Steps that can help community colleges increase the level of certainty in planning for the future include identifying elements of both internal and external environments that will have an influence, selecting a model for thinking and planning strategically, identifying critical issues, designing a framework for pursuing fundamental change, initiating internal dialogue on priorities and actions, moving the dialogue to external audiences, and building coalitions to help implement changes. To be effective, colleges should use a market-driven planning process that emphasizes analysis of the environment in which they do business and the evaluation of results. Such a process revolves around three phases, beginning with college administrators and then moving to faculty and staff and to the college's external audiences. Further, the process involves the following four major steps: (1) policy-level planning, in which the board of trustees, CEO, and senior college leaders meet to develop a frame for planning and develop a better understanding of the challenges facing the college; (2) the presentation of the plan to faculty and staff for their consideration and to identify change priorities; (3) the use of these departmental priorities by the CEO and key college leaders to develop college-wide priorities; and (4) the development of a college-wide plan and its presentation to faculty and staff. Sample planning presentations and a process worksheet with responses from a Commission on the Future meeting are appended. (MAB)