While Business Planning focuses more on “What” you are doing, Strategic Planning focuses on “Why” and “How”. Granted, there can be a lot of depth and strategy in a Business Plan, but a Strategic Plan is all strategy and action. A Strategic Plan makes you answer tough questions like:
- Why does your company matter?
- What differentiation does your company bring to the market?
- If you closed tomorrow, would there be a clear hole in the market not easily filled by competitors?
- What kind of company do you want to become?
These are tough questions for which every business owner should have a clear answer. Not just a fluffy mission statement or a statement like “We do it better than the next guy.” You should have a meaningful, valuable, observable, quantifiable differentiator that a customer, prospect, employee, interviewee, or shareholder will recognize. Do you have that?
Do These Sound Familiar?
- Strategic Planning in my company is frustrating!
- We lack agreement about what strategy is and how to create a strategic plan.
- We have too many strategic priorities.
- The plan does not mean anything to my employees.
- It’s difficult to both facilitate and participate in planning.
- I need to think bigger or may need to pivot.
- Implementation of our strategic plan is challenging.
Make your next Strategic or Leadership Offsite a successful and impactful event. Fully engage your senior staff in the Strategic Planning process and make them an integral part of the future direction of your company.
Contact me to discuss planning and leading your next event.