Expert’s ideas

Strategic Planning Facilitation
Independent external support is invaluable for effective strategic planning sessions. When strategic planning is done right, it is an indispensable management exercise. However, done poorly, it can be a waste of time or worse. So what does it take to do it right?

We believe that there is no one right way to do strategic planning and that each intervention should be tailored to our particular clients requirements based on their unique needs and situation. A not-for-profit or sporting organisation, an Entrepreneurial start-up, an emerging medical device manufacturer or the Senior Management team of major corporate all have different needs. We believe that it is up to the facilitator to help the client articulate their needs and to then show them the tools and techniques that will help them get the results they want in a manner that will work for them.

Having said this there are common requests and over the years we have experimented to see what works best. Following is a brief description of an approach:

•Analysis of the current situation (Where are we now?)
•A quick review and appreciation of history (Where have we come from?)
•Creating the Vision (Where are we going?)
•Objective Setting and Action Planning (How do we get there?)

Where are we now?
What is the current situation? How well spread is our customer base? How engaged are our people? How well are internal processes working? What is the financial health of the organisation? How well are we developing? What's happening in the wider world and how is it effecting us. These are some of the baseline questions that need to be answered. Your strategy does not exist in a vacuum. Instead it exists in a changing world. If your team is on different pages as to the significance of the major trends in your market, then how can they be on the same page with respect to what your strategy should be?

Where have we come from?
Where's the point in looking back I hear you ask! This helps to build an appreciation of 'what you can be best in the world at, what you are passionate about and what drives your economic engine'. (Jim Collins 'Good to Great')

Where are we going?
A clear vision of where you are going and what success will look like is the anchor to any strategic plan. What makes a good vision is a detailed description of what success will be like when achieved. This type of clarity brings energy and focus to short term activity.

How do we get there?
Setting Goals and Objectives:
The right goals serve to motivate us and draw us towards their achievement; the wrong goals have the opposite effect.

Action Planning
Action Planning is where the rubber hits the road. With a well thought out action plan it is clear who is going to do what by when in order to get you where you want to go. Yet many strategic planning processes produce unclear action plans or worse no action plans at all.

To discuss how we can help you get more out of your next Strategic Planning session, why not contact us?  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it