How long?” is a question with a two-part answer.
The first part of Strategic Planning, the actual sessions using a skilled facilitator, normally take four days of intense work by the chief executive officer and all direct reports. It is recognized that taking four days in sequence may be difficult due to the press of operating issues. The sessions can be broken up into two, two-day sessions. The gap between these sessions should be no more than one week in order to retain continuity. The sessions can be conducted over a weekend if necessary. A very common approach is to have a dinner meeting on Thursday evening to explain the process, followed by sessions on Friday and Saturday, with a similar sequence the following week.
The second part of Strategic Planning, the implementation and the achievement of significantly improved operating results, will take between six and eighteen months. It takes this long for functional plans to be fully implemented. To ensure success, however, the Strategic Planning Process must be followed to the letter. It cannot be aborted or postponed. Such a discipline is required. The vehicle for ensuring such follow-up is the use of specific or tactical objectives, which clearly spell out action steps, accountabilities, and dates for completion.
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