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

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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
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