Supercharge Your Strategic Planning With
Facilitated Strategic Dialogue
When most leaders think of strategic planning, the first thing they do is look for a consultant to lead them through the process. The consultant talks about things like SWOT analysis and how many days of meetings and sticky notepads it will take to hammer out a comprehensive plan.
But few consultants pause to discuss what exactly that end product, the strategic plan, will do to benefit the organization, the culture, and the people who work there.
What I’ve observed is that the typical process of strategic planning is an activity that many leaders feel compelled to take on but then fail to use effectively, if at all.
The Navigating Challenging Dialogue Approach to Strategic Planning is different.
My approach is based on the best practices of thought leaders like Gino Wickman, Jim Collins, and Seth Godin. It is further informed by the foundations of Navigating Challenging Dialogue®: skillful leadership, communication, and coaching in service of building trust-strengthened organizations.
In my hands-on work over the past 20 years with hundreds of organizations, I’ve come to learn that trust is the key ingredient that makes an organization’s strategic planning succeed or fail. The trust to give and receive feedback, to share ideas, and to be vulnerable enough to say, “I don’t know.”
When trust building isn’t one of the integral components of a strategic planning process, the end product often has little to no relevancy or usefulness to the organization.
This is why I’ve developed a more effective, relevant, and meaningful approach to discussing strategy and goals, then shaping them into a plan that works.
My Process: Facilitated Strategic Dialogue
I define a successful strategic plan as the outcome of a strategic dialogue, where everyone feels seen and heard. Within the framework of a facilitated strategic dialogue, communication, empathy, understanding, and trust are strengthened so your team can function smoothly as a whole.
The end result is everyone coming into alignment with a deeper understanding and focus on the common good of the whole organization. Work will flow more smoothly and your organization will be on its way to:
Achieving goals more easily.
An improved, positive culture.
Increased employee satisfaction and retention.
Alignment around what’s in the best interest of the common good, even when there is disagreement.
Based on Navigating Challenging Dialogue®, the facilitated strategic dialogue provides the framework for clear communication, authentic leadership, and strategic coaching skills to help you create a plan that:
Has buy-in.
Everyone understands.
The entire organization can be aligned around.
Is actionable.
Is a useful guide for prioritizing time and energy.
Is a roadmap for communicating expectations clearly and consistently.
Emphasizes achievable goals.
Is flexible enough to accommodate shifting needs and business conditions.
A Strong Foundation for a Complete Plan
I start by asking leaders questions which inspire thinking and preparation prior to the strategic planning event. In most cases, the second step is a facilitated Zoom call with leadership to establish norms for communication, conflict resolution, and accountability so the planning event remains focused on the work at hand. For most organizations, this preparation assures the actual strategic planning event takes just one day.
Following the event, you, or your designee, engage with me in a coaching and consulting session, where you receive guidance and feedback on finalizing and formatting the final strategic plan.
I can provide a Strategic Plan Template that other organizations have found helpful and suited to their needs. I will support you in either completing my template or finding a template best suited to your organization.
Once you have a final draft of your strategic plan, I’ll do one final read-through and provide any additional feedback.
Depending on your needs, and the makeup of your organization, I can also facilitate a Zoom session for department heads, who will leave with action steps for engaging their teams and getting feedback on the final strategic plan.
Low Complexity
My approach prepares you to create a plan that can be captured on one or two pages and is easily articulated and used at all levels in the organization. The purpose of your final strategic plan should be for it to be acted upon, with full engagement.
Setting the Stage for Success
These ground rules will be shared with the participants in advance and agreed upon at the start of the strategic dialogue session. This makes for an emotionally safe environment where everyone participates fully in the process and is invested in the success of the resulting strategic plan.
Required Skill and Self-Awareness
Most consultants begin with the assumption that all staff participating in the Strategic Planning Process have the skill and self-awareness to effectively engage in healthy conflict and difficult conversations.
In my experience, attendees show up with a range of self-awareness and emotional self-management skills. This can derail the planning process.
My expertise is in navigating the complexities of collaboration, conflict, and dialogue when stakes are high. I bring strategies, and offer skill building, within the facilitated session, to ensure clear communication and actionable results in a timely manner. The skills developed during the session are applicable to other aspects of the work culture and environment.
Define expectations for each participant.
We make sure that each person knows why they are invited to the session:
Are they a decision maker?
Are they there to provide feedback only?
Is the decision making done by voting or consensus?
Do final decisions about the plan go back to leadership?
Who settles conflicts and sets priorities?
Setting the Stage for Success.
Prior to the session, we establish norms so all participants are clear on the intended and unintended consequences for participation.
We’ll consider:
Is it a safe environment for people to disagree with their bosses?
Does each voice carry the same weight?
Will people feel they were invited to the table but then were not heard?
I will ask leadership to establish:
Expectations and assumptions.
Who will be invited to participate.
Norms for communication.
Hire Me Today
If your organization is stuck, needs a refresh, or is looking toward sustainability and succession, an Facilitated Dialogue Session may be exactly what you need. This is your opportunity to create a meaningful, relevant, and easily articulated plan for moving forward. In the process, participants are practicing effective communication, healthy conflict, and team building that increases trust and engagement in the organization.
You can email me (support@ncdsolution.com) or schedule a call with me to discuss any questions or ideas you may have about your next strategic plan. Or simply fill out the form below with your questions!