What is the primary goal of strategic planning?

The primary goal of strategic planning is to define organizational direction and resource allocation. This process involves setting long-term objectives and determining the actions necessary to achieve those objectives. Through strategic planning, an organization can assess its current position, evaluate internal and external environments, and identify opportunities and threats. This alignment helps ensure that resources are efficiently and effectively allocated towards initiatives that support the organization's vision and mission.

Maximizing immediate profits, minimizing operational costs, and enhancing employee satisfaction, while important aspects of business management, do not encapsulate the broader purpose of strategic planning. Immediate profits might be a short-term focus that doesn't consider long-term sustainability. Similarly, minimizing operational costs is typically more tactical rather than strategic. Enhancing employee satisfaction is crucial for a healthy workplace culture but is one of many factors that could be influenced by strategic planning rather than the core aim of the process itself.