Enlightened Pathfinding: Let’s Move on from Strategic Planning and Instead…April 11th, 2016

21st Century Business Ideas 

 by Peter A. Arthur-Smith, Leadership Solutions, Inc.

 TimeForChange-041116

“Strategic planning is an oxymoron – strategy cannot be planned because planning is about analysis and strategy is about synthesis.” Henry Mintzberg’s book ‘The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning’ (Free Press – 1994) Former President of the Strategic Planning  Society: two-time winner of prestigious McKinsey Award for best Harvard Business Review article.

 

Strategic planning played its part in nearly driving us over a cliff during the Great Recession. Why? Because it kills creative thinking, encourages lack-luster visions, precludes most stakeholders, and promotes undue structure and process.

 

» Kills Creative Thinking – It is a mechanism founded on analysis, which, in itself, switches off our intuitive imagination. On one level people love logical appro-aches without appreciating that they subdue our ability to think outside-the-box. Strategic plans usually end up in lengthy written documents that scare most people within an organization from reading them. Just think of those books heavy on economics you’ve been exposed to; without having a particular appetite for the subject.

 

» Encourages Lack-luster Visions – More often than not, strategic plans take a linear, deductive approach. Numerous entrepreneurs side-step strategic plans because they lack flexibility, lock them into stifling paths, and give scant room for flair or imagination. By the time the “planners” leading such an exercise have finished, they’ve usually drained any potential fun, passion or compelling vision out of the event.

 

» Precludes Stakeholders – Most strategic plans are focused on owner, shareholder or board member expectations. Little time is spent on the expectations of other stakeholders: such as customers, workforce, managers-leaders, suppliers, alliances, industry assoc-iations, and so on. Without translating owner-shareholder expectations into the specific expectations of all other stakeholders, any planning document is of little interest to them.

 

» Promotes Undue Structure and Process – Strategic plans promote hierarchical thinking. They encourage a slavish rather than an empowered approach. Hier-archies induce barriers to new ideas at all levels, as well as reduce participation. Structure and process rely on systems and systems often create “red tape.” Just think of the many government departments that are so bureaucratic that they are tied together by “red tape.”

 

    Strategic planning encourages other unhelpful features such as: minimizing context and relying on narrow goals, focusing on too many issues at once, and fostering command and control. No wonder many are put on shelves or are unconsciously “shelved”  by those they affect. Strategic planning played its part in driving the Great Recession by ignoring the economic warning signs, while driving unsustainable profits and growth.

 

Instead, we should be drawing upon strategic frame-works. These are much more flexible pictures highlighting a compelling vision, sensible related objectives, ground-breaking know-how and valuable resources. Furthermore, they pinpoint all likely stakeholders, along with their expectations, and focus on outputs that gain people’s attention.

 

Compared with the listed strategic planning factors, let’s take a look at where  strategic framing scores:

»Creativity – By its use of positive and challenging questions and diagrams or pictures, it calls upon partici-pants’ intuitive capabilities. The latter activity allows an opportunity for imaginative thinking. With the right facilitation, it helps build conversations and encourages as much “idea flow” as is possible.

»Visions – Drawing upon this intuitive  activity, partici-pants can reach for appropriate insightful metaphors. Pictures can say a thousand words, while metaphors can define a thousand pictures. Free-flow conversation to find the most exciting metaphor  will, more often than not, release an inspiring vision.

»Stakeholders – Strategic framing is designed to identify all known stakeholders and their expectations. Once these are spelled out, most stakeholders will show considerably more interest in the exercise and play their part in realizing its intentions. This is done in a way that increases overall understanding.

»Focus and Principles – Strategic frameworks provide focus more than structure and the ability to adapt while moving forward. They also benefit from key principles, offering greater latitude and empowerment, rather than relying upon the regimentation of process.

 

On virtually every point associated with strategic planning, strategic framing wins out. Framing provides the scope, engagement and flexibility to meet faster-moving organizational environments. Since it taps into the incredible power and

speed of our intuitive mind, it is much more time effective than planning exercises.

   It’s never too late to start a strategic framing exercise, especially as it’s better to have a framework than not one at all. Not to have a strategic framework for your organization is like having a ship without a rudder. You’ll be all over the place and your people will have no idea where your organization is going. Besides, if you have a compelling vision, it’s like having a huge magnetic force that’s drawing everyone toward it.

  So, start tomorrow. Start thinking about your grand strategy, your current and future products-services, as well as other factors which LSI is happy to share. Then figure out the vital know-how required to pursue this, as well as the essential resources. You’ll now be in a position to determine the near-term operational and human outcomes your organization can attain to propel your organization forward. It’s not so difficult; it just needs your time and mindset to do it.

Next time someone suggests a planning exercise opt for framing instead… you’ll take a big step forward.

You can discover more about “strategic framing” by talking with: