Successful Strategic Planning
During strategic planning sessions some have the tendency to discuss what’s not working and then spend the bulk of the planning session trying to solve those issues. It’s true that you should learn from your mistakes and change what’s not working. We certainly cannot continue to do the same thing and expect different results…but focusing exclusively on the negative can really be a drain. With a negative focus, it’s understandable why so many people dread the planning process.
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” ~Albert Einstein
So what’s the alternative?
Focus on what’s working instead of on what’s not working.
If you are having difficulty driving revenue rather than focusing on why revenue isn’t growing, try going back to a time when revenue was at an all time high. Analyze why things were working when revenues were up. Who were the key players on the team? Meet with them and ask them what they were doing at that time. Was your sales staff constantly in the field? Were you focused on a specific clientelle at that time? Did you have a product that was selling like crazy?
Even during times when revenue is not growing, sales were made, new clients were acquired and existing clients bought more. Be sure to speak with the players who are winning in the current environment to find out what’s working for them. Then, share it!
In our planning sessions we usually try to focus on the following:
- What are your Top 5 biggest WINS this quarter in your business? What made them happen?
- What are your top WINS for the year in your business? What made them happen … ?
Marcus Buckingham, the strengths movement guru (Go Put Your Strengths to Work), notes that if you want to help your children with their F’s, ask them about their A’s what did they do to get their A’s, why they like that subject more than the other, what the teacher does, etc. You can’t ignore the F’s, but you can study what’s working – the A’s. The same is true in business. If you want to move forward in your business then focus your energies on what’s working and why. If you focus on what’s working, you’ll be far more productive.
Are you looking to conduct a Successful Strategic Planning session? We can help you starting today.
Simply click the link below to schedule your free 30 minute, no obligation, phone consultation. We’ll focus on your #1 challenge, and at the end of the call we’ll give you at least one practical strategy so that you can move forward immediately.
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