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"Thinking Strategically
About Your Business"
Here is a brief synopsis of the following
article (1111 words):
"Thinking Strategically about your Business" by Gary
Lockwood -- What if annual business planning were easy and quick? What do you
stand to gain from effectively planning for next year? An enterprise grounded
with a clear direction and a plan to get there will have both focus on what is
important and flexibility to respond to new opportunities. Here is a simple
step-by-step process for you to develop your plan in one day
Thinking Strategically
About Your Business
Ready?... Set... Nah! This is about the time of year when many business
owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals begin procrastinating about doing their
annual planning.
Why is this such a daunting task? For many, it's because we imagine annual
planning as a huge, time-consuming and difficult chore. What if it were easy and
quick? What do you stand to gain from effectively planning for next year?
Planning helps you remove the uncertainty, avoid surprises, pull your team
together, and save time and money.
Here is a simple process for you to plan for next year. It is relatively easy
and can be done in a day or less. First, let's get prepared. You'll need a few
hours of uninterrupted time (best if done in only one or two sittings), so block
off one day or two half-days in your calendar. If you work with a partner,
spouse or key management team, schedule to do this together, as a team. Decree
casual, comfortable clothing and make arrangements for coffee and lunch.
For most enterprises, the annual planning process is most effective when
guided by a professional facilitator. If you decide to have a go at it on your
own, use the following step-by-step process.
Phase one is self evaluation of the enterprise. Here, we'll look at
what's important to us, where we're going what are we all about and what's our
prime purpose. This is what strategic thinking is all about. For this phase,
identify the five or six key areas that are important and essential for your
business - cash flow, customers, employees, image, growth, productivity and so
on. Write them down. These are your organizational values.
In each of these areas, develop a crystal clear vision of where you are going
with this. What's possible. What does it look like when you're living up to your
best expectations in each of these areas? Describe as best you can, in writing,
what it looks like and what it feels like when you have reached the point in
each of your key result areas where you are happy with each. This represents a
picture of your future as you prefer it to be.
If you can articulate a clear vision of your preferred future, focusing on
those areas that are important to you and to your business, that vision becomes
your destination down the road. That clear vision allows you to set goals in the
direction of your preferred future. That vision provides motivation, energy,
purpose and direction. It certainly helps you to communicate with the people
around you.
Starting with a clear vision of what's possible helps you to answer the
question we must ask ourselves each day -- why are we doing this piece of work
and is it taking us where we need to go?
Phase two is about making choices. This process includes telling the
truth about our current reality. We need to identify where is our greatest area
of need. Where can we make the most definitive progress this year? To do this,
use a scale of 1-10 ( 10 is wonderful and 1 is lousy) to rate each of the
organizational value areas. Rate each as to how well you are currently living up
to that value when compared to your vision of your preferred future. If you're
doing this as a group, have each person describe their rating.
Phase three is to establish priorities. The hardest and most vital
part of thinking strategically is accepting the simple truth that we cannot do
all the things we want to do or even all the things which are important. When we
try to do it all, we do not do any of it well.
Use the completed ratings to select the one or two areas where you have the
greatest opportunity for improvement in the coming year. Where is your greatest
dissonance? In which value area would improvement translate to significant
results? In which value area is the largest gap between your preferred future
and your current reality? Select one or two value areas as your priority for the
coming year.
Phase four is to develop the action plan. We must get clear about who
will do what and when. Start with brainstorming all the possible actions which
could move you closer toward your preferred future in the one or two value areas
you have selected as your priority for the coming year. Be creative here. Don't
be limited to doing what you've always done; you'll limit yourself to getting
the same results you've always had.
Once you've created a list of possible action steps, group the action items
into categories such as marketing, communications, facilities, employees, etc.
Usually, 3-5 categories will cover them all (it's OK to have a 'Misc.'
category). Now, go back through each action item in each category to assign a
person to be accountable for that action, and to determine when that action item
will be complete.
Phase five is implementation. The plan has little value until we do
something with it. This must also include follow up and review of progress. Each
person must have a clear understanding of their individual accountability. If
it's just you in your one-person company, you, too, must get clear on how you
will accomplish your assigned tasks. This may include blocking off some time
each week to concentrate on your action items.
Once or twice a month, stop to review your progress. What's getting done?
What's not getting done? How are we doing? Examine the action items that are
being pushed off. Either break them into smaller, easier tasks or decide
explicitly that you are not going to do that one.
Celebrate your successes and the progress you are making. At the same time,
don't get too impatient. Remember that your plan is for the whole year, so it's
OK if everything is not done by the end of the first month.
The process of thinking strategically about your business can be one of
opportunity and excitement. Through this process, everyone in the organization
can understand and commit themselves to a consistent system of values and vision
for the future. It helps bring the plan alive for the people who must deliver on
the goals.
The payback is a high return on your investment of time and commitment to the
process. The payback also comes in your ability to withstand the whipsaw of
change. An enterprise grounded with a clear direction and a plan to get there
will have both focus on what is important and the flexibility to respond to new
opportunities.
Here's to a successful year for you and your business!
© 1997 - 2005 BizSuccess All rights
reserved. No duplication
About the Author...(for online pubs)
Gary Lockwood is Increasing the Effectiveness and Enhancing the
Lives of CEOs, business owners and professionals. (951) 739-7444
Email: mailto:Gary@BizSuccess.com Web: http://www.BizSuccess.com
About the Author...(for print pubs)
Gary Lockwood is Your Business Coach. Contact Gary for a FREE report
on "Getting Breakthroughs in your business".
(951) 739-7444 * Fax: (509) 695-1017
Email: Gary@BizSuccess.com * Web: www.BizSuccess.com
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