With the realization that the storm we thought we are weathering is turning out to be a lasting, hard change in the business climate, a shorter “fix” is likely only to be the start of what the typical business will need to do to be really successful going forward.

I am suggesting that we go beyond stop-gap and short-term measures. I am suggesting that each of us take our business back to fundamentals, rethink it in light of where we are and likely are headed. I am suggesting that we address the new challenges and opportunities brought on by change and then build that reimagined business for greater success.

Here’s a six-step process for resetting your business in a time of great change.

Ever notice how some organizations generally seem to be on a positive trajectory, while others are constantly playing catch-up, encountering roadblocks and struggling to get on a better track? Among the former are Proctor & Gamble, General Electric, Southwest Airlines and Oracle. Among the latter are Sears Holdings, BlackBerry and Sony. Looking deeper, you may also notice that some of the organizations that appear to have their act together at times have had to do a major reset to get back on an upward path. Examples that come to mind are IBM moving to services, Starbucks going back to basics and Apple pushing beyond its Mac niche market and launching the iPod. As the leaders of struggling companies will attest, it's a very difficult task to right a sinking ship. Where to focus and what to do are paramount issues. Obviously, business as usual is not working and incrementalism is not the answer. We have come up with a set of questions that we think every organizational leader should ask.

For my recent Association for Strategic Planning strategy webinar and for my next book, I have been taking a hard look at the large body of research that has been conducted on the benefits of strategic planning and strategic management.  Scores of studies have been published in recent decades, many definitive, some inconclusive. What I've seen previously has generally supported strategic planning and strategic management as important for promoting survival and extending organizational longevity, producing growth, and increasing financial results.

Let’s start with the best news. Strategic planning is the number one most used business tool globally! 45% of organizations use it, according to Bain & Company’s annual survey of executives. It has scored at or near the top for years. (Bain & Company Management Tools Survey, 2013) Here's some more good news.  58% of organizational leaders say strategic planning is extremely or very important in their organization’s success. That’s according to Forrest Consulting's 2013 Strategic Leader Survey, conducted last year of 314 for-profit and non-profit organizational leaders in decision-making roles, which tracked closely with the results of a similar survey we conducted a year earlier and with a 2006 McKinsey & Company survey. But, unfortunately, the reality is not nearly as good as it might seem. Organizations of all types are not living up to their potential.

A recent dialogue with a strategic planning expert as practiced by the U.S. Army raised the issue of planning efficiency.