10 Strategic Planning Tips

10 Strategic Planning TipsDr. Tim Buividas and Taylor Viering | Corporate Learning Institute
@corplearning

1. KNOW WHAT YOU
WANT TO ACCOMPLISH
It is important to clearly identify your planning session goals and objectives.
What are the specific takeways?
What must be done and accomplished?
Employ team building strategies.
Keep your objectives down to a few and then accomplish
them one-by-one to keep your team motivated and focused.

2. USE APPROPRIATE
PLAYERS
The purpose of strategic planning is to plan. With
this in mind, invite only your brightest minds,
your top performers, your key decision
makers, and your most effective leaders.

3. PREPARE YOUR
PARTICIPANTS
After choosing your players, you must get
everyone on board with the strategic planning
process before a session is held. Have people
do their homework.

4. DO EXTENSIVE
RESEARCH
Prior to your strategic planning session all
participants should research, gather and review all
possible internal and external factors and data.
Examples are internal survey feedback,
industry trends and benchmarks.

5. DESIGN YOUR SESSION
APPROPRIATELY
Where many strategic planning sessions fail is in
the specific design of the session. Ground rules and
effective meeting practices should be established and
communicated upfront. Plan at least two full days for the first
meeting at an offsite location to minimize distractions. Utilize
team building strategies to keep your team moving forward.
If designing strategic sessions is not your forte
bring in a professional – this type of meeting is too
important to practice on.

6. FACILITATE GROUP
DYNAMICS
The most important focus for the actual session is
facilitating group dynamics and employing team
building strategies. Mismanaged group
dynamics can cause more harm than
good.

7. GET TO DECISIONS
Have you ever been in a meeting where there is
debate around an issue that we have already
agreed upon – but no one seems to know it?
In these situations you need a strong
facilitator/leader who can call out for
or make a decision.

8. SET REALISTIC NEXT
STEPS
In today’s resultsfocused, instant gratification society that
we live in, the expectation can be that when your
strategic planning session is over you will have completed
an action plan to implement. In reality, most groups rush
at the end of their sessions and make a poor attempt to
document a list of action steps. It is more important
to use your time wisely and summarize what was
discussed and decided upon. The best next step is to
schedule another meeting.

9. CREATE A CHANGE
MANAGEMENT TEAM AND HOLD
A FOLLOW UP MEETING
Instead of letting that strategic plan
sit in a desk drawer, we suggest that you
immediately form a change management team and
hold a followup meeting to review the first draft
of your strategic plan.

10.SEE STRATEGIC
PLANNING AS A DAILY
PROCESS FOR SUCCESS
RATHER THAN AN ANNUAL
RETREAT
ENOUGH SAID

10 Strategic Planning Tips

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