Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning

I’m too busy.  I haven’t the time.  Can’t we do this in two hours?

When trying to plan for the future, or make major changes, transforming an organization, it takes time.  As Gil Amelio was reported to have told the executive team at National Semiconductor when he took over as CEO:  “if we don’t take the time to think, plan, organize and change, nothing will change.” He took his executive team away for days at a time each quarter in order to transform the organization.

Jack Welch did similar retreats when he took over and transformed G.E.

I am about to conduct a six hour strategic planning session for an association of women – and instead of the board members making the time, we are hearing excuse after excuse as to why they can’t attend for the entire six hours.  Yet, the work they really need is about a two or three day retreat.  Since this is a volunteer organization, we need to do the best we can do in a very short period of time.

This group will also need Board of Directors training, job descriptions for the board members, policy and procedures and a host of other processes to enable them to grow the way their CEO wishes to see them grow.  All in good time, I hope.