Organizations have high hopes for the annual strategic planning process. After all, this is the time when exciting new goals are set, challenges are tackled head-on and everyone is inspired to achieve the next level of success.
But no matter how much anticipation there is for a fresh start or upping the ante, a strategic planning session can be derailed in mere minutes if any one or more of following shows up in the planning room:
Turf Wars: People have a natural desire to “protect” their point of view.
Emotions: To expect emotions to stay tucked away during a time as intense as strategic planning is simply not realistic.
Lip Service: Nothing is as frustrating as an organization that doesn’t walk its talk.
YOUR ACTION STEPS
Think about each strategic planning derailer separately and follow my tips on the best way to address each:
Prevent or Get Past a Turf War: The magic word here is “inclusion.” As a leader, you need to:
Manage Heated Emotions: The key here is recognizing that emotions will arise and that not all of them will be comfortable or helpful. As a leader, you need to:
Stop Giving Lip Service: During strategic planning, you’re asking your team to invest a lot of time and, believe me, they can tell if it’s not a genuine effort. As a leader, you cannot afford to wing it so it’s your job to:
The bottom line: If you’re going to engage your organization in strategic planning, do it right. If you need to, hire an expert who already has a proven process and experience facilitating in high-stake situations. Your organization’s future direction, either up or down, is riding on it.
