The Planning Dilemma

Strategic Planning within the Mass Production model is a highly sophisticated process of attacking the market and defeating competition. In the new context, companies must create seamless, effortless, integrated processes that are responsive, nimble, flexible and proactive. This shift in orientation demands a new approach to "planning" the future.

The Mass Market has disintegrated into thousands of niches. Growth opportunities within this new environment are enormous. Attempts at forcing the market to fit the factory are futile. Standardization has been replaced with customization. The strategy of becoming the "low cost producer" and many other Mass Production strategies no longer apply.

A new process of Planning is needed to meet the challenge ahead. Strategic Visioning is a totally different planning process. It begins with the unprecedented assumption of a "World of Abundance" and dispels the illusion that the world will never be "organized." Within the chaos of the exploding global market, there is a systematic planning process for creating organizational success. Creating the Structural Framework that drives this process is the Transformational Leadership Challenge.

Creating a Strategic Vision

The Founding Fathers of our United States did not unite the States. They created the Structural Framework called the Constitution on which the States could unite.

STEP ONE - Visioning

Strategic Visioning is a dynamic planning process that creates a Structural Framework for transforming the Business of the BUSINESS. The process starts by recognizing the difference between "creating a business" and "reorganizing an organization". The existing business cannot be eliminated nor should the existing organization of that business be immediately changed. Both, however, can be transformed.

STEP TWO - Strategic Element

Working backward from the Vision, the process continues by identifying the Strategic Elements that will be required to create the desired future. Realism aside, the future BUSINESS can be revealed in terms of tangible Elements for success.

STEP THREE - Opportunity Analysis

The Strategic Elements are prioritized using a computerized voting process. This process anonymously reveals the "subconscious collective intelligence" of the group. The voting process is effective in that it suspends the exhaustive debates about deployment strategies that dominate most traditional planning approaches.

The Strategic Elements are visually displayed for all participants to see.

STEP FOUR - Commitment to Change

Step Three reveals the gap between the current business orientation and the desired future state. The group will now be able to evaluate their "commitment" to creating the future. Since most traditional planning processes are driven by "compliance", it is an enormous, often traumatic, realization that the entire organization must be "enrolled in the process" if the desired state is to be achieved.

STEP FIVE - Enrollment

Enrolling the entire organization in creating the Vision must be handled very carefully. During this step many interventions are possible. The key is to clearly demonstrate "trust around intentions." Armed with the Strategic Vision, Senior Leaders can invite all employees to be involved in the planning process and contribute creative ideas while enhancing their awareness of future opportunities.

STEP SIX - Create Structure

Strategic Visioning is dynamic and ongoing. to facilitate the process, all the input must be placed in a STRUCTURAL FRAMEWORK™ that simplifies and organizes the change initiative. Everyone can begin to see the alignment of their actions. A Collective Intelligence begins to form. The random chaos of the past is eliminated. People participate in purposeful activity. People are empowered to imply their creative talent.

STEP SEVEN - Collective Intelligence

Throughout the Strategic Visioning process, a new Business of the BUSINESS will emerge. The new business will need to be organized differently than in the past. New relationships with customers and suppliers will reveal the need for proactive effort. To be seamless, nimble, responsive and effortless, the organization must be a network enabled by information. This network reflects the Collective Intelligence of the organization. It's power to watch the people accept responsibility and accountability to create the new organization.

STEP EIGHT - Repeat the Process

Never take success for granted. Within the context of the new business environment, the "World of Abundance" will continue to unfold. The dynamics of Strategic Visioning will discipline the entire organization to repeat the process as the ongoing "planning" regimen.