making strategic use of quiet time

Work’s starting to go into Christmas mode, the party invites are flooding in, and you’re having thoughts of next year.  People are feeling buoyed, they’re planning social events, and they’re thinking of their holidays.

What better time of year for planning?!

When your people are riding high on the festive season, why not take advantage of that high and the usual lull in activity and plan a strategy getaway.   December or January?  Well probably January is best; people have a feeling of renewal, so that’s probably a good time to talk about your business renewal as well.

Our recommendation would be to make an event of it.  Why not get away from the office for a couple of days to somewhere nice, get your people focused on moving business forward, and at the same time it gives people the opportunity to connect with each other in a more social setting.

So, how do you approach this?  Well start your planning right now; don’t leave it any longer or it will likely fall between the cracks of too much food and drink in the coming weeks!

SEVEN STEPS TO STRATEGIC PLANNING

1. Ensure there’s clarity around who you are and why you exist.  You may think that’s clear to people but unless you’ve actually articulated it, it really won’t be that clear at all, particularly as you grow.  You want it to be clear to your customers as well; both current and potential, because it’s often the why your business exists that powerfully differentiates you from your competition.
2. It’s a great time to ensure your people are clear on your value statements.  They should be considered your non-negotiable rules of engagement that govern people’s actions, interactions, and decisions in your business.
3. Have some fun describing your business in its “perfect form”.  Let the imagination run a bit and talk about it as if it’s in present tense:  Say things like “we’ve grown to have a team of 25 people (even if atm you only have 5!), we’re in two states, and our brand is known in the market place as the go to place for … ….”  “I’m spending my days working strategically on my business rather than in it because I’ve built a management team who are capable and clear of the desired outcomes”.  
   
   This is a really fun thing to do and it’s only when you let yourself dream that you’ll reignite the excitement you had when you first began, and you’ll also, if you talk in present tense, start your mind (and others who are playing as well) on developing ideas to actually make it happen.
4. So now, with the articulation of your perfect future, you can start exploring what your business will look like in 3 years’ time, 2 years, time, and this coming year.  This will create a recognisable pathway to your future – where you are going, and what it will look like on your way there.
5. So you’ve got a clear vision of your future, now describe what the following areas will need to look like to be successful:
   • Your people and culture – what are the positions and behaviours needed?
   • Your brand and customer relationship – what does your brand message need to be; how do you want people to feel when they interact with you?
   • Produces and services – what are your products delivering?  How are they valued?  How do people know this value?
   • Productivity – what things drive the productive capacity of our business?
   • Metrics and monitoring – what things do you need to monitor to understand your success?
6. For each of these business areas, identify the things that need to be done in order to achieve the vision for that area.  Important then to  identify the priority actions for each area and create a 90 day plan.   Then ensure you assign those actions to the person who will be responsible for their delivery, and establish a process for review so the plan and actions can be regularly reviewed, updated, and new actions added;
7. Finally, communicate your plan.  When it’s communicated, it opens the door for others to contribute in ways you may not have even considered.

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