Getting Ready to Plan

"In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensible"

—Dwight D. Eisenhower

Do not jump right into planning. Many try the old standard of pulling a few people into a room (sometimes on a weekend) and whipping a plan together. That never works.

As a leader, you must show that you have a clear picture of what you wish to achieve with a planning process. Take the time to understand what you are looking for and how it should proceed. A little extra time at the start will save time down the road and improve the chances of building and implementing a successful plan. By taking time, we do not mean months or years. If someone suggests to you that it will take that long, they are misleading you. We have successfully completed planning processes with organizations in a few shorts weeks using the techniques we will cover in this book.

Stop.

Ask the right questions.

Then proceed in a manner that will build confidence with those involved from the very start. Hours spent at the start of planning will save weeks down the road.

This first section of the book will help you understand what you are looking for in a strategic plan, the steps you will go through and how you will do it. Take the time to read the chapters on strategic leadership (p. 7), systems thinking (p. 11) and strategic management (p. 24). This is the foundation of a great planning process.

Strategic planning is personal. It is personal for you and everyone in the organization. We do not believe in standard templates that some companies say fit all organizations. They do not work. Other organizations can have a strategic plan very similar to yours. You must start with the attitude of "what will make ours' different? Every organization is unique. Strategic planning is about the conversation, not a fill in the blanks template. Build a process that ensures the right conversation and you will come out with a plan that works for your organization. This book is designed to help guide you through that conversation.

As you read through the first section of the book, keep these questions in the back of your mind:

• Do we have an existing plan?

• Have we actually attempted to implement that plan?

• Is that plan working?

• Will we be adjusting a plan or starting from scratch?

• What kind of outside help do we need?

• What kind of process will we use?

• What is the timeline to get this done?

• What resources will we need?

• How will we get the results we need?

• What will make our plan different?

We always recommend bringing in outside help to facilitate the planning process. A good facilitator will remove the burden of the process and allow participants to focus on the conversation and the content. They will also remove the perception of bias that can prevent the open and honest conversation that is the foundation of the great strategic plan.

If you have decided to use outside help in guiding you through the process, bring them into the discussion as early as possible. Ask questions of them and ensure that what they are recommending meets your needs. We are often asked if a group should find a facilitator that is an expert in the groups' industry. If you can find someone, it may be helpful. They will come with a basic understanding of the industry language and the learning curve is not quite as steep. The other side of the argument, which is equally valid, is that someone without industry knowledge brings no bias and will not insert any bias into the conversation. Look for a good facilitator first and if they have some industry knowledge that is a bonus.

To find the right facilitator, ask other organizations who they have used and if they are happy with the results. Those organizations can be in totally different industries or other jurisdictions. Ask them:

1. Did the facilitator keep the process in the background and focus on the conversation?

2. Did the facilitator's style work for your organization?

3. Did you get the results you were looking for?

4. Would you use the person again?

When you have identified some potential facilitators, ask them those questions you have been keeping in the back of your mind. They should be able to quickly lay out a recommended process based on your needs. Beware of sales pitches. An effective planning process will have some bumps and a good facilitator will not avoid them, but instead embrace and use them for better results. If you are promised a smooth ride, move to the next name on the list. You are looking for the person that can pull the best ideas from the passionate people in your organization. That means it is going to be a bumpy ride. The best facilitators enjoy bringing that passion to the surface.

Before you sign a contract with a facilitator, test that person with the senior management in the organization. The key relationship in the planning process is between the senior people that are responsible for the strategic plan and the facilitator. There must be both comfort and trust. The test can be a simple as a telephone conversation to discuss the basics of the planning process. You are opening the lines of communication that will be critical as you move through the planning and implementation phases. Take the time to get the right people in place. This is a theme which you will be reminded of throughout the book.

A final caution: never turn the creation or writing of your strategic plan over to someone outside the organization. Assign one individual in your group to work directly with the facilitator on the results from all planning discussions. Even if you have a planning team, one person should be assigned as the lead contact. That person keeps possession of all flip charts, summaries, surveys and other materials. They will work with the facilitator on the draft documents that will be prepared for approval and implementation.