Overview
Effective strategic development—that is actionable—requires planning participants to be well informed about internal operations and external market conditions, before they meet at the planning table. Everyone involved should have reliable, real-time data to draw from.
Facilitator
Andrew Ballard is a seasoned and respected growth strategist who specializes in marketing research and strategic planning. For over 30 years he has helped hundreds of organizations (public, private and not-for-profit) develop and execute strategic and operational plans. He has personally facilitator over 500 planning sessions.
Philosophy
Ballard’s strategic planning philosophy is three-fold: strategic development and implementation should be: 1) data-driven, 2) customer-centric, and 3) outcomes-based.
Understanding and using the “voice of the customer” (both internal and external customers) is mission critical. Knowing (not guessing) what engenders loyalty and extends the lifetime market value of core customer segments is the key to planning and operational success.
Approach
Andrew’s approach is to keep the process as simple as possible to achieve the desired result. To that end, the planning team should be on the same page, in terms of both process and outcome objectives, as well as vernacular. Ballard facilitates this process in advance of group planning.
Andrew’s planning process is initiated through three phases:
- Pre-planning— organize the team, agree on the agenda and gather the data (which may include an organization assessment). Because of this pre-planning emphasis, planning sessions and retreats are engaging, enlightening and effective.
- Planning— during the planning session—using consensus building techniques—develop and prioritize informed strategies based on establishing measureable objectives. The tools incorporated by the facilitator are well structured and time-efficient.
- Implementation— develop and document an action plan aligned to a pre-approved budget. The strategic planning process is completed by making the strategy operational through budgets, action plans and effective performance management.
Andrew uses a scalable and sequential approach he developed—to simplify the process and bring the planning team together—called M.O.S.T. (mission, objectives, strategies and tactics). His sequential process has proven effective for organizations of all sectors and sizes.
“I believe that if Andrew was sent to Mars tomorrow, without speaking a word of Martian, he would help them reorganize better and prepare a new plan, for their future…in a weekend.”
~ Sarri Gilman, Executive Director, Leadership Snohomish County
