Strategic Planning: Four Principles for Success

Strategic planning done well results in clarity, commitment, and clear accountabilities. The leadership team members who participate should have a strengthened sense of unity that is essential to executing the plan.

These four principles will help ensure the time and effort in strategic planning are well used.

1. Be clear on the intention – Years ago, we did done some problem solving and collaboration with a client executive. We agreed that the level of chaos between fifty acquired businesses spread across four states was a huge barrier to a successful business. Clarity and unity were severely lacking. I asked the CEO “What is your intention for this business?” Sell it? Grow it and do an IPO? Keep it as a profitable enterprise? He said, “Build a great company, and we will have a world of options as to what to do with it.” We worked for six years in doing so. The company was sold to a larger company and provided a good return for the blood, sweat, tears, and the money invested.The starting point of the transformation was a comprehensive strategic planning process. The results defined the future, the actions, accountabilities, and roadmap for making it a reality. I remain friends with a couple of executives who led the business, and we all still consider that business as a highpoint of long leadership careers.
2. Involve the right people – Generally, the strategy team is the top leadership team. It makes sense as these are the folks that are accountable for executing the plan. Step back and consider whether this group represents the best thinkers. Is there another person to include who, because of their role, intellect, or perspective, represents essential thinking? Occasionally, someone should be included when their title might not indicate they should. For the right people consider:
   1. Those who will be accountable for the execution
   2. Best thinkers
   3. A high potential junior leader
3. Have a facilitator that is not a participant – Accessing the best thinking and assimilating into an executable course of action is the role of the facilitator. An experienced facilitator will ask challenging questions that are not current discussions within the team. They will manage the dynamics, positional power, and personalities of the high achieving, sometimes aggressive executives in the room. They will do this serious work in a not-too-serious way and ensure there is the right level of fun in the process.
4. Follow the process – A professional executive facilitator will have a proven method that is comprehensive, customized to your business, and produces an executable roadmap to the future. The right strategic initiatives, with clear accountability for implementation, are real products of the process. The intangible outcome and perhaps the most important is greater unity within the team and a new level of excitement due to the clarity and shared commitment.

If it is time to consider the possibilities, let’s have a discussion.

randyb@route2results.com          425.359.8506