EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT
Structure and Purpose : Planning Essentials
By Joseph P . Truncale , Ph . D . Contributing Editor
Many organizational leaders cite their instincts and having a “ feel for the business ” as reasons for their business success . Fair enough . But there comes a time in any growing enterprise when having a plan in your head can bring limited results , frustrating the leader and the senior team .
Structured planning does not mean rigidity and a lack of creativity and experimentation . It does mean a process which will better enable and encourage this in a way that can elicit prioritized action items with assigned responsibility and trackable , measurable timelines and expected outcomes .
A key agenda item for an effective planning offsite session is allowing time for idea generation , and “ The Four D ’ s ”: Discussion , Dialogue , Debate and Decisions ( which result in the assignment of responsibility to a designated member of the senior team ). This is another reason why having an experienced , skillful
facilitator helping to build the agenda and then guide the process can be invaluable .
I ’ ve heard from many executives who lament the hollowness of their strategic sessions . Great discussions , lots of ideas and no shortage of problems , challenges and obstacles talked about . While these items are unique to the organization , the common thread is that few if any decisions are made . Even when they are , no actionable items , milestone dates , progress measurements or assignment of responsibilities are put in place . Many cite as evidence the fact that the same problems are brought up at meeting after meeting with little meaningful headway made .
At the same time , items that are crucial to the success of the enterprise and need to be talked out during strategy sessions are deflected or avoided altogether . It can be uncomfortable to address obstacles , flawed processes , outdated and frustrating policies , and “ people issues ”; yet these are often the most compelling areas of concern . Hitting these head on in strategic session can be the most impactful part of the planning process .
An essential element of the strategy session is to establish meeting ground rules at the onset . One of these should be to designate the meeting as a “ safe place ”; meaning that no subject , topic or discussion item is off limits . These can
Successful business planning should include “ The Four D ’ s ”: Discussion , Dialogue , Debate and Decisions
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / Rawpixel be brought forward by any participant , the only stipulations being that it is done in a respectful manner and that no one becomes defensive of their efforts , projects , people or results . In fact , for these meetings to yield the best outcomes , candor must be part of the process . It does little to help move the enterprise forward if items that need to be worked out are glossed over or ignored altogether .
Every phase of a high-level strategy session can be greatly improved , and the value derived from the investment in time and energy maximized when preparation ( before the meeting ), participation ( during the meeting ) and performance ( following the meeting ) are stressed .
Bringing structure , discipline and process to strategy formulation and planning can move your team and your organization forward in an effective , meaningful way . And results will come very quickly .
For more information on ways to get the most out of your planning process , contact me at joe @ ajstrategy . com .
Joseph P . Truncale , Ph . D ., CAE , is the Founder & Principal of Alexander Joseph Associates , a privately held consultancy specializing in executive business advisory services .
He is the former CEO of the Public Relations Society of America ( PRSA ), the world ’ s largest public relations organization . Prior to joining PRSA , Joe was President & CEO of NAPL , a business management association representing leading companies in the printing , graphic communications , mailing , fulfillment and marketing services industry .
Joe specializes in strategy , customer analysis and organizational effectiveness .
He is a graduate of Monmouth University and he holds a Masters ’ Degree from Rutgers University . In 2011 , he earned his Ph . D . in Media , Culture and Communications at New York University and was the recipient of the Prism Award for Academic Achievement . His dissertation was a ground-breaking study of the leadership styles of highly successful entrepreneurial business executives in the graphic communications industry .
Joe served as Co-Chair of the New York University Board of Advisors and is an adjunct faculty member at NYU teaching graduate courses in Executive Leadership , Financial Management and Analysis , Finance for Marketing Decisions , and Leadership : The C Suite Perspective . He resides in Colts Neck , NJ .
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