Strategic Planning 

Strategic Planning

Alice asked the Cat, “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.

“I don’t much care where–” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

“–so long as I get SOMEWHERE,” Alice added as an explanation.

“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”

(Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 6)

Let’s suppose you’ve honestly assessed your company’sperformance, and you’ve successfully clarified your vision. You already know that having a plan makes you much more likely to achieve your goals.

And yet, you don’t have a plan, do you?

When we ask business owners this question, we get a host of answers that sound something like, “It’s on my list of To Dos,” or “I just have a few things to clean up before I’ll be able to get at it,” or (and this one’s our favorite) “I have a plan—in my head.”

The thing is, business owners are simply dealing with too many moving parts to rely on a plan that they only have in their head. This is such a common problem that we’ve come up with a step-by-step solution to enable business owners to create a plan that will help business to stay on track and reach their goals.

The Closed-Loop Strategic Planning Process™ 

Our strategic planning process has evolved over a 15-year period, through practical use with countless business owners in Canada. Although the process is hard work, we’ve kept it straightforward and easy to follow, generating positive results every time.

To make it simple, we’ve broken up the process into three stages:

      1. Pre-Work
      2. Off-Site Planning Session
      3. Follow-Up and Completion

iC3 works with you in every stage, as both a catalyst and accountability agent. The planning process includes a step-by-step roadmap to guide your business:

      1. Assess your current situation (Financial performance, employee and client engagement, SWOT)
      2. Clarify core organizational values
      3. Define vision
      4. Confirm leadership team roles and responsibilities (Determine structure & best fit)
      5. Identify three major strategic goals
      6. Develop business initiatives (Each member of the leadership team)
      7. Close the loop (Match business initiatives to SWOT)
      8. Create an action plan (How will you complete the plan?)

Every company is different, so we provide tools to help tailor the process to meet the unique needs of your business. We will work with you to create a customized program for your company and will then lead your team through the process as follows:

  • Provide our Closed-Loop Strategic Planning Process™ Workbook
  • Facilitate Pre-Work online sessions
  • Facilitate two-day off-site meeting
  • Facilitate follow-up online sessions
  • Conduct telephone discussions as necessary

This process is a critical part of the foundation that your business is built upon. We will guide you through each step, modify the process to fit your company’s needs, hold you accountable to your goals, and enable you to create a roadmap to your company’s vision. There is nothing like a clear, grounded plan to empower you to succeed

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