AD-00001

Planning can be accomplished at any level of an organization and finished to any level of detail.  Regardless of the strategic planning model you choose to use Meetingworks tools can be tailored to fit the process.  Groups using consensus guidelines and with an eye to alignment with plans created at any other level in the organization are able to efficiently and effectively complete those plans.

Some groups are presented with company initiatives or goals and given the task of aligning their group goals with them.  Others are asked for detailed tactical plans that will accomplish adopted strategies.  In most cases there is a need to brainstorm a list of items, discuss and clarify the list, and use some sort of evaluation method to reduce the list to the top items, as well as understand the level of agreement or buy-in. 

The techniques described below are some of the ways groups have used Meetingworks for strategic planning:

1. Goals are listed, discussed, and prioritized (using Generate, Organize, Evaluate tools of Meetingworks).  Strategies are then listed and discussed.  Using the Cross Impact tool, participants rate how well each strategy aligns with each goal (using a scale of -5 to +5).  This helps identify strategies that may be detrimental and/or strategies with no aligned goals.  Anonymous comments are always encouraged in this evaluation process. 
2. A team breaks into small groups to brainstorm strategies, for a particular goal, on flip charts.  Near the end of the allotted time a person from each group types the statements into Generate.  In Organize, lists created in the groups are presented, reviewed, and clarified, adding any necessary statements.  Evaluate is then used for the whole group to voice "comfort level".  (This can be done with a one-question evaluate item such as, "How comfortable are you with this work?", and a scale of 0 to 100.).  If the consensus is high move to the next round.  This time, rotate the groups to work on the lists of strategies created by their peers.  They brainstorm strategy rationale for each strategy on flip charts and then input those statements into Generate.  Repeat the Organize step followed by another "comfort level" Evaluate.  The next round can be done in the same manner, with metrics or action plans as the topic to brainstorm for each strategy.
3. Sometimes it is useful to create a "loop" of steps.  If you are going to brainstorm, discuss, and prioritize each item on a list of items (e.g., Generate, Organize, and Evaluate each item), you can set these steps up as a repeatable loop.  Take one item, such as an objective, and work through its metrics or milestones.  Repeat the loop of steps for the next objective, etc.  Meetingworks saves the results of each loop, and your agenda is short and simple! 
4. Use a Meetingworks "metaphor" for strategic planning.
• For headings in the agenda, before each section of the meeting, use these "step purpose" descriptions in Manual steps:
• Gassing Up (introductions, expectations, and warm-up exercises) 
• Roadmap for the Day (agenda review)
• Routes (list, review, and prioritize strategies against goals)
• Dashboard Meters (list and select metrics for goals and/or strategies)
• Mileposts (objectives for metrics)
• Itineraries (set up tactical planning teams)
• Near Home (plan actions, cruise the parking lot)
• In the Garage (meeting evaluation)