In nearly every instance, we spend time with a prospective client discussing three aspects of their strategic planning process needs:
- What they think they want to achieve
- What they need to achieve
- The best way to make it happen using our collaborative process.
Do you see your organization in any of these three current conversations we are having with prospective clients?
Conducting a Strategic Planning Process with a Certain Framework
What the prospective client wants to achieve: “We’ve sold-in a specific strategic planning process methodology, so that’s the approach we need to take.”
What they need to achieve: They need to deliver a plan with the framework their leadership has approved, but still make sure it’s collaborative and engaging in a way their strategic planning process never has been previously.
The best way to make it happen: We’re proposing arranging our strategic planning exercises within the framework they have already advanced. Rather than having a Brainzooming stamp on the steps, we’ll morph our approach to work within what they client wants to see happen.
A Small Innovation Team Is the Way to Introduce Innovation
What the prospective client wants to achieve: “We think the answer is to get an innovation team together and have them come up with new ideas.”
What they need to achieve: Instead of innovation seeming like a disconnected initiative, we recommend they integrate innovation with:
- Successful new service lines they already introduced
- Existing ideas that haven’t advanced
- Current strategic initiatives already underway
The best way to make it happen: We’re early in the conversation, but we suggested casting a wide net to incorporate work they’ve already done into innovation. Rather than looking at innovation as a “team,” we expect the success they want will come from greater collaboration, a team to move it forward, and a process that makes innovation sustainable for years ahead.
The Struggle Between Major Decisions and Collaboration
What the prospective client wants to achieve: “We have some major decisions to make about the company’s future, so we need to limit the planning to just the immediate leadership team.”
What they need to achieve: They clearly need to wrestle with major issues only appropriate for a small top management group. Yet, to advance in a way that sets them up for success with the big decisions, they need to involve a broader team of employees in strategic planning and implementation.
The best way to make it happen: We recommended a two-pass strategic planning process. The first pass will only include the senior team and vary the steps to create a closely-held implementation strategy for the biggest strategic issues. We would then make a second, more typical looking collaborative planning sweep across a much larger part of the organization.
Are any of these situations familiar?
We tackle these and whole host of other issues as we work with each prospective client to identify the most effective and efficient way to introduce a strategic planning process into an organization.
If you’re looking at boosting the impact of your organizational strategy, let’s get on the phone and discuss the best way to make it happen for your brand! - Mike Brown
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the free Brainzooming blog email updates.
