen their strategic thinking and planning skills in order to contribute more effectively and prepare for broader leadership responsibilities.
This course is part of a Learning Path for people looking to improve strategic thinking and planning capabilities. Learn more about learning paths.
Do you need a different date or location? We offer Courses On Request.
Do you need a different date or location? We offer Courses On Request.
When colleagues learn together, everyone benefits!
Connect with an advisor to discuss delivering this course to your team.
What will I learn in this strategic planning training?
This strategic planning training teaches professionals how to develop clear strategies that align business goals, organizational priorities and operational execution. Participants learn practical approaches for analyzing business conditions, defining strategic objectives and building actionable plans.
How is this strategic planning workshop different from other strategy programs?
This strategic planning workshop focuses on practical tools and frameworks leaders can apply immediately. Participants work through structured planning approaches that help translate high-level strategy into clear goals, priorities and action plans.
Who should attend this strategic planning course?
This strategic planning course is designed for managers, directors, executives, and team leaders who are responsible for setting direction, guiding organizational priorities or participating in strategy development. It is particularly valuable for professionals involved in long-term planning or organizational decision making.
How can organizations turn strategic plans into action?
A strong strategy requires clear priorities, defined responsibilities and measurable milestones. This strategic planning course helps leaders connect strategic goals with operational plans so teams understand how daily work supports long-term objectives.
Is this strategic planning course relevant for leaders who already have planning experience?
Yes. Even experienced leaders benefit from strengthening their strategic thinking and planning process. This strategic planning course provides tools and frameworks that help organizations refine their approach and develop more focused strategies.
Anthony A., Senior Specialist, Client Relations Jan 28, 2026
Very informative and relevant to my job role with real life examples that were shared which made it easier to participate in the course.
Abigail J., Communications Coordinator Jan 28, 2026
The course layout, facilitator engagement and materials provided help me accomplish the learning I set out to achieve. I feel confident in leading Strategic Planning projects.
Lauren G., HR Manager Aug 14, 2025
Past Participant, Community Outreach & Public Relations Officer Aug 14, 2025
Past Participant, Acting Director Aug 14, 2025
The small class size was a strength and it was a good group so I learned a lot from the discussions.
Past Participant, Human Resources Manager Aug 14, 2025
Joyce S., Jordan's Principle Manager Mar 16, 2025
excellent presentation and resources
Di W., Planning and Research Analyst Dec 8, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the Fundamentals of Strategic Planning course led by Michael. It provided me with a valuable understanding of strategic planning principles and exposed me to different planning approaches.The course was also a great opportunity to connect with classmates, engage in class discussions, and work through case studies. The learning pace was well-suited, making it an effective experience overall.In the future. This addition would be highly beneficial for individuals working in these sectors.
Past Participant, Senior Consultant Oct 6, 2024
Past Participant, Accommodation Manager Oct 6, 2024
Past Participant, Accommodation Manager Oct 6, 2024
Jean-Paul S., Branch Manager May 14, 2024
Really nice course for a manager or future manager like me. Very well prepared teacher and fun to attend!
Past Participant, Executive Director Mar 19, 2024
Corrine L., Manager, Corporate Partnerships Feb 1, 2024
Very engaging and interactive. Easy to follow-along, material was relevant and current.
Past Participant, Director Feb 1, 2024
The presenter was knowledgeable and was able to get the participants involved.
Vandana J., Director of Finance Feb 1, 2024
It was a very interesting and engaging learning experience.
Raul B., Director - Programs, Services and Volunteer Dec 11, 2023
i really enjoyed the format. Day 1 lots of group exercises, day 2 more individual and videos.
Amika B., Specialist, Child Care Policy and Funding Development Nov 17, 2023
Past Participant, Executive Director Nov 17, 2023
Past Participant, Program Manager Jun 23, 2023
Facilitation of content was relevant to my field of work and businessGreat lesson's & tips were shared collectively in the training sessionTrainer consistently checked-in with audience to ensure relevance of material & ensure overall engagement and understandingDefinitely will use learned information within my role/organization
Diego B., Senior Manager Jun 23, 2023
A lot of relevant content in a short amount of time but delivered with grace. Examples and concepts are well connected to reality both for profit and non-profit situations. Strategic planning makes more sense now and I feel excited to apply it in my own organization!
Past Participant, Analyst Jun 23, 2023
Instructor was great. Very polite, professional, and knowledgeable.
Scarlet S., SLSO Director Jun 23, 2023
Richard is excellent. The materials were very helpful. A fair bit of content didn't apply to my role in the non-profit sector, which was true for half of our group's participants. While Richard made extensive efforts to relate the material to profit and non-profit sectors, the course description could have been more clear in this respect.
Melissa Y., Supervisor, IT Corporate Solutions May 26, 2023
Past Participant, Executive Director May 26, 2023
Excellent facilitator who was really helpful
Past Participant, Strategic Planning Coordinator May 26, 2023
Brenda C., Director Of Business Development & Retention, PMP May 16, 2023
Past Participant, Executive Director May 16, 2023
Facilitator was great and engaging.
Claire Littleton, Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic Feb 3, 2023
The course was very well taught and very thorough. The instructor was clearly very well-informed on the topic and shared excellent examples. The group work was an effective way of engaging the class.
Jasna Drnda, Legal Aid Ontario Feb 3, 2023
Past Participant, Legal Aid Ontario Feb 3, 2023
The speaker was entertaining, receptive, worked at our pace, easy to understand.
Rolanda Manitowabi, Ngwaagan Gamig Recovery Centre Feb 3, 2023
included all very respectfully, and kept everyone engaged. very good with keeping track of where everyone was from and what role they played.good applications to nonprofits - i learned alot and have specific actions planned.
Dr. Souleymane Ndiongue, Walkerton Clean Water Centre Dec 13, 2022
Past Participant, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Dec 16, 2021
Victor St Hilaire, Healthcare Informatics Product Manager, Canon Medical Systems Canada Ltd Dec 13, 2021
Instructor was positive and energized, kept us engaged.
Megan Goulais, Anishinabek Nation Feb 27, 2020
Her passion and knowledge regarding the topic made it very easy to learn and understand the concepts being presented and taught. The course is extremely useful for strategic planning and you're provided with all the tools you need to succeed.
Andrea Benson, Export Packers Feb 27, 2020
Good group of folks attending, representing a diverse set of business models and issues to discuss. printed material is useful - both books. Thank you! Sheila inspires confidence and applies real world perspective with clarity and humour.
Past Participant, TMX Group Feb 26, 2020
Sheila is experienced in the field and her experience came through as we went through the material. She used different methods to engage adult learners. I thought the course material, group discussion and case studies were relevant to my day to day role and I was happy to hear different perspectives. This course allows us to get back into the classroom and discuss ideas and theory regarding strategic planning
Brian D'Silva, Ontario Energy Board Feb 25, 2020
Good discussion with classmates and teacher who shared their experience Handled the content very wellGood course for somebody who will be working on the mission, vision and values of an organization or the department
Jason, Anishinabek Nation Feb 25, 2020
Sheila had great energy and was able to relate to everyone's experience. Well done course. Could be a 3 day course. Worth it.
Past Participant, College Of Midwives Feb 25, 2020
Had lots of fun and learned useable tools. Sheila is a great facilitator, lots of stories, used examples that were relevant to each persons needs.
Past Participant, University of Quebec Dec 13, 2019
Engaging facilitator. Shared lot of practical examples and motivated our group to engage and actively present our point of views. Useful insights from other participants. Great business experience.
Past Participant, Canadian Institute for Health Information Dec 13, 2019
Good course. Liked the same case study we could work through. Excellent presenter. Kept the participants engaged. Good knowledge of the material and fostered good discussion from the participants. Practical tools to use.
Past Participant, Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Dec 13, 2019
Really good content. Great ability to ask questions. Developing a framework for SP will be aided by this course. Good understanding of the topic and issues. Lots of practical knowledge and feedback. This type of course would provide a strong general understanding and common language
Past Participant, The Co-Operators Group Dec 13, 2019
Great energy, interesting examples, engaging, knowledgeable - maybe could be a bit more flexible in use of tools and add in importance of some of the softer skills surrounding them (communication, support, leadership, etc.). It's great if you have little to no Strategic Planning experience.
Past Participant, Federal Government Of Canada Dec 13, 2019
Instructor was knowledgeable of the subjects. Lots of case work which was interesting. good information
Past Participant, Health Standards Organization Dec 13, 2019
Kevin was a fantastic facilitator - I wouldn't change anything really about the course and I'd love to take a course with him again. I think at the end of day 1 I was surprised that we didn't cover more (i.e. it felt a bit slow) but when I reflected I realized it was because of all the group work which ultimately I felt was valuable. worthwhile. Probably more appropriate for someone who has very limited experience with strategic planning.
Past Participant, Fresenius Kabi Canada Ltd Nov 22, 2019
The materials were relevant and applicable to the course materials. Great instructor! Very thorough. Shared lots of information that was relevant. Good examples provided throughout the course.The case study makes you think outside the box and still provides a great learning experience. Provides an opportunity to meet other participants from diversified backgrounds.
Past Participant, Honda Canada Inc. Nov 21, 2019
The course was very informative. The TOWS analysis and the CADDPER Model was useful. Mikhail has a lot of experience and is very knowledgeable and this can been seen in the examples he provides. He keep the students engaged at all times. Its very informative and will help you in your day to day job.
Past Participant, Citco (Canada) Inc. Sep 3, 2019
Nelia Rizzuto, CIBC Sep 3, 2019
Really enjoyed the real life examples to clarify the use of the tools and application back on the job. The tools were fantastic and ones that could be leveraged right away when I return to work. Facilitator was skilled and knowledgeable and facilitated to the adult learner. He respected our roles and needs to still stay connected to work while being in class, he read the audience and determined and adjusted the schedule as needed. Facilitated followed adult ed principles and was skilled in facilitation to professionals. Liked his background and real world experience to link examples to theory.
Iryna Rizzuto, York University Aug 28, 2019
great formatting of the materials. the content very relevant, well presented and the real life examples were fantastic to practice the new skill and apply new knowledge. overall, very satisfied with the course. Great facilitator, good knowledge of the content, good real life examples. You walk away feeling confident you can apply the new skills.
Past Participant, Honda Financial Services Aug 28, 2019
I like the strategic mindset one better I think what I've found is that the synopsis of the course, though in retrospect makes sense, kinda made me feel like it was going to be a little more open as opposed to just following a process. very articulate and speaks from real experience
Past Participant, Accessible Media Inc. Aug 27, 2019
The course is structured in such a way that makes absorbing the material easy. Relevant and relatable examples were used throughout the sessions. I can definitely see where I will use concepts learned back at work. Very engaging. Examples were very relevant. The course will help you understand the components of a strategic plan and how to pull them together in a meaningful manner.
Past Participant, Investment Planning Counsel Aug 27, 2019
More time re: budget and/or cost analysis tips and tricks
Stephane Bolduc, Honda Canada Mar 1, 2019
I will recommend this course to coworkers. Overall, the content was relevant to my role, but I would that day 1 was more valuable to me. Perhaps consider a 3 day course in which day 3 would be comprised of a practical work exercise on a case study from beginning to end. very engaging and knowledgeable. I appreciated the Facilitator's use of real work examples to add relevance to the material
Past Participant, The Beer Store Feb 27, 2019
The instructor was phenomenal and very knowledgeable about the subject matter. The class size was a bit small. A larger class size would have facilitated a more dynamic interaction and more diverse discussions. I would like to attend more courses facilitated by Lisa
Past Participant, Epson Canada Ltd Feb 26, 2019
Past participant, Royal Bank Of Canada May 29, 2018
Past Participant, Andrew Peller Limited Jun 4, 2017
The only further aspect I would have liked to have explored further with more strategic thinking of the next level down and not just focus on the company as a whole as many of us do not have this influence but still require strategic, bigger picture thinking for many aspects.
Past Participant, Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee Inc. May 30, 2017
Roxanne was an excellent facilitator. She was able to present somewhat dry material in a fun and engaging manner. There should be more variety for food. There weren't any vegetarian main course options available, which makes it difficult for those with dietary restrictions to have a full meal.
Past Participant, Walker Industries May 30, 2017
Past Participant, Canada Post Corporation May 29, 2017
Past Participant, Kahnawake Shakotiia'takehnhas Community Services Mar 1, 2017
I appreciated the trainer's approach and experience. Thanks for the new tools and perspective. I really liked the examples and stories that Candida wove throughput the training. Great facilitation! I did not like the training room that was chosen for this training. I understand that the intended CMC centre had damages. In the future I would suggest a larger room for the number of participants.
Past Participant, RGA Life Reinsurance Co. of Canada Feb 28, 2017
I didn't quite enjoy the main case study - Lululemon. I wish it were a broader case that everyone could relate to.
Past Participant, Ontario Agricorp Feb 28, 2017
Andre B. Nov 27, 2016
Although we have generated a presentation for the BOD, I was missing more definite conclusion for what the Long Term Strategic Plan would deliver. I understand the time limitation but an outline of the final measurements of the chosen direction would be a good conclusion for this exercise. I would extend the course for another half day to close all subjects Great facility for such course. Enjoyed the lunch room I would improve on the lunch menu for the second day
Past Participant, Loblaw Companies Limited Aug 30, 2016
I feel the course could have been compressed to be a 1-day course
Past Participant, Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited Aug 30, 2016
Costanzo D. May 30, 2016
the course is exactly what I expected and hoped to get..a suite of tools and how / why to use them to help you with strategy design and implementation
Sheila was the best facilitator I have had at CMC and recommend her courses to anyone.
this course was well done and two full days went by quickly, lots accomplished and learned and use of working model helped tremendously.
Dave B. Feb 13, 2016
Past Participant, Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) Feb 11, 2016
Sheila (the course instructor) was very good at keeping attendees engaged.
great job!
Past Participant Feb 11, 2016
Past Participant, Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit Feb 11, 2016
Sheila was a fantastic facilitator - loved the use of presentations, discussions, small working groups and mixing everyone up. Also loved that she had "adult learning" resources (pipe cleaners, lego and colouring) available during the workshop.
Loved her use of examples - she has a ton of experience and was able to give examples that fit everything from health care to business - not something easily done.
Shawn C. Feb 11, 2016
Past Participant, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Feb 11, 2016
Content was very relevant and timely. Material was concise and easy to follow.
The facilitator helped make the course even more enjoyable. Her vast background and life experiences generated relevant discussion points.
This was my first experience at CMC, but it will not be my last.
Past Participant, SDI Marketing Feb 10, 2016
The course was well designed and laid out. Course materials provide a good reference. Some material was a bit basic and could have been moved through more swiftly (vision, mission, values), but that is very minor. I thought it was great and would reccomend to others.
Very good course with a great facilitator. I look forward to participating in future courses. She was great. I wouldn't change a thing. She did well to keep the group engaged and seemed to make the subject matter relevant for a very diverse group of professionals.
Alan C. Feb 10, 2016
Very engaging. Great group and Facilitator
Very helpful, enlightening, inclusive, knowledgeable, friendly and engaging.
Past Participant, National Research Council (NRC) Nov 26, 2015
Past Participant, Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) Nov 26, 2015
Past Participant, Horizon Utilities May 12, 2015
The course gave me a good starting point in learning the basics of Strategic Planning and provided me with framework that can be applied in the planning process
Sonia T. May 12, 2015
I found the information really insightful and relevant to my current position. It's definitely curriculum I can apply to what I'm currently doing.
Past ParticipantPast Participant, Danielle D May 11, 2015
The course leader was great and engaging. The content was helpful. However, I find the general level of courses is not as senior as I had hoped.
