strategic planning made waaay easier: chainsaw planning

Strategic Planning MadeWaaay Easier:

Chainsaw Planning

Orientation

• Introductions

- TCHRA Colleagues

- Bruce Miles, Ed.D. 

Goals for this session

1) Briefly review why planning can be difficult

2) Learn how to immediately apply six new

planning tools

3) Ask questions, for crying out loud!

Goals

Organizational Conflict – Why Teams Fail

Why managers say teams failed to meet expectations:  

Goals unclear xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 55%

Changing objectives xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 55%

Lack of accountability xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 51%

Lack of management support xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 49%

Lack of role clarity xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 47%

Ineffective leadership xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 45%

Low priority of team xxxxxxxxxxx 40%

No team-based pay xxxxx 30% 

Why is planning so difficult?

1) Most planning models are dinosaurs

2) Most planning takes too long

3) Most planning yields too-general results

Positive Results - Planning

Provides a framework for decisions Provides a reason for better employees to

align their efforts & follow a lead Essential strategies include:

ID issuesVision & Mission shortcutsPriorities WorksheetSpecificityAccountability

Planning Funnel

Step 1: Who to Invite?

Houston, we have a problem!

1) We can increase employee engagement by

asking employees to help plan

2) Can we invite outsiders?

3) Planning assistance may be advisory or binding – specify in advance!

Leader’s Window

Step 2: Successes & Issues

Positive Less Than Positive

Intended 1) 2) 3)4)5)

1)2)3)4)5)

Unintended 1)2)3)4)5)

1)2)3)4)5)

Planning Funnel

Does Anybody Have a Map?

1) Vision – A New, Desirable Destination

A) Micro-Vision

B) 3 – to – 5 year vision

2) Mission – A Job Description to Get There

Step 3: Vision & Mission

Vision Statements Describe New Destinations.A) An ideal organizationB) Ideal servicesC) Ideal livesD) Ideal products

Mission Statements are Job Descriptions.A) What an organization will doB) What services will be providedC) How lives will be changedD) What products will be delivered

So we have vision & mission.

Big deal.

When do we get specific?

Planning Funnel

Step 4: PrioritiesWrite your organization’s new Vision here.

Identify between 4 & 6 Priorities. 

1)

2) 

3) 

4) 

5) (Optional) 

6) (Optional)

Now we are getting somewhere.

What’s next?

Planning Funnel

Step 5A: Benchmarks

Step 5B: Workplans

Refine The Goal (in 20 words or less; 5 minutes)

Develop 4 or Fewer Objectives (10 minutes)

1)

2)

3)

4)

Timeline Resources Responsibility1) 1) 1)

2) 2) 2)

3) 3) 3)

4) 4) 4)

Develop an Evaluation Method (Quantitative or Qualitative, 5 minutes)

Admiration of the Problem (ID all sub-issues & hurdles; 5 minutes)

Planning Funnel

This is better planning than we’ve ever done!

What’s my role?

Step 6: Accountability

Is there a way to useour new plan to engage

employees?

Youbetcha.

Employee 90-Day Feedback

Your Next Steps

Who could diagnose problems?

Positive Less Than Positive

Intended 1) 2) 3)4)5)

1)2)3)4)5)

Unintended 1)2)3)4)5)

1)2)3)4)5)

Who would benefit from a new Vision?

Who needs clearer Priorities?

Write your organization’s new Vision here.     

Identify between 4 & 6 Priorities. 

1)

2) 

3) 

4) 

5) (Optional) 

6) (Optional)

Who needs Accountability?

Who needs even more Accountability?

Thank You!Bruce Miles • 320-260-2612

bruce@bigrivergroup.com • www.bigrivergroup.com