Strategic Thinking and Planning

Participant Testimonials

1. Your Future Environmental Scanning process was a real eye opener. I did not realize how critical it was (as opposed to a SWOT) for key marketplace success and for setting up a cadre of change agents. Thank you.
2. You really have Reinvented Strategic Planning into something much more serious, disciplined and effective that makes complete common sense. I will begin connecting the pieces of ours and fill in the gaps when I get home.
3. Your Strategic Management System is very simple, practical, and effective. Why no one else has ever articulated this is beyond me.
4. You are the first ones to clarify all the confusing terms such as brand, reputation, unique selling proposition, image and the like in your work on Positioning. Wonderful!
5. It is so clear to me now that we do not have a clear marketplace positioning and it is holding back our growth, profits, and success. When I go back, we will work on this right away as it really is the PhD of Strategy–but finally clear to me.
6. Your Top Ten Tools for Everyday Strategic Thinking are terrific–simple, practical and based on common sense so I can use them right away.
7. Your Strategic Thinking ABCs Template and core technology were a gift to me in the workshop and I have now begun thinking of simple ways to use if over and over again in my work on projects, meetings, issues, and strategy as well.
8. The ideal of a Strategic Life Plan never occurred to me. However, now I have an ABC process that my husband and I will use, starting next week.
9. This was not just a workshop although I learned so much. I actually got to work on 2 key issues I am facing and now have some solutions to them. Thank you so much for your coaching in the workshop and after it yesterday as well.
10. Your real life examples of successes and failures in this Strategic Management work were great. They really helped bring the material home to me in a way that I can remember and apply it.
11. Thinking of change from the first minute of planning was a new idea to me and I love it. It will make a real difference in how we approach Strategic Planning in the future–especially with your “People support what they help create” framework.

Sample Workshop Agenda:

Day 1: Introduction and Immersion: Strategic Thinking

Day 2: Reinventing Strategic Planning

Participant Notebook

Content for Two Day Sample Program

• The ABC’s of Strategic Thinking
  • The Systems Thinking Approach®
    • The Need for Strategic Thinking
    • The Five Key Questions for Strategic Thinking
    • Applications of Strategic Thinking
• The System of Managing Strategically
  • Day by Day, Year by Year
    • Strategic Thinking vs. Strategic Planning vs. Strategic Management
    • Three goals and three premises of Strategic Management
    • The Strategic Management System
• Strategic Leadership
  • The #1 Core Competency to Deliver Customer Value
    • The six Levels of Leadership Competencies
    • Strategic Leadership Development
    • Leading Strategic Change
• Reinventing Strategic Planning
  • The Magic and Simplicity of Five Phases
    • Five Phases and 10 Steps
    • Common Mistakes in Strategic Planning
• Positioning
  • The Competitive Advantage to Deliver Customer Value
    • Determining Value Proposition and Aligning the Organization to it
    • Positioning in the Marketplace for Growth versus the Competition
• Organization Design
  • Criteria for Performance and Business Excellence
• Putting It All Together—Action Planning
• Tools, Tips, and Techniques
• Application Exercises
• Discussion of Participant’ Own Situation
• Case Studies