Conducting Strategic Sessions
A strategic session is an event whose format involves a group of participants developing important decisions regarding the future development of the company.
The strategic session scenario is developed taking into account the goals that need to be achieved at the strategic session.
A strategic session will help if you are faced with one of the following tasks:
Key project goals
IMPORTANT QUESTION
Why involve key people in strategy sessions?
The implementation of strategic projects is always associated with major changes in the company. And if the company’s key specialists understand the rationale behind the need to achieve the set goals, then they take on this task with great enthusiasm. Thanks to strategic sessions, the full potential of the team is involved in working on strategic tasks, because these are the best minds of the company. At the same time, participation in the discussion of decisions helps to further remove resistance to change and form a unified view of the management team on the future of the business.
Step-by-step plan for a strategic session
1
Preparation
- We interview the management team (top managers and the customer)
- We define the tasks, the main results of the strategic session and record them
- A team of consultants dives into the specifics of the customer’s business (including market, industry)
- We develop and approve a scenario for conducting a strategic session
- We select methods and tools for use during a strategic session
- We approve the composition of the group of participants for the upcoming strategic session
2
Carrying out
- We formulate rules that will help you conduct a strategic session effectively
- We conduct the session according to the previously agreed upon scenario
- During the session we manage group dynamics
- We record the results of the strategic session and what the participants agreed on
3
Summing up the results of the strategic session
- We discuss and finalize the results of the strategic session, including the consultant’s recommendations for implementing changes
- Consultants provide the customer with a report on the results of the session
- We provide feedback on the management team (outcomes and results, assessment of teamwork, clarification on the potential of key employees, etc.)
Who needs to be involved in the strategy session to get a good effect:
The head of the company - he has authority and power
Key specialists - they will have to implement the solutions developed (by them) during the strategy session
External consultant - he is the team’s guide to achieving the planned results
OUR EXPERTS
Alexander Pankov
Chairman of the Board - A.maze.S
Expert on Strategic Management
Management Consultant
Why do you need an external expert when conducting strategy sessions?
- He owns the tools and techniques that help make the session effective and achieve the desired results.
- An external expert is never involved in internal disputes and conflicts, he has no personal interests in the discussion - this allows the process to be carried out efficiently and the most optimal decisions for the business to be made.
- The strategy consultant is faced with the task of showing key employees the business from a different perspective, so that they find new opportunities and breakthrough solutions. Often, company specialists cannot do this without an outside perspective, constantly being engaged in operational tasks.
RESULTS
Results of the strategic session:
- The business receives answers to the questions it faced before the strategic session
- Involvement of session participants in the implementation of decisions made and assigned tasks
- A unified team information field on this issue has been created
- A list of recommendations from an external consultant that will help implement the decisions made during the session
CONDUCT A STRATEGIC SESSION
TO ACHIEVE BUSINESS GOALS
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