Strategic Planning

An effective strategic planning process should answer the following questions for organization leadership:

• What are the primary areas of focus that will provide a maximum return on our investments of time, people and budget?
• How do we create a powerful and consistent message to employees to insure they are spending their time doing the right things?
• How do we keep from simply doing the same things over and over, while others are developing innovative and expansive approaches?

A visionary and effective strategic planning process should be a primary source of competitive advantage for any organization.

Operational planning takes a tactical view and creates a list of short-term tasks for an organizational unit. Strategic planning, on the other hand, scans the landscape from the top of the mountain.

Effective strategic planning considers intangible factors, such as the market, emerging trends, external threats to the organization and its mission, and leveragable strengths and assets. Operational issues are also considered, but in a much larger context. The first tangible outcome of a strategic planning process is the selection of strategic initiatives; once that has happened, the strategic plan itself can be created.

Experience suggests the following elements are required for a strategic planning process to be successful:

• Effective Sponsorship—Typically, the senior leader in the group sponsors (but does not manage) the process. I work with the senior sponsor, helping him or her to understand the power inherent in the sponsorship role and to ensure that the process is set up for success in a truly strategic way.
• Collaborative Approach—Key stakeholders must be identified and involved, sooner rather than later. I work with the sponsor and key members of the leadership team to create ways to encourage stakeholder participation. The trick is to ensure that stakeholder involvement processes generate inclusion without taking too long.
• Mission-Based Content—The group may need to clarify its values and mission statement as part of the process. I lead groups through some surprising and original approaches for values identification and mission development.
• Forward-Thinking Outcomes—Strategic planning gets leaders out of the reactive mode and challenges them to look into their collective crystal balls. I help the team create an agenda for discussion that asks the right questions. The answers to these questions serve as the basis for strategic initiatives.

Typically, effective strategic initiatives have the following characteristics:

• They get people excited. There should be a wow factor.
• They have a direct relationship to the mission and reflect an understanding of the needs of the external customer.
• They demonstrate an awareness of the competitive landscape and the current/projected market.
• They build on energy and activities that are already present in the organization; at the same time, they introduce innovative ideas pointing toward the future.
• Their number is appropriate to the bandwidth of the group (usually 4-5) since people will likely be taking on these initiatives on top of fulfilling their usual roles.
• They are cross-functional and require a team approach to make them a reality.

How much should the employees at large be involved in the design of the strategic initiatives? More than you might think. After strategic initiatives have been identified and defined conceptually, I coach leadership to engage in a communications process to get input from team members. The leaders themselves facilitate the process of presenting the initiatives and getting reactions. Alterations are made based on people's feedback. This step generates critical benefits:

• Builds organizational readiness
• Educates the larger employee population about strategic topics
• Increases support and excitement about the plan
• Provides data which strengthens and upgrades the quality of the work

I work with the sponsor and key leaders to create a basic communications plan, conduct critical input-gathering sessions, develop communication templates, and build leadership's ability to involve team members in a positive way.

How are strategic initiatives turned into strategic plans? The first step is to set up initiative teams, led by internal leadership champions. A project manager who coordinates team activities is enrolled by the sponsor as well. Initially, the initiative team leaders meet as a group and perform the following activities:

• Reconcile areas of overlap between the teams.
• Confirm the projects that fall within the strategic initiative.
• Create project plans.

I facilitate this critical chartering session which is the catalyst for moving forward. I also provide interactive training sessions on process leadership. My process leadership kit helps leaders to lead individual projects using principles that increase the likelihood of successful implementation. These training sessions will have leadership applications beyond just the strategic planning process.

A launch event is often a part of this process once the plan has been finalized. I partner with the leaders to create an interactive and high-impact launch event which gets the planning process off to an exciting and engaging start.

Finally, as the teams work independently and collectively, I coach individual leaders on an as-needed basis, and continue to work with the project manager who is now accountable to the sponsor for the activities of the strategic planning steering committee.

As in the tale of "Rumplestiltskin," with a little well-timed consulting support, your strategic planning process can be the source of your ability to spin straw into gold.

For more information about how Andrew Black consulting can transform your strategic planning process, click here.