CHAPTER 10 | WHO ARE YOU TRAVELING WITH?
Again, nobody likes strategic planning. Nobody. It is out of everyone’s comfort zone.
Even people who lead strategic planning don’t like it. It’s like being a dentist.
But if you take out the word “strategic,” somehow it’s not so bad. Words and the perception of those words matter. And planning, as a process, is something that should never be feared or dreaded.
If you go to the dentist often, it becomes OK.
You know how you go on vacation, especially with a group, and you don’t get the rhythm of it until it’s almost time to leave?
Strategic planning is like that. Packing just enough but not too much. Figuring out where you are and if there is something to discover. Trying everything to find what you really like…
Frankly, some modules hit with certain people one time and fail the next.
It has to do with who you take on your trip, their adoption of the process, and how long your trip is.
WHO
When you’re in charge of a planning session for an entire organization, for a department or brand, or for a specific initiative, choose your participants carefully. If you know the people personally, your gut will tell you if they would be good contributors, play well with others, and be positive with ideas (rather than immediately negative).
The worst? People who have committed to themselves to be closed minded when they walk in the door.
The second worst? People who have been asked to participate for political reasons.
The third worst? People who have been asked to "observe."
Unnecessary negativity will render the entire process to be a waste of time, and planning will be a dirty word until chaos ensues. Then everyone is an expert, looking back and blaming a lack of planning.
Who to invite?
> People whose opinion you value and are willing to respect and/or factor
> One person who represents financials, budgeting, or operations
> The person(s) who are organizational connectors and champions
> Idea generator(s)
> One subject-matter expert
> One or more marketing people (if it’s not you)
> Requisite C-suite
You’ll invite them all with a prep package, to include a competitor review and/or a snapshot of how competitors are currently marketing. If you’re a non-profit with a specific mission, your competitors would be other non-profits in your sector, such as health/human services, environment, politics, advocacy, diseases, etc.
If you have primary research, or sharable financials, or trend data, it’s in the packet.
If you don’t know your competitors, get busy.
Should you invite the CEO? Let’s talk about that next week. Because after decades of experience and dozens of sessions, that would be a loaded question.
Maybe yes, maybe no. Maybe both yes and no.