How much time is enough time to plan?

 "We need a new plan, and the survival of our business depends on it. Can we do it in a half day?" We would love to tell you that we have never heard this question, but if we told you that we would be kidding you. Sometimes the CEO places the time constraint there because right now the business is filling sandbags against a rising tide. In other instances the time limit is suggested because of assumptions about the investment needed to bring in someone to facilitate the planning process. How much time is enough time to plan - and to do it right?

Strategic Planning

There is work that has to be done to be able to develop a market-dominating strategy. It starts with a clear idea of your long term vision for the business, your purpose, and the core values that determine the manner in which you engage with others.

You need to look at your core customer's needs and wants (or identify who your core customer is if you haven't determined that already). Your business needs a look at the market, at your competitors, at your partners and channels. You need to know the attributes that can help you to capture space in the market that nobody else is occupying. 

The inside of your company, its resources, strengths, and handicaps are also important to know and articulate. It's only after you do all of the above that you can develop a plan that will do what you want it to do.  Can you do all of this in a half day?  Doubtful unless you are already 3/4 of the way there. Allow a solid two days to give your leadership team enough airtime to create a solid foundation and explore options.

Operational or Tactical Planning

This type of planning goes directly toward execution of the strategy, and the timeline on these is typically shorter. Rather than spending your quarter playing Whack a Mole with the challenges of each day, you can instead select a few significant priorities upon which to focus. With our Strategic Excellence clients, quarterly plan updates may be 1/2 day to 2 days, depending upon the complexity of the business and the intensity of the issues it is currently facing.

If you want to keep your team in lockstep, set up a quarterly priority as a 13-week race. This means that something happens every week to keep this goal moving. In the 13-week race you build in weekly accountability, so you can readily see whether your goal is on track - or not.

Daily Huddle

Slowdowns and setbacks can be minimized when you know about the potential stumbling blocks early. The huddle is the place where you team takes no more than 15 minutes to check in about their priorities for the day, celebrations, and stuck points. Stay standing to help yourself keep it short. If there are problems to solve, they are uncovered here, but resolved outside of the huddle. It's the quick conversation, then "Break!" and the team is off to handle the day.

The Bottom Line

Strategy can bring sales, but execution determines profits. Tactics without the context of strategy create busyness, but not always the desired results. Strategy without effective execution means success is short-lived, or living only in a file somewhere. Can you succeed in business with a plan that's only in your head, or on the back of a cocktail napkin? Perhaps. Are you willing to risk your business on that notion? That's the question.