The Strategic Planning Process…

Is your organization ready for the future?

 

Tim Connor, CSP

Connor Resource Group

704-895-1230 (Voice) ¨ 704-895-1231 (fax) ¨ tim@timconnor.com (E Mail) ¨ timconnor.com (website)

 

 

Why use an outside facilitator:

 

Corporate America is riddled with politics, ego control, incompetence, poor judgment and uncertainty.  Some of the biggest challenges facing leaders, executives, managers and supervisors today are: determining corporate direction, finding and keeping good employees and how to maintain a competitive as well as profitable posture in the market place.  Without the use of an outside facilitator at a strategic planning event or at the critical stages in the process - you are assured that sooner or later - someone’s: position authority, ego, insecurity, poor communication skills, lack of understanding of the real world either inside or outside the organization or any number of other personal or corporate agendas, will sabotage the process and its successful outcome.  As a result, any plan that is developed will usually - lack accountability, any chance of long-term success once communicated to employees, customers, vendors or the market place.

 

 

The benefits: 

 

An effective, realistic and accountable strategic, business and sales plan can mean the difference between success and failure and an organization operating profitably or at a loss.  It is unfortunate today that many organizations are not committed to the development and successful implementation of the strategic planning process. These organizations are in jeopardy - in a rapidly changing world - of becoming obsolete and a statistic.  A well thought-out, designed and implemented strategic plan can ensure: a productive, effective, profitable organization.  It can also go a long way to guarantee that its products, services, policies remain relevant and its customers and markets satisfied.  There is no substitute for effective planning.  Companies that insist on running by ‘the seat of their pants’ will soon discover that they are increasingly vulnerable to competitive initiatives, shifts in markets and the economy and customer needs, wants and perceptions.  Don’t become a casualty.  Take the time, commit the resources and people and set a precise yet flexible course for the future.

 

The process:

 

In order to guarantee that the strategic planning process is effective it is essential that it is completed prior to the fiscal or calendar year that the plan will represent.  It is also important that ALL management staff contribute to the final process with the accurate bottom-up feedback of information that represents REALITY within the organization or market place that can be discussed by senior management at a retreat or planning meeting.  The amount of time spent in the actual strategic planning discussions by management can vary from a single day to several days depending on the current needs, circumstances and objectives.  The purpose of the process is to guarantee closure on the various topics, agendas and objectives and a commitment to action.  Leaving issues to be resolved ‘in the future’ or ‘tabled’ is a recipe for continued stress, wasted corporate resources of time, people and money and possible failure.  Whatever time required to resolve issues, challenges and action plans should not be short-changed.

 

The objectives:

 

The strategic planning process can include but is not limited to the following-

 

-The development of an internal and external mission statement.

-The development of an internal vision statement.

-The resolution and/or development of core corporate values.

-The development and/or refinement of a corporate philosophy.

-The development of a precise sales and/or marketing plan with programmed action steps.

-The development of an overall business plan which includes a formula for follow-through.

-The development of internal and/or external policies, procedures, approaches and tactics.

-The discussion of growth plans including: external and internal threats and opportunities.

 

 

If you are in the planning stage with a new product or service, market approach, acquisition, merger, the development of a sales and marketing, strategic or business plan and would like to discuss how we can help you ensure a successful outcome by acting as a facilitator, coach or consultant please contact us today.

     

 

The following is a just a sample of one of the steps on how we prepare and approach a strategic/teambuilding retreat or meeting.

 

 

TO: Strategic Teambuilding/Planning Participant

FROM: Tim Connor, CSP

 

The purpose of this questionnaire is to give me advance information on those issues – from your perspective - that confront your organization.  Your answers will help guide me as I help you develop a plan, format and the objectives for our retreat.

 

In order to ensure that the strategic planning/teambuilding event we have scheduled is a complete success, I would appreciate it if you would answer the following questions and return them to me at your earliest convenience.

 

Your complete honesty will guarantee that the real challenges, opportunities and issues that your organization faces will be dealt with in a constructive and open environment.

 

Please feel free to elaborate on any question where you do not have sufficient room for your answer.  It would benefit us all in the overall process if your err on the side of providing too much rather than too little information.

 

Your answers will be held in the strictest of confidence if that is your wish.   At the end of the form you can indicate whether you prefer your responses remain anonymous or are shared with the group during our discussion. 

 

Thank you for your time and willingness to contribute to a successful strategic planning/teambuilding retreat.

 

Tim Connor, CSP

President

 

                                             

                                              Connor Resource Group

Post Office Box 397 - Davidson, NC 28036 USA

800-222-9070 - 800-222-9071 FAX -  704-895-1230 - 704-895-1231 FAX

E-Mail: tim@timconnor.com –  Website: www.timconnor.com

 

 

 

Advance Strategic Teambuilding/Planning Questionnaire

 

Name:________________________________________________________________________

 

Org:__________________________________________________________________________

 

Date completed:______________ E Mail address:_____________________________________

 

 

1- What changes have occurred in your organization during the past 12 months that have

     significantly influenced your corporate culture, success, opportunities and/or

     challenges?

 

 

 

2- What do you see as the major obstacles that your organization will face in the next 

     several months that will impact your continued success and profitability?

 

 

3- Has your corporate culture/direction changed in the past year?  If yes, how?

 

 

4- How would you describe your current communication within your organization?

 

    Top-down-

   

 

    Bottom-up-

 

 

   Dept. to dept-

 

 

5- Has morale changed at all in the last year?  If better or worse – why?

6- Is there a general performance/productivity problem anywhere in the organization?

 

 

7- Are there any departments/divisions/teams that are struggling with: (which ones) If yes, 

     why do you think they are.

 

 

    Performance-

 

   

    Morale-

 

 

   Communication-

 

 

  Other-

 

 

8- Has your organizational focus changed at all during the past year?  If so, how?

 

 

9- Has your organization missed taking advantage of any opportunities in the last year?  If 

     so, what?

 

 

10- Is your corporate mission and vision clear to you?  If yes, what is it?  If no, why not?

 

 

11- Are you aware of your major corporate goals/objectives?  If yes, what are they?  If no,

      why not?

 

 

12-What do you see as current threats to your future success?

 

 

    Internal:

 

 

   External:

 

 

  Competitive:

 

 

 Other:

 

 

13- What words would you use to describe your current corporate culture?

 

 

 

14- What is your organization not doing that you feel it should be doing?

 

 

15- What is your organization doing that you feel it should not be doing?

 

 

16- What policies/procedures need to be re-visited in light of any current circumstances?

        

 

17- What is your organization doing that is

 

 

Working? 

 

Not working?

 

 

18- If you had to use one word to describe the current state/climate of your organization,  

       what would that  be?

 

 

19- What are some of your organization’s success stories of the past year?

 

 

20- What are some of your organization’s biggest failures of the past year?

 

 

21- What one thing needs to change for your organization to be more effective?

 

 

22-  Other misc. comments:

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

23- What would you like to accomplish during our retreat?

 

24- What are some of the issues you feel need to be openly discussed during our meeting?

 

 

25- What, if anything,  will inhibit these discussions?

 

 

26- I am willing to have my answers shared with management and/or the group at the 

       strategic planning meeting:  ____Yes          _____No

 

Please fax or e-mail this to me at:

 

Fax- 800-222-9071

E-Mail - tim@timconnor.com

 

 

Strategic Teambuilding/Planning

Retreat/Meeting

 

 

Agenda-

Format-

Activities-

Facilitator-

Objectives-

Participants-

Location-

Dates-

 

Guidelines –

 

1. During the meeting there are no positions in the room, only fellow employees with equal

    status.

 

2.  Please keep your ego out of the discussions. This is not about who says it, what they say or  

     believe and/or how they feel. The purpose is to get at the issues, challenges and

     opportunities that can contribute to the company’s future success.  Getting defensive or 

    taking comments personally will only prevent us from an effective and successful process.

 

3. Please be on time for any sessions.  When you are late (remember everyone is equal)

    we lose the benefit of your contribution and insight AND this can have a disruptive effect

    on the process if people come and go as they please.

 

4. Please respect your peers and let them complete their thoughts and ideas without

    interrupting them.

 

5. Please do not invalidate your fellow participants with side conversations, not listening to

    them when they are speaking or making condescending or patronizing remarks.

 

6. Take notes.

 

7. Let’s have fun.

 

8. We need closure on topics, ideas, actions etc. so that things are not left on the table for 

   future (usually never) discussion.