Facilitating an Effective Strategic Planning Process (Live Online)

Regardless of goals, there’s one thing that can be said about every strategic planning process: The stakes are high. So you need to get equipped with a complete and agile toolbox of facilitation techniques and skills. How can you get the right people—and get them to actively contribute? How can you prevent assertive personalities from taking the session off-track? How can you make sure your goals are effectively defined and that you have all the right elements in place?This course combines effective facilitation with strategic planning. It’s carefully crafted into three segments covering early discussions and agreements, strategic planning facilitation and implementation. You’ll leave with hands-on experience and a comprehensive strategic planning toolbox that effectively prepares you to launch into any strategic planning facilitation.Pre-Work: The pre-work content and activities are provided as a foundation for all participants to ensure the use of consistent terminology in the program, and as a facilitation and strategic planning refresher. The pre-work serves as a review of core skills to establish a common departure point and will only be reviewed at an intermediate level in the course.Who Should Attend:Experienced executives, directors of OD, senior HR leaders, division leaders, strategic planners and others who must manage the strategic planning process for a department or organization, as well as those who would like to become an internal or independent strategic planning facilitator.How You Will Benefit:Gain a clear understanding of your role in the facilitation processAdopt a set of proven and commonly used toolsKnow which discussions and decisions should occur prior to your strategic planning sessionEnsure up-front clarity and agreement regarding expected resultsDecide the best strategic planning approach/process to use and customize itDetermine clear processes, logistics and considerations throughout the entire processBuild in metrics and schedule meetings to assess milestones and measure progress towards goalsGet buy-in early and throughout the process to optimize successWhat You Will Cover:Establishing agreements, consistent definitions and success metricsSetting parameters for team selection and role assignmentsUnderstanding and choosing an appropriate strategic planning model, frame of reference, and related decisions • Agreeing on logistics, scheduling needs and considerationsKnowing the key components of the strategic planning processTranslating the strategic planning process into tactical action and communication plansEnabling innovative thinking in managers and leadersUsing simulation to demonstrate your understanding of new practices and toolsDelivering organizational results through an effectively facilitated strategic planning sessionEstablishing next steps and moving toward the execution phaseConducting regular review sessions to check progress towards milestonesEstablishing processes to align the organization, communicate the plan, and get organizational buy-inOutline:Learning ObjectivesUnderstand Your Role in the Process and Contract with the Leadership TeamEffectively Facilitate Strategic Planning Sessions That Drive Results Within the OrganizationSelect the Best Strategic Planning Approach, Get Senior Sponsorship, and Set Realistic Expectations for Your Strategy-Planning SessionEnsure Results By Establishing Accountability, Implementing Regular Reviews, and Aligning with the Performance Management SystemClarifying Your RoleIdentify the Different Roles of a FacilitatorClarify Senior Leadership’s Expectations of Your Role as FacilitatorDefine Your Role as FacilitatorPlanning for Strategic PlanningAsk the Right Questions to Establish Shared Meaning Around Terminology and Outcomes of a Strategy-Planning SessionApply a Process When Contracting with LeadershipIdentify Strategic-Planning Champions and Ensure the Right People Are Part of the ProcessStrategic Planning ApproachesRecognize Current and Common Strategic Planning ApproachesArticulate Considerations When Choosing a Strategic Planning ApproachDefine Strategic Planning OutputsTools and Models Used in Strategic PlanningDiscuss the Importance of Macro- and Market Environmental Factors in Strategic PlanningDescribe the Purpose of Using Models and Tools in Strategic PlanningRecognize Various Models Used in Strategic Planning for Analyzing and Synthesizing InformationLogistics—Before, During, and AfterManage the Logistics Before, During, and After the Strategic Planning SessionIdentify Critical Data That Can Make or Break a Strategic PlanFacilitating the SessionPrepare for Your Strategic Planning Session and Create an Environment for Effective DialogueApply Critical Skills and Techniques of an Effective FacilitatorManage Disruptive Behaviors During a Strategic Planning SessionUse Processes to Drive Key Outputs and Produce ResultsYour Role in ImplementationAssist in Crafting a Strategic NarrativeEstablish Your Role in Aligning the Organization, Translating the Strategy Plan into Meaningful Actions, Communicating the Plan, and Getting Organizational Buy-In