How Strategic Planning is Very Much Like an Orchestra Playing a Composer's Masterpiece

Strategic planning involves many people and many talents in creating this doable flight plan. Unfortunately, the end result in many cases is non-functional courses of action because the structure to create the plan failed to work with the overall thought processes.

Take a moment to think about an orchestra and how it plays the music of the composer. Everything works together and barring some last minute hiccup the execution of the musical presentation to the public is perfect to almost perfect. However, to get to this point requires a lot of practice between orchestra members with the conductor guiding everyone to the desired end results. The actual musical composition allows the music to come forth from which the orchestra plays.

Within the strategic planning process, the plan is very much like the sheets of music from which the orchestra can play. From a value standpoint, this probably represents around 10% because until the musicians take action, the potential musical notes are never heard. The real value of teamwork, give and take and the overall process to take those handwritten notes and make the sounds fill the orchestra hall is the other 90%.

Many involved within this critical business endeavor fail to understand the 10-90 value of the overall process. In some instances from my experience, the focus shifts to just one person such as the CEO who does not lead, but rather dictates the discussion because he envisions a 90-10 value where 90% is the plan and 10% are the contributions. When this happens certain factions emerge where one group wants to be heard over the other. The music generated from these interactions is not pleasant and is usually disruptive to getting to the desired results.

If you truly wish to have an executable strategic plan, then it makes sense to understand the 10-90 value of the entire planning process. Additionally, it also might make sense to have the conductor hired from outside of the orchestra and not a member of the orchestra. When you consider this perspective, you just may find far greater success in securing your desired business results.

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Executive and Sales Coach Leanne Hoagland-Smith understands you have limited time, but really want to take your business to that next level. If you are willing to commit to 4 hours, you can create your own business action plan. Remember, indecision is a decision and do you truly want to be in the same place this time next year?

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