Executives love to talk about planning… most complain their processes don’t work very well. Harvard Business Review reports that only 11% of CEOs believe that strategic planning is worth the effort. Most planning processes are too complex, and only document decisions already made. CEOs have the responsibility to make their planning processes effective; I believe the key is to keep the processes simple and focused.
Here are some my observations about the role of Leaders in Planning:
Almost all leaders can talk about where they are taking their business; talking is easy. Ask them to put in it in writing… almost all will struggle.
Mark Twain said, “Mother Nature created writing to demonstrate just how disorganized the human brain really is!”
Everybody in the organization is constantly watching what the CEO says and does. If you want to know what most CEO’s really think… watch their actions, not their words.
Leaders want to lead. They want to be understood. Employees want to follow, execute and excel! Somehow the process of planning and communicating the plan, falls apart in most companies.
CEO of SBC West recently said, “Just about the time I am getting damn sick and tired of repeating our Vision, Mission and Strategies to our management team and their employees, they are just beginning to get it! His admonition… keep on repeating the plan! Sooner or later… people will get it!
Sharing the plan is not enough! Leaders need to paint the big picture… and then invite the team to participate in the process.
Once the team knows the big picture, my favorite questions are:
- From where you sit, what does the future look like?
- What would be the steps you would take to get there?
- What are the obstacles you need to overcome?
- What resources are required?
- What will you measure to know if you are successful?”
Planning is a continuous process… not an event.
The final “plan document” should represent a set of decisions.
The plans that work are the ones that get implemented and measured!
Role of Leadership in Planning - To learn more about this author, visit Jim Horan's Website.
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Dianne Crampton
Dianne Crampton is an Executive Leadership Coach and Team Building Consultant and creator of the TIGERS team development model. For the past twenty years she has helped leaders and teams achieve goals with high levels of collaboration and teamwork.
Crampton is a published author. Her contribution to Working Together: Diversity As Opportunity was endorsed by Stephen Covey. She has written for trade magazines. Merrill Lynch nominated her business for Inc. Magazine’s regional small business and entrepreneurial awards. Her work with Native Americans was recognized at a United Nations sponsored conference in 1994.
The TIGERS model passed two rigorous validation studies in 1992 and 1994. The TIGERS Survey is able to measure and track team development over time.
Dianne is also the creator and distributor of the TIGERS Team Wheel game. This game helps groups identify behaviors that build collaborative groups and behaviors that cause conflict, morale problems, production failures, and misunderstandings.
For more information, or to subscribe to TigerTracks, a free monthly leadership and team newsletter go to http://www.corevalues.com - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Dr. John Oda
John Oda Ph.D NLP is a business peak performance expert, an author, and speaker frequently called upon to provide corporate training, workshops and seminars for many companies in the United States. He is an expert in coaching sales and business professionals in overcoming the behaviors and obstacles that may impede their sales results and affect their bottom line. Since 1995, John has created a speaking bureau such topics, which include: time management, sales training, human diversity, leadership programs and etc. He provides companies with a strategic plan to increase their bottom line by over 25 percent yearly. - Visit Dr. John Oda's Website |
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Jim Horan
(Visit Jim's Website)
Jim Horan is an experienced Fortune
500 executive, consultant, author and
speaker. Currently he is CEO of The One
Page Business Plan Company. Jim founded
the company in 1990 after 20 years in
senior financial positions in Fortune 500
companies. Over the past 18 years, his
company with 400+ senior consultants has
helped start and grow over 250,000
businesses and 5,000 non-profits. The One
Page Business Plan for the Creative
Entrepreneur book was published in 1997
and quickly became an Amazon.com
best-seller. In 2007 he published the
Professional Consultant, Non-Profit and
Financial Service editions. The company
is rapidly becoming known for its
innovative planning and performance
management software and consulting
services. Clients include companies like
Oracle, Disney, Allstate Insurance,
Prudential Financial & Morgan Stanley. Mr.
Horan speaks to audiences across the
country, helping leaders systematically
make their businesses more profitable.
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