Without a doubt, strategic planning is necessary.  Without everyone agreeing upon a common goal, and defining a path to achieve that goal, it is unlikely that an organization will ever get there.

However, all too often strategic planning sessions fail.  Either participants just go through the motions without commitment, or the wrong people are there, or the session lacks focus and degrades into irrelevant tangents, or personal conflict erupts, or.... etc.... etc.... etc.

(See 10 Reasons Strategic Planning Fails in Links & Resources)

Strategic Planning Facilitation

GoXL  Strategies

GoXL offers a more holistic hands-on guided facilitation process then typically found.  This process begins with a meeting with management to assess the goals, commitment, and expected challenges in completing an effective strategic planning session.  Using the parameters established in the initial meeting, GoXL will develop a meeting plan and Session Agenda, all in a reasonably traditional fashion.

Prior to final session approval, we take a very important initial step.  Upon determination of who will attend, we meet individually with each participant to evaluate expectations, concerns, commitment, and potential negative and positive interpersonal dynamics that are expected to effect session outcome.   If there seems to be a lack of participant readiness, GoXL will schedule a pre-planning session Strategic Planning Session Member Team Development and Dynamics session.  Without the right "attitude" the planning session could deteriorate into pointless dysfunction.  

We will offer neutral facilitation to keep the session on track and ensure that in the end, objectives of the session are achieved.  However, one caveat is, we will also pursue questioning to provide clarity in any critical discussions, even playing the role of "devils advocate'" to ensure that nothing of relevance is left out of the discussion.

GoXL will then make periodic contact with participants to evaluate the extent to which the agreed upon actions steps are being implemented.  

Strategic Planning Session Challenges