Top Tips for Effective
Strategic Planning Meetings
ACE Conference 2015 Connie Lindstrom—Benchmarking
Jonathan Olmscheid—Assurance & Advisory Svc.
Jamey Cline—Business Development
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Top Tips for Strategic Planning Sessions
• Background: Goals & Basics of Strategic Planning
• Planning Before You Plan
• Ideas for Conducting the Session
• Follow-Up—Making the Session Worth the Time
• Group Discussion & Ideas
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Why Strategic Planning?
“…But we have lots of good specific goals already!”
“…But we developed a good strategic vision last year!”
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Why Strategic Planning?
“…But we have lots of good specific goals already!”
If this is your company, strategic planning helps by:
• Putting the short term goals in context of long-term
goals: easier to prioritize projects, allocate
resources effectively, and stay on target.
• Getting an “aerial” view of your business in
historical and industry context: better-informed
day-to-day choices and management.
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Why Strategic Planning?
“…But we have lots of good specific goals already!”
If this is your company,
strategic planning
should provide an
overview of direction.
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Why Strategic Planning?
“…But we developed a good strategic vision last year!”
If this is your company, strategic planning helps by:
• Identifying gaps between vision and reality: where
are the potholes in your road to success?
• Closing up reporting and resource problems.
• Realigning priorities based on new information.
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Why Strategic Planning?
“…But we developed a good strategic vision last year!”
If this is your company,
strategic planning
should provide
specific action items.
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Why Strategic Planning? No matter where you are in the planning cycle, strategic
planning sessions encourage:
• Sharing ideas: more time, more free-form
opportunity to move beyond the formula of
1) old business 2) new business 3) lunch.
• Better communication: everyone gets a chance to
talk; board and management team learn each other’s
communication styles.
• More active participation moving the organization
forward: coming up with ideas=higher buy-in.
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
How Often? Points to Consider
Board and management turnover rate
• Lots of new people=good idea to provide context and get everyone on the same page
• Stable teams=good agreement and understanding, but is everyone too complacent?
Urgency
• Is there a big change or crisis looming? Better buy-in for the need to set aside time to plan if you can identify (or create) a “burning platform.”
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
How Often? The overall goal of any business
is profitability—so find the
right balance between
conducting business as usual
and creating passion for
improvement.
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Pre-Planning=Effective Planning
Who’s Attending?
• Essential: board members, CEO
• Good idea: management team (CFO,
general manager, plant manager)
• Maybe: HR executive, former board/advisors
More= Fewer=
Diversity Efficiency
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Pre-Planning=Effective Planning
Where Are We Going?
• Consider: Will we be interrupted onsite? Will everyone
take it seriously if they can “run out for a few minutes”?
Can key people attend if we are off site? Can we afford
the perception of being “removed” from reality?
Off-site= On-site=
Commitment/Focus Convenience/Cost
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Pre-Planning=Effective Planning
How Long Is This Going to Take?
• Consider the goals of communication and
understanding: time to “digest” ideas and info presented
is key to developing good action plans.
• Suggestion: One day to cover material, evening to relax,
next day to map out takeaways and strategy.
Longer= Shorter=
More Ideas More Engagement
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Pre-Planning=Effective Planning
Who’s Leading the Discussion?
• Remember the goals: pick someone who will:
• Encourage everyone to talk
• “Ask dumb questions”
• Keep things on track
• Take good notes
Internal Help= Outside Help=
Knowledge of Business Knowledge of Process
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Pre-Planning=Effective Planning What Are We Talking About?
Initiator/Driver of the Session and Facilitator
work together to:
1. Articulate a high-level goal (reason for meeting)
2. Develop an agenda
3. Conduct a survey of attendees
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Why A Survey?
• Maximizes diversity of opinions
• Maximizes effectiveness of the agenda
• Encourages “quiet” participants to feel their ideas
are part of the conversation
• Encourages people to think and question others
about the big issues BEFORE the meeting starts
• Helps show contrast between perception and reality
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
What to Include In a Survey
• Assessment of business concerns
• SWOT analysis questions
• Quantitative questions (multiple choice, ranking,
etc. to show averages and relative importance)
• Open-ended questions on topics to include/cover
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
How to Build and Conduct the Survey 1. Find examples and tailor to your needs
2. Survey all attendees (and maybe more…)
3. Consider web-based survey tools
4. Keep it short and make it easy to complete
5. Assign a contact who can answer questions
6. Allow plenty of time for answers and analysis
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Building the Agenda & Running the Meeting
1. Articulate the high-level goal (why are we here?)
1. Is this a general “five-year plan” meeting?
2. Are we addressing a problem? Ex: a) Are we diversified enough?
b) Do we have a succession crisis?
3. Do we already have a specific objective? Ex: a) Be prepared to increase production
b) Become a community-integrated bio-refinery
c) Minimize cost of production
d) Sell the plant
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Building the Agenda & Running the Meeting Even if answering “why are we here?” IS part of the high-level goal,
there should be some discussion at the start of the meeting. None of
the rest of the conversation makes sense without this context.
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Building the Agenda & Running the Meeting
2. Provide industry context A. Industry performance and analysis
B. Forecasts—markets, etc.
C. Important trends, policies, and regulatory issues
West Central East
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Building the Agenda & Running the Meeting
3. Review company performance A. Historical performance—big wins, failures, historical
performance of strategic planning efforts?
B. Benchmarks against comparable organizations
C. Frank assessment of committee structures, policies,
procedures, communication and trust issues
D. Assess survey results: is there a divide between the
perceptions on the survey, and the reality of benchmarks and
historical reporting? Is there a gap between board and
management? Is this a problem?
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Building the Agenda & Running the Meeting
4. Do a SWOT analysis: combine survey results with
other reporting to get a realistic picture.
Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities Threats
Internal
Factors
Negative
Positive
External
Factors
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Building the Agenda & Running the Meeting
5. Review the mission statement.
• Use this moment to think back on all the data
you’ve just reviewed—that’s where you ARE.
• Mission statement informs where you WANT
TO BE. • Now you can jump in and….
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Building the Agenda & Running the Meeting
6. Tackle the topics!
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Plan for Action and Follow Up
1. Take a breather first! Discuss the details of your plan after a break (Day 2?), when
everyone’s had a chance to think over all the information.
Tip: Your facilitator should organize and be ready
to present recap and notes at the beginning of the
new session.
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Plan for Action and Follow Up
2. Set the goals. Remember: where are you now versus
where do you want to be? The gap informs the goal.
Types of Goals Examples
ORGANIZATION Specific: Create board recruitment committee
General: Draft a mission statement
COMMUNICATION Specific: Management send weekly board update
General: Brainstorm ways to improve trust
FINANCIAL
Specific: Meet KPI targets
Specific: Set KPI targets
General: Figure out what our KPIs are!
PRODUCTION
Specific: Reduce labor cost
General: Investigate yield improvement technology
RISK MANAGEMENT
Specific: Create risk management education for board
General: Research procurement changes
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Plan for Action and Follow Up 3. Create the roadmap.
• Identify specific actions
• Set a timeline
• Assign resources
Critical Issues
Or Goals
Action Items Timeline Resources
Required
ORGANIZATION
COMMUNICATION
FINANCIAL
PRODUCTION
RISK MANAGEMENT
?
?
?
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Example of a Simple
Strategic Planning Document Critical Issues and Goals Action Items Timeline Resources
Required
Organization Goal –
Hire CEO
1. Empower committee to :
a. determine if search firm needed
b. Define responsibilities
2. Launch search
Jan 1 2016 Committee,
Search firm fees
Communication Goal –
Follow Robert’s Rules of Order
1. President requires meeting to following Robert’s Rules
of Order
2. Provide board with copy of Robert’s Rules of Order
Next Board meeting Communication,
book with Rules
Financial Goal –
Be a profitability leader
1. EBITDA – between average & leaders in peer group
a. Compare with no WDGS plants
b. Make one factor in bonus compensation
c. Measure on a 4 quarter rolling average
Measure at fiscal year end Reports, staff to
interpret reports,
change bonus
goals (HR)
Risk Management Goal -
Review risk management
policy
a. Review and provide detail to policy
b. Revise authorization limits of staff
c. Verify reporting & segregation of duties
d. Prepare training plan for risk policy
e. Review annual audit requirement to verify
compliance
Jan 1 2016 Time,
Budget for
outsourcing, risk
management
committee time
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Great! We Have a Strategic Plan!
Now What?
1. Update and review the plan quarterly at least. Reporting
and follow-up should be included in your action plan.
2. Everyone’s plan and method for documenting progress
and changes will be different; do what works for you.
3. Does part of the plan need to include goals or performance
reviews for senior management/CEO? This is one way to
keep goals front of mind.
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Group Discussion
• How often do you hold strategic planning sessions?
• Regular intervals – i.e. every other year, etc.
• As needs arise?
• Who attends the sessions?
• How do you plan for it?
• Who plans?
• Who runs it?
• Do you use an outside facilitator?
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Group Discussion
• Onsite or offsite?
• Include recreation or all business?
• How long does the meeting go?
Christianson & Associates, PLLP
Group Discussion
• Was your session successful?
• If so: why do you think yours are successful?
• If not: What would you do to change them? Or
what would you do instead?
• How will you put the outcomes into action?
Questions?
Jamey Cline [email protected]
Connie Lindstrom [email protected]
Jonathan Olmscheid [email protected]