Using Strategic Planning for Leadership Skills Training & Development

Recently, Aarti, shared the following observation [see the Human Resources Circle discussion group in Yahoo - HR Circle at yahoogroups.com - Digest-142]:

"if we look at strategic planning..., as a blueprint for change, we also need to consider that any organization has built-in inertia...[that is,] the tendency to keep on doing what one has been doing.

On its own, the strategic planning process, as traditionally undertaken, is insufficient to overcome this inertia. Other forces need to come into play if the plan, and proposed changes get implemented."

Aarti goes on to name leadership as the primary force for change and we agree with this proviso:

- Leadership must be energized, electrified if you will, by another group of forces;

- We must use the planning process itself as an opportunity to generate energy and distribute those energies throughout the organization;

- The energies produced during the planning process must be identified, evaluated, captured and directed towards the creation and implementation of the plan;

- Energy may be classified as fitting into one of the following general categories

=> Creative

=> Innovative

=> Entrepreneurial

=> Social [such as, teamwork, collaborative, networking, partnering, etc.]

=> Systems-related [systems design, analysis, support, etc.]

=> Educational [training, development, self-directed learning, etc.]

In a nutshell, you must transform your strategic planning process into a series of leadership skills training and development exercises.

If you hope to break the inertia and feelings of frustration or futility of yet another useless annual planning session, you should turn those sessions into opportunities to develop and train your people to become leaders - then hold them accountable for implementing and supervising the plan.

I guarantee you that your plans will take on a momentum of their own that even inertia can not overcome!

Do you have a planning process that enables you to encourage and engage your people in all those ways?

How do you solicit, channel, align and incorporate the personal values and visions of your group so that organizational goals and priorities are enhanced and extended?

Once the plan is created, how can it be your roadmap that you use to lead, supervise, steer and control its implementation to successful conclusions?

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Learn how this very affordable, yet uniquely effective planning leadership tool

=> Enriches your planning process,

=> Empowers your people;

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