Whether you are doing it yourself, bringing in an outside facilitator, here are some tips to help you.
Every quarter is like a 13-week race that contributes to your Annual Plan priorities and Long-term 3-5 year strategic plan goals. It is important to take the time to prepare a sound plan that your team is aligned with and bought into. To ensure a good planning session, you need to do some preparation.
Once you have your date and logistics worked out, you can prepare for the strategic planning session.
Previous Quarter Review and Prep
Development of a Quarterly Execution Plan
You normally finish the first half of the agenda by lunch and complete the second half by the end of the day. The CEO should kick of the session by saying a few words, setting a positive tone and direction for the day. It is helpful to have a facilitator run the session for you so that everyone can participate and to keep the session moving along. A facilitator can also mediate when needed and add an outside perspective. If this is not possible, I recommend assigning someone to be a scribe and someone as a timekeeper or "sergeant at arms" to keep the meeting on track and moving along. The CEO can run the meeting, but this is not necessary and in many cases, the group will be more open if someone else on the team leads the session. You may find that you have someone on your team that is particularly good at running meetings, and this person is a good choice.
Just because you got together for the day does not mean you have all the answers or data at your disposal. Commit to getting it right, not just done. You may find some areas of the plan that need more work, or that you need more information. Make plans to get it. Just make sure you do it promptly so you can roll out your plan on time and begin executing. Make sure you take the time to put success criteria on the priorities so that everyone can agree together on what success at the end of the quarter will look like.
Close your session with one word or a phrase from each person on how they feel about the day.
Good luck with your next session and please let us know if we can offer any support. Alan
Want to learn more about Quarterly Planning? Check out these additional quarterly planning resources:
Value of Outside Facilitation for Quarterly and Annual Planning
The Anatomy of a Great Quarterly Plan (Infographic)
Lean Quarterly Planning: How Complex Companies Drive Out Waste
10 Tips for a Successful Quarterly Planning Session (Video)
How to Choose the Right Priorities During Your Quarterly Planning Session
How Much Time Should I Allocate for My Quarterly Planning Session?
The Definitive Guide to Quarterly Planning
Rhythm Systems Quarterly Planning Resource Center