What three components does strategic planning seek to align?

Strategic planning primarily seeks to align the ends (the goals or objectives), ways (the methods or approaches to achieve those goals), and means (the resources required to implement the strategies). This triadic relationship is crucial in ensuring that an organization's vision and mission are effectively translated into actionable plans.

The ends represent what the organization aims to achieve, providing direction and purpose. The ways involve the conceptual framework and strategies that will be employed to reach those ends, outlining how the organization intends to approach its objectives. Finally, the means refer to the resources—such as personnel, funding, and equipment—that are necessary to execute the strategies effectively. By aligning these three components, strategic planning facilitates coherent and efficient action toward achieving organizational goals.

In contrast, the other options do not encapsulate the foundational framework of strategic planning as succinctly. Goals, plans, and resources focus more on the elements necessary to implement a strategy but do not clarify the relationship between objectives and the methods to achieve them. Strategies, operations, and tactics emphasize different levels of operational planning without directly addressing the alignment of ends, ways, and means. Ends, chances, and means introduces a concept of 'chances' that is not central to the strategic planning process.