The Real-Time Strategic Planning (RTSP) Model
The Real-Time Strategic Planning (RTSP) model transforms organizational strategy through continuous, adaptive decision-making instead of traditional fixed annual planning cycles. This dynamic approach, defined by David La Piana, creates a coordinated set of actions to maintain competitive advantage through responsive strategic thinking that aligns with changing market conditions.
Key Takeaways
- The RTSP model operates across three interconnected levels: organizational, programmatic, and operational.
- Organizations using continuous planning are 60% more likely to make timely, business-driven decisions.
- Competitive advantage is achieved through unique assets or superior execution of services.
- Regular 90-day competitive scans are crucial for maintaining strategic relevance.
- Effective implementation requires clear decision-making tools and governance structures.
RTSP offers a flexible framework that helps you adapt to market shifts in real time. Unlike traditional planning that becomes outdated quickly, this approach keeps your strategy current and relevant. Agile strategic planning becomes increasingly important as markets change at accelerated rates.
The model works by integrating strategic thinking at all organizational levels. You’ll find immediate benefits in faster response times to emerging opportunities and threats. Organizations implementing RTSP typically experience improved decision quality and better resource allocation.
Competitive advantage develops through identifying your distinct capabilities and leveraging them effectively. This requires regular environmental scanning—examining what competitors are doing and how market conditions are evolving. Strategic agility depends on having accurate, current information about your competitive landscape.
For successful implementation, establish clear decision protocols that empower teams to act within defined parameters. Create straightforward governance structures that balance autonomy with accountability. Regular 90-day strategy reviews keep everyone focused on strategic priorities while allowing for course corrections.
The RTSP approach connects your day-to-day operations with long-term objectives. This alignment helps staff understand how their work contributes to organizational success. Real-time strategy execution requires both top-down direction and bottom-up innovation.
Measure your progress using focused metrics that track both process improvements and outcome achievements. Effective metrics provide early warning signals when strategy adjustments are needed.
“The Real-Time Strategic Planning (RTSP) model transforms organizational strategy by fostering a culture of continuous, adaptive decision-making, ensuring that businesses remain agile in the face of evolving market dynamics. By integrating timely insights across interconnected levels, organizations can swiftly leverage unique strengths and maintain a competitive edge in an ever-changing landscape.”
Real-Time Strategic Planning Model: Redefining Strategy in Dynamic Environments
The real-time strategic planning model transforms how organizations approach strategy development by enabling continuous decision-making rather than relying on fixed annual cycles. Popularized by David La Piana in “The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution,” this model defines strategy as “a coordinated set of actions designed to create and sustain a competitive advantage.” Unlike traditional approaches, RTSP replaces calendar-driven planning with issue-driven, continuous strategic thinking.
Research from Bain indicates that organizations implementing continuous planning are approximately 60% more likely to make timely decisions when driven by business needs rather than arbitrary calendar dates. This responsiveness has become essential in today’s volatile market conditions, where opportunities and threats emerge unexpectedly.
Three-Level Framework and Essential Building Blocks
The real-time strategic planning model operates across three interconnected strategic levels:
- Organizational level: Focuses on mission, vision, market position, trends, competitors, and partnerships
- Programmatic level: Addresses approaches and activities designed for target audiences
- Operational level: Manages systems including finance, HR, communications, and IT
To implement this framework effectively, you’ll need these core building blocks:
- Identity components (mission, impact areas, programs/services, geographic scope)
- Business model definition (what/how/where/who)
- Comprehensive market and competitive analysis
- Decision-making tools (particularly strategy screens)
RTSP implementation occurs in two phases: first establishing your planning elements, then applying those elements to real scenarios as they arise. This approach allows you to master strategic planning while remaining adaptable.
The competitive advantage sits at the heart of the real-time strategic planning model through either unique assets (strengths no local competitor possesses) or superior execution (delivering services faster, cheaper, or better than competitors). You must continuously scan your market environment to reassess these advantages.
A recommended 90-day competitive scan includes monitoring competitor moves, gathering customer feedback, tracking funding trends, identifying technology changes, and noting regulatory shifts. Key metrics to track include market share, client retention rates, satisfaction indicators, and revenue from flagship programs.
This model recognizes that even nonprofits operate in competitive landscapes, competing for donors, media attention, board members, and clients. By incorporating strategic planning rather than operational planning, organizations can make responsive decisions aligned with their core mission while adapting to changing circumstances.
The real-time strategic planning model helps you move from rigid, calendar-driven processes to dynamic, issue-driven decision-making that better responds to actual market conditions and organizational needs.
Organizations that embrace continuous strategic planning are 60% more likely to make timely decisions that align with business needs, according to Bain & Company.
bain.com
Three-Level Strategy Framework and Core Building Blocks
The real time strategic planning model transforms how you approach strategy development and implementation. Unlike traditional annual planning cycles, this model enables continuous adaptation to market dynamics. David La Piana’s work in “The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution” defines this approach as “a coordinated set of actions designed to create and sustain a competitive advantage” in rapidly changing environments. Bain research confirms organizations using continuous planning are approximately 60% more likely to make timely decisions driven by business needs rather than calendar constraints.
The Three Interconnected Strategy Levels
Your real time strategic planning framework operates across three interconnected levels that form a comprehensive approach:
- Organizational Level – Focuses on your mission, vision, market trends analysis, competitor positioning, partnership opportunities, and overall market position
- Programmatic Level – Addresses specific approaches and activities designed for target audiences
- Operational Level – Manages essential systems including finance, HR, communications, and IT infrastructure
These levels don’t function in isolation but work together to create a cohesive strategic planning approach. The real time strategic planning model requires several core building blocks for successful implementation:
- Organizational Identity (mission, impact areas, service offerings, geographic scope, client base, funding sources)
- Business Model (what you deliver, how you deliver it, where you operate, who you serve)
- Market/Competitive Analysis (ongoing assessment of market position)
- Decision-Making Tools (strategy screens for evaluating opportunities)
When implementing the real time strategic planning model, you’ll move through two distinct phases. The initial phase establishes your planning elements, while the ongoing phase applies these elements to real-world scenarios as they emerge. This creates a dynamic rather than static approach to strategic review processes.
The model positions competitive advantage at the center of strategy development through:
- Unique assets that no local competitors possess
- Superior execution that delivers services faster, cheaper, or better
To maintain relevance, you should conduct regular 90-day competitive scans examining competitor moves, customer feedback, funding trends, technology changes, and regulatory shifts. This helps identify where market trends might erode your advantages and where competitive differentiation strategies need adjustment.
By implementing the real time strategic planning model, you’ll develop a more responsive organization capable of navigating market challenges with greater agility while maintaining strategic focus.
Competitive Advantage and Market Positioning
The real-time strategic planning model places competitive advantage at the center of strategy development. Unlike traditional planning approaches that may lock you into fixed timeframes, this dynamic model helps you maintain market relevance through continuous assessment and adaptation. You’ll gain a competitive edge through either unique assets (strengths no local competitor possesses) or superior execution (delivering services faster, cheaper, or better than competitors).
Your organization must continuously scan the market environment to reassess advantages and identify where competitors or emerging trends might erode your position. A structured 90-day competitive scan should become part of your regular strategic planning process, incorporating five key data inputs: competitor moves, customer feedback, funding trends, technology changes, and regulatory shifts.
Tracking Your Competitive Advantage
To effectively implement the real-time strategic planning model, you should monitor specific metrics that reflect your competitive position:
- Market share within your target segments
- Client retention rates compared to industry averages
- Customer satisfaction proxies (referral rates, testimonials, ratings)
- Revenue growth from flagship programs
- Speed-to-market with new offerings
The competitive landscape applies equally to all organizations – including nonprofits competing for donors, media attention, board members, and clients. Your ability to adapt quickly to changing conditions using the real-time strategic planning model gives you an edge in project collaboration and resource allocation.
According to Bain research, organizations using continuous planning are approximately 60% more likely to make timely decisions when driven by business needs rather than calendar obligations. This agility becomes particularly crucial during market disruptions when traditional planning cycles prove too rigid.
The real-time strategic planning model requires you to develop clear decision-making frameworks that enable quick yet aligned responses. You’ll need to balance the need for rapid action with thoughtful analysis – a balance that traditional planning models often struggle to achieve. By implementing strategy screens and governance protocols that support real-time decision-making, you can maintain strategic coherence while adapting to emerging opportunities and threats.
Organizations leveraging continuous planning see a 60% increase in timely decision-making driven by immediate business needs rather than fixed calendar constraints.
hbr.org
Decision-Making Tools and Governance
The real time strategic planning model requires robust decision-making frameworks that enable quick yet thoughtful responses to market changes. You’ll need governance structures that balance agility with accountability, allowing your organization to capitalize on opportunities without sacrificing strategic coherence.
Strategy screens serve as your primary decision-making tool in the RTSP approach. These screens consist of criteria derived from your organizational identity and strategic priorities, helping you evaluate opportunities consistently. When creating your strategy screen, consider these essential components:
- Mission alignment (Does this opportunity advance our core purpose?)
- Competitive advantage alignment (Does this leverage our unique strengths?)
- Resource feasibility (Do we have or can we acquire necessary resources?)
- Market demand (Is there sufficient evidence of need or interest?)
- Financial sustainability (Will this generate appropriate returns?)
Strategic planning mastery requires governance structures that can support rapid decision-making. Traditional quarterly board meetings often prove too infrequent for the real time strategic planning model. Instead, consider implementing:
- Executive committees with delegated decision authority for time-sensitive matters
- Digital voting protocols for remote, asynchronous decisions
- Dashboard reporting with real-time performance metrics
- Clear escalation paths for strategic decisions requiring broader input
The governance structure should mirror your planning approach’s responsiveness. You’ll find that strategic planning differs from operational planning in scope and timeframe, but both require clear decision rights and accountability frameworks.
Successful implementation of the real time strategic planning model depends on establishing decision protocols that specify:
- Which decisions require full board approval
- Which decisions can be made at the executive or management level
- Thresholds for financial commitments requiring escalated approval
- Timeline expectations for different types of strategic decisions
Organizations using real time strategic planning typically update their strategy screens quarterly, ensuring decision criteria remain relevant as market conditions evolve. This continuous refinement process ensures your decision-making tools maintain their effectiveness in dynamic environments.
