A key skill for any business consultant working with a top
team is the ability to help them clarify and define their
strategy. This strategy will then inform decisions about
what to focus on, how to organize work, where to prioritise
spending.
1. Opportunities, Threats and Risks
As a starting point, focus on the external factors facing
the business or part of the business you are working with '
that is, what are the opportunities, threats and risks to
the business. An example might be a change in mortgage
lending which presents an opportunity for your business as
a property developer. Or it could be a major home builder
moving into your geography which directly threatens your
business. This should be done as a brainstorm exercise to
generate as much contribution and engagement as possible.
After this, prioritise each issue using a 2 x 2 matrix with
"What is potential likelihood" on the vertical axis (low to
high) and "How relevant is it?" (low to high) on the
horizontal axis.
Once the highly relevant issues which have a high potential
of occurring (that is, the top right hand corner of the
matrix) have been prioritized by the group, discuss each in
terms of:
What is it?
How relevant is it? Why is it relevant?
What is the potential likelihood?
2. Strengths, Weaknesses and Gaps
Now move to the internal factors impacting the business.
Brainstorm the significant internal factors facing the
business or part of the business. An internal strength
might be the technical skills of your team or your well
established sales processes.
Next, prioritise each factor again using a 2 x 2 matrix
with the "How strong or weak" (low to high) on the vertical
axis and "How important is it?" (low to high) on the
horizontal axis.
Once the important, 'strong' factors have been identified
discuss each in terms of:
What is it?
Why is it relevant?
What is its' potential impact?
The first two steps are very like a SWOT analysis except
that each factor is prioritized and each of the top
priority factors discussed. This discussion enables the
team to share their concerns and expectations for the
future, something which gets missed if you merely
brainstorm.
3. Critical Success Factors
After the prioritized SWOT focus on the critical success
factors, that is, what must we as a business get right over
the next 2 to 3 years to be successful. At this stage, to
ensure that the focus is still a strategic one, it is
important to address the external threats and opportunities
(that is, step 1) when thinking about the CSFs.
After brainstorming, discuss each CSF ' why people see it
as important and the implications to the business of each.
After the discussion undertake some prioritization exercise
such as nominal group technique (NGT). NGT usually
consists of allocating 3 votes to each individual and they
are free to allocate those votes as they see fit. They can
allocate 3 to one factor or distribute one vote for to each
of three factors.
4. Values
A critical component of a strategy workshop must also
address 'how' people will work together, not just what they
will work on. Where the CSF's are aligned to the external
factors, the Values tend to be aligned to the internal
factors (no. 2). These values are what will unite a group
and keep them intact during difficult or stressful times.
To do this, brainstorm the following question: "in your
opinion, what must we value (believe in) as a business to
achieve this success?"
Discuss each value:
What does this mean?
Why is it important?
What does it look like? ' how would you role model this to
others
Agree and prioritise the top half dozen or so values using
a prioritization technique such as NGT.
Ask the group, how do these values match current values?
What do we need to do differently to achieve these values?
5. Key Organisation Design Criteria
As part of a strategy workshop it is important to think
through how resources should be organized to exploit
opportunities, fight off threats from competitors and make
best use of our strengths. Although designing an
organization usually requires technical expertise in job
design, the responsibility for defining what type of
organization we want to create and work within belongs with
the top team.
Brainstorm the following question: "in your opinion, what
are critical organization design issues re structure,
processes, roles, performance management, reporting etc?"
At this stage it is important to think about the ideal
future organization and not the existing organisation.
Think about the major work processes and how this work
should be organized ' eg if we need to be more customer
focused should we organize our teams around our major
customers and their concerns.
Discuss each criterion:
Why?
Implications?
Prioritise as necessary, finding the show stoppers or key
enablers.
6. Key Strategic Drivers
As a summary, ask the following question: "What are the 2
to 4 key strategic drivers for the organization over the
next 2 to 3 years?"
This is best done in silence as it gives individuals a
chance to reflect over what has been before ' the SWOT, the
CSFs, the Values, the Organisation Design criteria.
List everyone's first driver, then discuss implications
List everyone's second driver, then discuss.
Generate a summary statement: shared view of objectives
(goals) over next 2 to 3 years by the individual or as a
group.
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Pam Kennett is Founder and Director of Chiswick Consulting
Limited a management consultancy which provides advice and
direction to clients in marketing and human resources. For
more information on top team and strategy workshops contact
her at pam@chiswickconsulting.com or visit
http://www.chiswickconsulting.com .
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