Philip Walcoff - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Planning for ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Philip Walcoff - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Planning for Growth"Page 151manageable by limiting the number of attendees to 8 or 10. In other words, invite your key players—those whom you believe help to shape your company.Planning Session LogisticsThe planning session should be a one-or two-day session combined with some social activities. Ifpulling senior staff out of the business during the week presents a significant problem, select a weekendor compromise with a two-day session on a Friday and Saturday.Hold the session off-site to avoid day-to-day business distractions and to stay focused. Avoidtelephones and other interruptions. Select a comfortable hotel meeting room, a conference center, orperhaps your own or a staff member's home. If the meeting is held on a weekend, you could convene inyour facility, but I still suggest getting away from the business. Get the team into a fresh environment.For a one-day session, start the meeting promptly between 8 and 9 A.M. and aim to complete by 5 P.M.Provide a light breakfast, offer midmorning and midafternoon refreshment breaks, and serve lunch inthe room. For a two-day session combined with social activities, do your planning in the mornings.The environment and dress should be casual, relaxed, and conducive to free and open conversation.Throughout the session, use a large easel for capturing the salient points of each discussion item duringthe session, and hang the written sheets on the walls around the room with masking tape for easyreference.If you don't bring in a facilitator, you should lead the session. Provide an opportunity for your seniormanagers to voice their thoughts—get them to freely participate and become part of the plan. That'swhy you invited them.Planning Session PreparationPreparation is a key to a successful planning session. There are four major elements to successfulpreparation:file:///C|/Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti...orward_MBA_in_Business_Planning_for_Growth/e-book.html (164 of 219)16.02.2005 13:54:23
Philip Walcoff - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Planning for Growth"Page 1521. Share the front portion of your plan, the strategy, with the planning participants prior to the session.2. Gather the issues your management team sees as getting in the way of the company's success.3. Get organized—ensure that all planning participants know what position they're playing in thecompany.4. Ensure that the participants come to the session prepared to actively participate and make acontribution.These four suggestions for planning session preparation are described following.Share Your Strategy Ahead of TimeYour overall strategy is made up of your vision statement, mission statement, and five-year goals. Sharethis portion of the plan with your management team prior to the planning session. While you don't wantto dictate the plan, as owner or manager you should let your staff know up front what you think thecompany's direction should be. Also, this enables the strategy-development portion of the plan—themost difficult portion—to be more efficiently completed during the planning session.Sharing your strategy with your management team can be accomplished in one of two ways. Eitherbrief the group on your preliminary strategy, or provide them with draft copies of your strategy. Theformer gives the group the opportunity to ask questions and make comments on the proposed directionyou are suggesting. Your objective in sharing your preliminary thoughts on a strategy prior to thesession, whether face-to-face or by just getting them a copy, is to give them an opportunity to see yourroad map and your approach to getting the company on the road. Make sure they understand that youdon't just expect their mute concurrence. You want and need their inputs—not just to gather theirsupport, but also to provide new or enhanced strategies and supporting tactics. Let your managers knowwhat you are thinking in terms of strategy so they can come to the planning ses-file:///C|/Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti...orward_MBA_in_Business_Planning_for_Growth/e-book.html (165 of 219)16.02.2005 13:54:23
Page 5 and 6:
Philip Walcoff - "The Fast Forward
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114: Philip Walcoff - "The Fast Forward
Page 163: Philip Walcoff - "The Fast Forward
Page 195: Philip Walcoff - "The Fast Forward
Page 214 and 215:
Page 216 and 217:
Page 218 and 219:
show all

Philip Walcoff - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Planning for ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?