strategic planning retreat facilitator

Collect anonymous information about your visits to our website More information is available at https://www.OnStrategyHQ.com Download the guide . Assemble a detailed process for aligning the organization and ensuring monthly check-ins, quarterly reviews and an annual update to the strategic plan. Trust the process. To do this, the facilitator encourages full participation, promotes mutual understanding and cultivates shared responsibility. The Facilitators Guide to Participatory Decision-Making by Sam Kaner of Community at Work. Are used for individual targeting However, because you created an environment where everyone has had an opportunity for input, the conclusions reached are often ones that will be very successful and highly supported. Use a Parking Lot. This is great, Andy. One of our favorites is a quick round of victories or good news. 3) Deliberate Designing: Another critical element to guarantee the success of your strategy retreat is to deliberately design and plan the retreat from start to finish. In onsite sessions, we will come onsite to facilitate 1 or 2 day sessions to build your plan. Have all the important actions been identified? Terrific timing! At the same time, schedule phone interviews with important stakeholders: allies, funders, partner nonprofits, major donors, government officials, program participants, etc. If a conflict arises during a meeting, the facilitator must be prepared to step in and take control of the meeting. They're skilled at extracting information from uncertain participants and know how to encourage conversations in silent rooms. Does the mission statement broadly describe what you do, for whom you do it, and the benefit? 3. Strategic planning is exhausting! Who should attend? top of page. Some of my favorite facilitation exercises and methods include the following sources: Great facilitators are not born overnight. This is also an excellent topic to discuss while setting ground rules at the beginning of the session. Set a time limit for discussion on each potential solution, Make sure everyone is participating in the debate and, make sure everyone is actively listening and applying their listening skills, Work to narrow the options down to as few as possible, Don't be afraid to call for a vote to see how close the group is too full agreement, If there are just one or two holdouts, seek to understand what and how firm their objections are, Engage the group in troubleshooting to minimize the potential negative impact identified by any complaints or concerns raised, Restate the most popular resolution, adding one or two points addressing the concerns raised, and ask the holdouts if they can support that decision. When should you bring in an outside facilitator? Make it visible to all using a whiteboard, tear sheet, etc. You also need to use that process well. The clients are always impressed with how quickly Bruce picks up challenging concepts and how easily he communicates them. 3. Setting parameters for discussion, using interesting and interactive tools that get people moving and generating ideas, and establishing mutually agreed upon rules for constructive dialogue can be helpful activities for retreats. Brings the Senior Leadership Team together for two full days to develop an effective strategy, Highlights the previous quarters accomplishments, Updates and advances our Annual Plan and long-term goal attainment, Allows us to discuss-debate-agree critical topics as a team, Prepares us to overcome any potential obstacles to hitting our year-end goals, Identifies 3-5 Company Priorities, complete with owners and clear success criteria, Identifies clear Individual Priorities for each member of the leadership team, Prepares us to begin thinking about next years Annual Plan, Allows us to identify strengths and weaknesses, Answers the key questions facing our company and industry, Helps us clearly define and communicate our business strategy to the entire organization, Fun ideas for strategic planning are always considered and change up the energy in the room, An individual who enables groups and organizations to work more effectively; to collaborate and achieve synergy. Do you need a Growth Strategy? Strategic planning is not achieved by sticky notes and wishful thinking. Start with your own list; partners may be willing share the online survey link. We also recommend that you give everyone a chance to share how they feel as they leave. 11. If you do deviate from the time plan, involve the team in deciding how you will make it up. At Rhythm Systems, our consultants are trained strategic facilitators who play a key role in strategic planning. Strategic planning retreats aim to solve complex problems and create guidelines and programs for the future. Learn more about why you should choose OnStrategy. In that case, you may be able to open the brainstorming session up by asking for ideas and allowing people to offer suggestions in any order at all. One of our change management retreat facilitators can help your group: Work with a Facilitator to Navigate Your Next Meeting, Prepare Your Team to Move from Here to There, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Decision Making, and Problem Solving, Business Etiquette, Civility, and Professionalism. During a strategic planning retreat, we can help your executive team: A helper and enabler whose goal is to support others as they achieve exceptional performance., The facilitators job is to support everyone to do their best thinking and practice. Encourage collaboration and teamwork throughout the strategy session. Enable a more personalized experience, Best Small Business Bank Accounts for LLCs, The Executive Guide to Facilitating Strategy., Ultimate Business Planning Guide with Updated Resources, Strategic Planning Facilitator: Guiding the Planning Process, Mistakes Made by Strategic Planning Facilitators, Strategic Thinking in the Age of LinkedIn, Free Online Program to Learn Strategic Planning Facilitation, Moneyball: The Role of the Chief Strategy Officer, 50 Tips and Tools for Effective Strategic Thinking Skills. Typically, this begins with a survey of your constituents. As part of their assessment, some consultants incorporate tools such as a SWOT analysis. It does not mean that everyone on the team has to agree that this is their number one favorite resolution, just that they will support the decision going forward. During your strategic planning facilitation, we will: Push your team to identify whats most important right now. The best mix is a combination of staff and board, plus one or two allies who bring a productive outside perspective. Join hundreds of people who get free content delivered each time we publish. If delivered virtually, we will lead your planning sessions in several 1- to 2-hour virtual calls. A strategic planning retreat should never devolve into a gripe session or focus too much on what hasnt worked in the past. We provide the framework for your board of directors, board of trustees, and C-level teams to develop short and long-term strategies to achieve aspirational goals in an efficient way, eliminating the boring, ineffective (and long) strategy retreats and workshops youve experienced in the past. This is significant because, as any fan of Moneyball knows, Mr. DePodesta has spent his career in the sport of baseball, not football. Deal with difficult people ahead of time. Find a Licensed Consultant near you today. Your expert strategic planning facilitator helps your team define a bold vision of the furture. Recognize what must change immediately to align the business with its goals. I'll show you a 3-part design that you can use after . You can go around the room and ask each person to share a one-word/one-phrase closing statement or share one takeaway or breakthrough they gained during the meeting. It is critical for ALL board members and staff to speak up and be heard in the retreat. Conflict resolution is a central role for the facilitator. Focus on quantity first capture as many ideas as possible. 5 Confirming that goals follow this or a similar format, and providing guidance in the goal-setting process, is actively supported by the retreat facilitator. Earlier today, Russia said it downed a cruise missile near the city of Kerch in Crimea. Ask the holdout if they will lose sleep if the group moves forward with the proposed resolution. Ground rules will help reduce the stress of group interaction and make it easier to resolve problems when they arise. Write the plan based on work completed at the retreat. Tom is a board retreat/strategic planning facilitator that will exceed expectations. Many disagreements can be resolved, and even prevented, by making sure all parties have the same information. A strategic planning retreat can be a very effective way to set or reset the general direction of your organization, but only if it's run correctly. Owner/CEO, Strategy Leader. This is different than your team meetings, and setting expectations upfront is critical for your strategic objectives. We stand up implementation processes that are sticky, consistent, and lightweight. Rob is also a Licensed Consultant from The Standards for Excellence Institute, the authoritative thought leader on nonprofit governance, leadership and best practices, a Certified Coach from The HeartMath Institute and holds an Executive Leadership Certificate from Cornell University. Learn how to make better use of this classic. Need help getting your team aligned to achieve your growth goals? Creating an Objective Statement that you can share with the rest of the team in advance is a great way to ensure everyone who attends the meeting comes with shared goals and expectations for your time together. Ice breakers are quick, interactive exercises designed to get the teams brain working and mouth moving. These getaways have the best of intentions advancing the mission and vision of the organization, building a closer relationship between board and staff, updating the strategic plan to reflect current and emerging reality, and finding new solutions to persistent issues. 8. Regardless of where you land on the preparation continuum some of us prefer improvisation to planning youll be more successful with a thoughtful, well-designed plan. Let the team discuss their expectations for full participation, candor, sidebars, interruptions, tangents, and cell phone and computer use. Organizations hold retreats for numerous reasons. Clarify calendar and goals. So what does it take to do it well? However, everyone in your organization will be impacted by the strategic plan. For more resources on building your strategic plan, view the Essentials Guide to Strategic Planning. Ive learned and borrowed from a variety of teachers and tools; a brief list of resources is included at the end of this post. MacMillan Matrix. There are many good reasons to launch a planning process: The impending retirement of a long-time leader And the CEOs contribution and participation is extremely important to reach the desired outcome. Nor is it necessary. 5. What is the role of a facilitator in a strategic planning session? Identify procedures, policies, or other business elements that are not working. My companys work in the area of consensus building has shown that one of the primary reasons people disagree is due to a lack of shared information. The general rules for all brainstorming methods are: hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(116436, 'a2543f39-049d-4e9b-bc6b-cbe70eec0813', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Ask for a volunteer to start the brainstorming process with one idea. I agree to the use of cookies under these circumstances: We have learned some important lessons that make the difference between success and failure in strategic planning efforts. You'll walk away with a bold, courageous vision to lead your team into the future. Does each strength, weakness, opportunity and threat identify both the attribute and the impact? 4. One of our current favorites is Hambrick's Strategy Diamond. Think of how much salary you have in the room, taking your team away from their "day job". Before your meeting, think about participants who tend to be outspoken, dominate, or argue in meetings. Rob Levit is a gifted teacher, trainer and facilitator who has worked extensively with educational, corporate and nonprofit clients. You had better be clear about who will do what by when. 5. After breaks, consider restating whats been accomplished and where you are on the agenda. 3. Fatigue issues and personal chemistry can affect progress, and this may go unnoticed by a facilitator barreling through a SWOT analysis or group survey. Have the most critical conditions that must be created and the major barriers impacting success been identified? Having this conversation upfront creates an environment of accountability and high commitment to the meeting. I like it. A helpful rephrasing for grassroots organizations. Readiness assessment. Can you find insight in a book of history? Round robin, freewheeling, group pass and silent reflection are all proven methods you may try. If the organization achieves these goals, and only these goals, will the organization most likely have fulfilled its mission? As the leader, it is your role to ensure that each component of the plan passes its quality check. Bonus points: Consider adding a focus group. Successfully completing and closing down a signature program. We provide both options. Good luck! This actually serves several purposes. You will not say,"they decided.". ), Part 2. Planning a retreat has its challenges. Now heres a frank perspective: Balance doesnt work. Facing a world in crisis, John F. Kennedy did just that. Planning Team and Executive Team. You can ask them to write their thoughts on sticky notes, one idea per note, or list them on a sheet of paper. But, we promise you wont find a team that has the real-world, in-the-trenches, down-to-business experience that can actually help you build and implement a great strategy. Facilitators should take moments to step aside, offering helpful guidelines to move the conversation forward. The series Facilitating Strategic Planning includes a pro bono Audit Track with unlimited enrollment. From vision and mission through to strategies and action plans, the Drivers Model provides a specific quality check for each component of the strategic plan. Don't take it personally or complain to others about it. Last week, I attended a celebration for B corps in Colorado. When you speak, most may be quick to respond when they agree, and very, very slow to respond when they disagree so slow, in fact, that sometimes they may never get around to it! They happen because someone is committed to THINKING through the purpose and outcome, PLANNING all the details in advance, and DOING the challenging work of running the meeting. Baltimore, MD 21211 Have participants work in pairs, write something down, work together on puzzles, make mini-presentations on topics assigned before and after breaks, schedule group breakout sessions, etc. Ready to speak with a mid-market expert? hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(116436, '021bd73c-388d-4109-99fa-cbf79dc18246', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Remember to be realistic about what you can accomplish in the time you have available and set the agenda appropriately. Create a habit of ending meetings with a review of the Who-What-Whens and beginning meetings with confirmation on completing the actions assigned. The board chair and executive director should follow-up almost immediately with attendees to be sure that all voices were heard, that there arent any bruised egos, and that all that needed to be said was said. Matrix Map. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. A quick Google search will provide hundreds of ideas for icebreakers. Robust 3 Year Strategic Plans to Grow Revenue and Stay Competitive, Don't Confuse Strategic Thinking And Strategy Execution Plans, 9 Steps to a New Revenue Growth Strategy [Infographic]. Almost a verbal tic that would grate on a speaking coach like the overuse of the dreaded uh but he uses it more like , Guest blog from my colleague, Adam Brock, Director of Social Enterprise at Joining Vision and Action (formerly JVA Consulting): How can a well-meaning startup avoid Silicon Valley Syndrome and actually use a social startup to create real value for society? Collect and review information to help make the upcoming strategic decisions. Ask the volunteer to choose whether to go to the right or the left, allowing the person sitting next to them to offer one idea. Well take the work from your sessions to confirm your plan, annual goals, and action plans. What do you hope to achieve? Too bad actually facilitating a group of people isnt. Ive assisted organizations that created solid strategic plans and then did a poor job implementing them. With an activity as critical as strategic planning, it is essential that the effort be facilitated by someone who is skilled in facilitation but also has considerable experience guiding a team through strategy. Michael Wilkinson is the CEO and Managing Director of Leadership Strategies, Inc., The Facilitation Company and author of Amazon best-seller The Secrets of Facilitation, The Secrets to Masterful Meetings, and the brand new The Executive Guide to Facilitating Strategy. Leadership Strategies is a global leader in facilitation services, providing companies with dynamic professional facilitators who lead executive teams and task forces in areas like strategic planning, issue resolution, process improvement and others. To start with some energy, I suggest using one of our Zoom icebreakers to get things started. If your goal is to strengthen relationships, you may want to connect stakeholders to the organization and its leaders, rather than an outside consultant who steps away at the end of the process. Do we need a plan B for a potential 2023 recession? We hope you enjoy the facilitation techniques outlined in this article to keep group discussions positive and productive. Unlock your organizations potential from your teams insights and feedback. 6. OnStrategy specializes in strategic planning facilitation and strategy execution cycles. 2. Please feel free to email everyone after the session asking for feedback. Youve written your own tutorial so concise. January 3, 2019 By Andy Robinson 6 Comments. With a management briefing, you will have your team identify the most critical issues facing the organization; then they will make adjustments to the planning process as needed to ensure that the process addresses those issues. Rob is a multi-award winning nonprofit leader including the 2011 Martin Luther King Peacemaker Award, 2012 Mentor of the Year Award and a 2013 Innovator of the Year Award from The Maryland Daily Record as well as two Community Trustee awards from Leadership Anne Arundel. Or, you ask for a quick one-on-one conversation with a few trusted advisors. A helpful rephrasing for grassroots organizations was created by the Institute for Conservation Leadership. I pushed a bit with the ED before deciding to sign off. Involvement does not necessitate being at the table. Thank the person who shared with you, and I'd like to make every effort to incorporate all helpful suggestions into your next session. Required fields are marked *, Home | About | Training | Get the Book | Get the Videos | Blog | Subscribe | Contact | Privacy. The CEO's Guide to Strategic Planning Retreats That Get Results: PART 1 Purposeful strategic planning is critical to the success of any organization. We provide the framework for your board of directors, board of trustees, and C-level teams to develop short and long-term strategies to achieve aspirational goals in an efficient way, eliminating the boring, ineffective (and long) strategy retreats and workshops you've experienced in the past. A good retreat leader knows three things: a) the organization he/she serves b) the essential core of the strategic planning process, and c) a little about human relations and psychology to navigate the dynamics in the room. Assemble your planning team. Encourage full and equal participation. They can also be great for raising the energy level late in the afternoon. Does the mission statement indicate the industry or market that the organization serves? What is the one main benefit? This includes conducting a current state analysis for the organization, collecting insights from the team, creating the framework for the planning sessions, facilitating the planning retreats, building the organization's strategic plan, and . These quality checks help ensure that your plan is comprehensive, robust, inspiring, and implementable. A great executive or corporate retreat facilitator is also a designer. It takes a tremendous amount of energy, focus, quick thinking, and patience to facilitate a meeting. 15. Stay encouraged and stick with it. And the most experienced facilitators know that asking for feedback is the best way to get better. Are the objectives SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound? Outlandish ideas can be stepping stones to good, workable ideas. Gather info from the community. If a potential client says, Well, weve finished the last plan, so its time for new one, push a little harder for a more thorough answer. Copyright 2015-2023 Standards for Excellence Institute | All Rights Reserved, Find Accredited and Recognized Organization, Find an Accredited or Recognized Organization, Licensed Consultant from the Standards for Excellence Institute. 2023, OnStrategy, All Rights Reserved. We have built over 3000 strategic plans and seen 300+ executions through to the end. Does the vision represent the preferred future of the organization? We create focus and alignment in 60 days. Done well strategic planning is an indispensable management tool. 1. Reflect on lessons learned and breakthroughs. Change management retreats can help leadership teams determine a direction and reduce the uncertainty and discomfort associated with transition. There are so many to choose from. Also entails voting with sticky dots. A simple, elegant conceptual framework that takes into account both mission and money. We and our partners store and/or access information on a device, such as cookies and process personal data. Get to a consensus. What is the role of a strategic planning facilitator? An uber-practical handbook for any sort of collaborative group effort. Have a conversation with these people before the session, explaining your concern and asking for their help in creating a healthy and productive environment. Begin the retreat with a cogent opening statement which includes your sense of how the retreat and retreat output fits your overall agenda. The role of a strategic planning facilitator is to create the framework for your strategic planning sessions, facilitate your organizations onsite or virtual planning retreats, and help build your organizations strategic plan. When the boss speaks, people listen. The facilitator continues to chart the answers, going around the room until everyone can contribute at least one idea. Home / Facilitation Services / Strategic Planning Facilitation. Look for a facilitator who uses tactics to control hijackers, manage disputes, give everyone a voice, create buy-in, and build consensus. Help us detect any bugs and improve our website Sound familiar? This directory serves as a starting point for cities looking to explore potential facilitators to . Im okay with functional and analytical cookies for website functionality. Rob has provided keynotes, trainings and facilitations for a wide array of organizations including the NSA, MedStar Health, The World Bank, Maryland Fund for Excellence, Heim Lantz, The New Jersey Hospital Association, Leadership Development Institute, Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Chrysler, Northwestern Mutual, the TEACH Institute and Gilchrist Hospice. Adapt to the current business environment. While an organization can get a good start through the retreat process, producing a strategic plan takes many hours of offline work. Best format depends on the needs of the group. Planning Retreat: For an organization just embarking on the strategic planning process, a day long retreat can be used to design a planning process, build energy for the process, and begin to dream dreams and build a vision. If all the actions are completed, will all the deliverables be created. Tip - Host this retreat before you set your annual budget. Listen, we know there are lots of choices when it comes to strategic plan facilitation and facilitators. When run well, these events provide direction and an opportunity for people to communicate openly and honestly. Understanding and working with the group dynamics is essential, especially in a large group. Here are 15 Tips you can use to keep the strategy session moving in a positive direction. Not everyone gets everything they want out of the final decision. 410.727.6367 Facilitator directory. Often this starts with individual writing before doing large group and small group discussion. And for others, their responsibilities, influence, expertise, or perspectives are so important that it will make sense to have them seated around the table. What type of expertise does your team of strategic planning facilitators have? Likewise, if your goals and objectives are misaligned, your critical success factors and barriers will also be off. Councils, boards, commissions, and local government and utility leadership benefit greatly from opportunities to work together to develop a strategic vision for how they want to govern and lead. What are you going to do? Can be used for retargeting on other partner platforms All too often, the loudest voice drowns out those with valuable perspectives, leading to hurt feelings, frustration and a strategic plan that is good-looking but lacking in its full potential. It may not all come together until the very end, but if you are going in with a clear objective and well-thought-out agenda, the results youre looking for will follow, and the problem-solving will occur. The old clich of "too many cooks spoil the broth" couldn't be closer to the truth. To run strategic planning sessions, you want to gather a set of facilitation techniques for different parts of the process. If we dontagree on where we are going, we will never agree on how to get there. Once the strategy session is complete, its important to create an action plan. The job of the planning team is to affirm the process and calendar; help design questions for surveys and interviews; conduct interviews; review the consultants assessment; and participate in the planning retreat. A strategic planning session should under-promise and over-deliver rather than be a shopping spree of new initiatives. At least according to a recent Harvard Business Review Article. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(116436, '9b3bdaf5-db94-4118-82f1-a9bed5315711', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Stephen Covey advises us to begin with the end in mind. What is the purpose of this meeting? Our strategic planning facilitation approach always starts with helping unlock your bold vision for the future.

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