Stay True to Your Plan

Mar 19, 2019 | Strategic Planning

It’s been a few months since you and your team put the finishing touches on your organization’s exciting, challenging, and let’s be honest, pretty amazing strategic plan. So what’s happened since you all high-fived one another and ‘finished’ that project? Have you moved the plan forward? Have you focused on it each day? Has it become a guide for your leadership and team actions? Or, have you already lost sight of what you and the team determined was needed to strategically move your...

How Valuable Is Your Time?

Jan 22, 2019 | Leadership Development

How valuable is your time? I’m not asking what your hourly pay or rate is, but rather, how important is your time to you in ensuring your organization’s success? An indication of how much you value your time is how you use it. As leaders, our intentional use of our time is indicative of what is most important to us as leaders. An organization’s strategic priorities are highlighted by which strategies and programs receive proper funding and management, and which do not. A leader’s priorities...

Leadership 360s Should NOT Stand Alone

Mar 21, 2018 | Leadership Development

A CEO called because after two years in his role, his executive team was performing well, but they weren’t ‘gelling.’ Work was getting done, but at times it seemed random and chaotic. Though collegial and highly qualified, his senior team didn’t work well together, and as a result, the work throughout the organization was disjointed and becoming more siloed. “I’ve used leadership 360s with prior teams in other organizations, and they’ve proven to be a good tool in identifying where we each...

Prepare Your Team for the New Year

Nov 20, 2017 | Strategic Planning, WBS

Is your team prepared for the New Year? Are they clear and aligned so they’re better able to work together instead of frustrating one another? Do they know what to stop doing and what to start? Are they looking forward to the new year or are they just…blah? If you already have a decent strategic plan that’s provided guidance and structure for you and your team, preparing for the new year doesn’t need to be a big production or a major event. I know that sounds strange coming from someone who...

Why Use an Outside Facilitator for Strategy Sessions?

Aug 21, 2017 | Strategic Planning, WBS

It’s getting to be that time of year again when many organizations start to think about holding strategy sessions. These sessions may be informal leadership team strategy sessions or more formal strategic planning retreats. Whatever format is used, I always suggest an outside facilitator – one who is skilled in facilitating senior-level strategy sessions – to guide the process. I’m not saying this because I facilitate strategic planning sessions. I’m saying this because I’ve seen what happens...