A systematic process of envisioning a desired future, and translating this vision into broadly defined goals or objectives and a sequence of steps to achieve them.
In contrast to long-term planning (which begins with the current status and lays down a path to meet estimated future needs), strategic planning begins with the desired-end and works backward to the current status.
At every stage of long-range planning the planner asks, "What must be done here to reach the next (higher) stage?"
At every stage of strategic-planning the planner asks, "What must be done at the previous (lower) stage
