Meeting Facilitators International has facilitated hundreds of strategic planning sessions. When strategic planning is done right, it is an indispensable management tool. 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. Each client who calls us has their own unique situation and unique needs. A small not-for-profit, an Entrepreneurial start-up, and a division of a Fortune 500 company 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 some common requests that we frequently recieve, and over the years we have experimented to see what works best. Following is a brief description of our approach to:
Many clients want to review their vision as part of a Corporate Retreat. But what makes a good vision? For us a good vision is detailed description of what success looks like. It is not a bumper sticker or a motivational tool. Rather it is how you and your team describe what could be. ... More on Creating A Vision of Success
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? .... More on Completing the Environmental Scan
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats is a classic strategic planning tool. The problem is that too often it is done without any rigor and without any priority setting. Over the years we have developed a different approach to each element of the SWOT analysis. ... More on Doing a SWOT Analysis
The right goals seem to pull us toward them. Our confidence is high that we can achieve them -- with hard work -- and we know that when we do it will feel good. The wrong goals, well... More on Setting Goals and Objectives
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 retreats produce unclear action plans or worse no action plans at all... More on Action Planning
To discuss how we can help you get more out of your next Strategic Planning session,why not contact us?