Have you ever been requested to drag collectively a technique planning assembly agenda? And also you’re questioning what different folks do of their strategic planning classes… I’ve been there!
On this article, I’ll clarify what a strategic planning assembly can cowl and share a pattern agenda you possibly can customise on your technique classes.
Technique planning doesn’t simply occur. You’ll be able to’t put folks in a room and count on there to be a 3-year plan on the finish of it. The conversations want a construction to assist preserve the tempo and make sure the assembly runs easily. And that’s the place the agenda is available in, as a part of your pre-meeting prep.
What ought to a strategic planning assembly embody?
A strategic planning assembly ought to embody:
- A evaluate of organizational targets
- An evaluation of how you’re doing towards these targets
- Choices round what must be sped up, slowed down, began or stopped so as to higher align exercise with the targets.
If you consider the purpose of getting a technique dialogue, it’s actually to both outline the technique or to determine in case you are on observe with delivering the strategy. What you must embody within the assembly has to tie again to these factors.
In different phrases, what do you need to get out of your strategic planning course of? Is it a brand new strategic plan? An replace to the final one as a result of one thing drastic has modified? A evaluate with some ‘mild enhancing’ to make sure selections are being taken that preserve you on observe to fulfill your targets?
What goes into your assembly (and due to this fact, your agenda) will very a lot depend upon the place you’re within the technique planning cycle.
When do strategic conferences occur?
There’s no mounted cadence for technique conversations. Some companies use quarterly conferences. Some would possibly do a number of planning in the course of the current construction of board conferences. So long as adequate time is put apart for strategic considering, you possibly can set no matter frequency of assembly you want.
I’d advocate quarterly evaluate classes, with an extended goal-setting session yearly, however do no matter works for you. In case you are placing collectively your first technique or doing a whole overhaul, you’ll want to spend so much extra time on it to get the strategic course of arrange and the related information collected.
Planning a profitable digital technique assembly
Technique conferences are usually fairly lengthy. You would possibly put a full day and even two apart on your planning, maybe one other full day the next week for the observe up.
For that purpose, it’s usually higher to do them in-person as an alternative of distant, however do what works finest for you and the crew.
Personally I would favor to fulfill in individual as in my expertise you get higher engagement with the method.
If you need to maintain the workshop remotely, with folks dialling in, be sure you schedule sufficient display breaks. I put a break in no less than after each 90 minutes — folks simply can’t focus for that lengthy.
You may as well use breakout rooms to set folks as much as work in small teams (in individual or remotely utilizing your collaboration software program) to allow them to work together extra simply.
Pattern technique planning assembly agenda template
Each efficient assembly wants an agenda, and the wonderful thing about strategic classes is that you could tailor the agenda to cowl the subjects that might be essentially the most beneficial to wherever you’re within the planning cycle. The strategic planning agenda under assumes you’re assembly in-person, and is appropriate for a strategic evaluate session.
9.30am: Welcome
Use this time for introductions. Do an ice breaker train in case your attendees gained’t suppose it’s tacky (mine would).
I begin by sharing the assembly targets and making it clear this can be a strategic assembly so folks don’t get carried away with the element. Focus on methods of working e.g. who’s capturing what actions, what you’ll do if there’s a stalemate for a call, what decision-making tools you’re utilizing.
You would possibly need to introduce floor guidelines for the session similar to
- No taking calls within the room
- Take house, make house
- Share your expertise
and many others. I feel my delegates would discover this somewhat patronizing as they’ve all labored collectively for a few years, however I may also see that there can be circumstances during which it’s applicable to refresh expectations.
For those who suppose they’d worth having some guardrails for acceptable conduct in the course of the conversations, then by all means add time for that into the agenda at this level.
10am: Huge image technique
Current the general roadmap, for instance, a timeline for the 5 12 months plan. Be sure that everybody is evident on the place the group goes and what large chunks make that up. For instance, maybe you will have a few totally different portfolios that assist the technique.
You should use this time to speak concerning the present state of affairs, the corporate’s technique and the way your division suits into that. This part ought to reply the query: the place are we now?
10.30am: Espresso break
Give folks time for a loo break and to get one thing to drink. Bonus factors should you present the espresso!
10.45am: Progress evaluate
Have every government or chief within the room share their space’s progress towards their space of the strategic plan. They’ll usher in crew members to current particular subjects if that might assist, and if their experience is required as a part of the talk.
These shows don’t essentially must be formal, however they need to cowl what targets the division is working to, how they hyperlink to the massive image technique and whether or not they’re on observe. Speak about whether or not milestones are on observe to be hit. Current the finances figures associated to the world and the boldness ranges round assembly these.
This part of the agenda may be lengthy, relying on what number of leaders you need to get spherical, so modify the remainder of the agenda to suit your timings. I’d counsel everybody will get half-hour however it depends upon what you suppose they should share and the way a lot dialogue there might be about every space. If potential, timebox the updates so you retain the assembly transferring.
Various session: The place will we need to be?
For those who haven’t received strategic progress to report, use this time to:
- Brainstorm the place you need to be
- Agree the place you’re going
- Create a imaginative and prescient for the following 3 years
- Doc the imaginative and prescient and mission.
12.45pm: Lunch break
Schedule in a while to eat and return calls. I feel folks get again to the assembly extra shortly should you present lunch within the room.
1.30pm: Key points
It’s price parking the dialogue of any main points that have an effect on a number of areas till after everybody has had an opportunity to current their updates, as a result of then it’s simpler to see the larger image and what may be affected.
Use this time to evaluate something that dropped out of the morning’s conversations. There may be new alternatives, challenges, useful resource constraints, market modifications and extra.
This part of your day ought to reply the query: what would possibly cease us from getting the place we need to go? Take into consideration the values, abilities, tradition and dangers that may block your progress.
2.30pm: Revise plans
After you’ve mentioned the challenges or alternatives that current themselves, return to the plans and see how that info impacts what you’re committing to do for the following interval.
Agree modifications as required. This a part of your agenda solutions the query: what do we have to do? For those who do have to do something in a different way so as to get again on observe or head off in the correct path, that is the place you need to be discussing and agreeing.
3.30pm: Motion planning
I like motion planning! Technique conferences must be all about decision-making, so it is best to ring-fence a while to speak about the best way to flip these selections into action items. Listing out what must be executed and allocate homeowners and timescales to every.
One factor that ought to positively be on the motion listing is how you’re going to talk the choices made at this time to everybody else within the crew. Add them to the decision log. Be sure that somebody is chargeable for creating and circulating assembly minutes.
This is a vital a part of the technique assembly and it solutions the query: how will we do it?
4.30pm: Any Different Enterprise
Use this time for the ‘one very last thing’ that individuals need to carry up. For those who’ve had a parking zone up on the wall, verify that each one the subjects have observe up actions deliberate so the conversations can proceed exterior of the room.
5pm: Wrap up and shut
Lastly, wrap up the assembly, draw it to an in depth and if you’re going to meet once more, put the date within the diary. Then go down the pub!
Tailoring the technique agenda
As you’ve most likely realized, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all technique assembly agenda that may go well with each want. In case you are ranging from scratch and are utilizing the time to jot down your technique, you’ll have to put time apart for brainstorming new concepts, a presentation of market analysis evaluation or suggestions from buyer focus teams.
In case you are reviewing the initiatives that make up the technique, you would possibly carry every undertaking supervisor in to current their undertaking, earlier than discussing as a crew what initiatives must be introduced into the portfolio to make sure the strategic targets could be met.
The necessary factor is to all the time return to the why: why are you assembly and what do you need to get out of the time? You’ll be able to’t go unsuitable should you begin there.
5 Issues for a technique planning workshop
So that you’re prepared to attract up that assembly agenda. Right here’s what to think about earlier than you get going.
1. Set the target
I like to jot down the target for any assembly on the prime of the agenda. It helps focus folks’s minds and retains the dialog on observe. Take into consideration what you’re assembly for and what the management groups predict to get out of it. Listed here are some examples:
- To outline the 5-year development plan for the group
- To determine the initiatives we need to concentrate on to fulfill our strategic targets for the following 12 months
- To evaluate the brand new merchandise we intend to carry to market within the subsequent 3 years
- To set the IT agenda for the following 24 months
You’ll be able to maintain strategic planning workshops for departments, groups or for the enterprise general. You’ll be able to plan for the long run or undertake a rolling wave planning method to plan ongoing. So which is it for you?
2. Let folks know what’s going to occur
Set expectations for the assembly. Let folks know what contributions are anticipated from them. What do they should prep upfront? Ask them for his or her agenda objects – you won’t embody them as ‘actual’ agenda objects however it will assist to know what speaking factors they intend to carry up.
Share any papers, timelines, enterprise instances, technique paperwork and many others that make helpful background studying. The extra prepared individuals are to contribute, the extra you’ll get executed in the course of the assembly.
3. Put together for battle
Because the assembly facilitator, you’ll have a good suggestion of the subjects that may come up. And the potential flashpoints. For instance, there are all the time conversations about finances. Doing something strategic appears to value lots, and investing in a single space means one other space doesn’t get the funding.
Attempt to spot any sources of potential disputes upfront so you will have pre-meeting conversations to handle expectations and guarantee everybody involves the session with an open thoughts (and the info to assist their case). Wholesome debates are to be inspired!
Take into consideration how to resolve conflict as a team should you can’t get to consensus. There are a number of group decision-making methods you may strive. In my expertise, it’s usually essentially the most senior individual within the room who makes the ultimate name – technique is just not all the time a crew recreation. It won’t really feel truthful, however there are sometimes political, financial, industrial and environmental causes for selections that may not all the time be clear to everybody within the room.
No matter you suppose the result may be, have a number of phrases to assist facilitate the talk if it appears attendees are getting caught. For instance:
“Finally, it’s Fiona’s resolution. Fiona, what would you like us to do?”
“Let’s proceed this dialog for one more 10 minutes and if we aren’t in a position to attain a call at that time, I counsel that Henry and Priya e-book a while to evaluate and are available again to us with a suggestion subsequent week.”
“IT are the guardians of that course of. Do you comply with that method?”
4. Put together to go off script
I’ve been in strat planning conferences the place we began with an agenda after which went completely off script… and the output was all the higher for it. It’s nice to have an agenda, and the template above provides you a place to begin, but when it looks like the correct factor to do is to delve into a selected space, then do it.
Technique is simply too necessary to shortcut. If it feels just like the assembly is taking longer, simply say: “This looks like an necessary subject. Is everybody OK with staying with it for somewhat longer?” or “That isn’t one thing we had been going to cowl at this time however it sounds prefer it’s necessary that we get into it. Does everybody agree?”
Speak about what must be talked about. Technique work takes time. The agenda is there as a information however generally you simply have to get all of it out on the desk.
5. Outline success
What would a profitable assembly seem like? Typically it’s going to be OK to simply speak and debate till you get to the guts of your technique. Different occasions you would possibly need to go all in on a brainstorming session and success will seem like 20 new concepts.
It may be that you just need to acquire settlement on three new initiatives or put together an replace to go to the following board assembly. Take into consideration what would represent a profitable end result and attempt to information folks in direction of that.
Your subsequent steps
- Agree the targets of your technique assembly
- Write the agenda
- Socialize a few of the concepts
- Adequately put together for the session so you’re feeling able to facilitate it
On this article you discovered what to incorporate in your technique planning assembly agenda and what concerns go into planning a profitable technique workshop. Don’t overlook to seize a free action log template to document all the great things that comes out of your assembly. I hope it goes rather well for you!
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