|
Success and the Role of Strategic Planning For many business leaders it is hard to understand the importance of Strategic Planning. In fact, it may be tough just to come up with a definition of Strategic Planning. At Everson Consulting we find even the concept of “strategic alignment”, getting everyone to buy into the same vision/mission/objectives/annual goals can be problematic. In trying to come up with a visual that everyone can identify with, and to graphically depict true “alignment”, we finally found the answer. Imagine being invited to watch an amateur “rowing club”, that is if you have a lake big enough to support one. Imagine being invited to observe the crew in action, an eight-person shell that looks much like a hollowed out canoe. Out of the dusk comes the shell, silently skimming across the watch with the 8 members really giving it their all. At one point all 8 oars are in perfect sync, thrusting the shell forward with great ease and power; 8 people, all pulling in the same direction, all with the same goals. Ah ha: Strategic Alignment! Now visualize your executive team, everyone knowing where the shell should be going, all understanding the ”goal”, but each with their own personal or professional objective. In fact, imagine one of your crew, let’s say it is your Chief Technology Officer, deciding to work even harder than the rest of the crew, but deciding to turn the seat backwards and row like crazy against the goal. Not very smart but hard work pays off, right? Wrong! Are you starting to understand the importance of Strategic Alignment, and ultimately Strategic Planning? If you don’t know where you are going no one knows what to do to support the trip. At Everson Consulting we are extremely excited about our Strategic Planning model (click here to view) and related training programs. We are able to generate a prescriptive model using your input. While we assist your executive team in developing your Vision/Mission/Strategic Objectives/Annual Goals, we also bring in your operating teams to build their own pieces to the puzzle. We lead your teams through creating their own Mission/Critical Success Factors/Key Performance Indicators/Team Goals. By including your executives in the Strategic Planning Process, and by bringing in your operating teams after the “big picture” work is complete, you increase the likelihood of acceptance, understanding, and buy-in. While our deliverables are not unique, the creative way we build your Strategic Plan cuts development time, reduces costs, and secures input from all parts of your organization. In the end the Strategic Plan is yours; it is sustainable, and it is easily communicated across all teams.
  © Everson Consulting, LLC - Developing Leaders in the 21st Century |
){kind=link}