This study examined use of a strategic planning process to reinvent a corporate training department. The naturalistic case describes how the corporate training function gained credibility and influence with senior management, developed alignment with organizational goals, and began transforming the function into a performance improvement organization. The study was conducted over 21 months in a Fortune 500 firm. Twenty planning meetings were observed, five project team members were interviewed, and 33 documents reviewed. The data describe the project process, meeting activities, and team-member roles. The assertions presented consider the relationship among operational planning and strategic planning, collaboration with the human resource function, and project timing. The importance of establishing an advisory board and the contributions of external consultants are also described. Five critical success factors for developing a functional strategy are identified: planning, people, process components, personal capabilities, and political awareness. (Contains 3 figures and 3 tables.)