Strategic Planning Archives

Marketing Resolutions for the New Year

As the New Year approaches it’s time to begin thinking about New Year’s resolutions, which might also be referred to as “strategic planning” — although those words tend to strike fear into the hearts of even the most focused of business professionals. I don’t know why, but I’m coming to accept it as a given. One of my resolutions for the New Year is to come up with a way of making planning less intimidating. “Good luck” say my business colleagues. But, I digress…

As you look forward to 2013, what are the fundamental issues that most impact your organization? What are the opportunities you hope to take advantage of? What are the challenges you hope to overcome? Here are a few tips to get you started: Continue reading “Marketing Resolutions for the New Year”

Social Media Mistakes that Businesses Make

I was recently interviewed by a journalist for a piece for a business trade publication on the common mistakes made by businesses when using social media. It’s a great topic and one that could easily be expanded to the broad range of communication tools in general because the same types of mistakes occur in old as in new media.

Focusing specifically on new media– in this case social media– though, I shared with the reporter some of the common missteps I see Continue reading “Social Media Mistakes that Businesses Make”

What Every Strategic Plan Should Include

A journalist asked me last week what I thought the key elements of a successful strategic plan should be. That’s not an easy question to answer and there are, in fact, a wide range of inputs and elements that go into ensuring strategic plan success. But it was a legitimate question and one that I know many strategic planning consultants–and their clients–are deeply concerned about. Continue reading “What Every Strategic Plan Should Include”

Don’t Hold Back on Employee Communications

As I work with different organizations I’m struck by the variation in their approaches to communicating with employees. Having worked in director of corporate communications roles for several years in some very large companies, my bias is toward communicating more not less. And, I’ve been fortunate that the companies I’ve worked for have been very open, transparent and honest with their employees.

Not all employers take that approach, however, and it’s not a place Continue reading “Don’t Hold Back on Employee Communications”

Take the Time to Plan!

In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll reveal a personal “pet peeve” right up front. I have a strong negative reaction any time I’m approached by someone – colleague, client, prospective client, etc. – who says: “Let’s do…” without having taken the time to develop a plan (even a very quick and abbreviated plan) to help them determine whether the thing they wish to do makes sense within some larger context.

Here’s a 10-step process to developing communication/marketing plans that will provide you with the direction you need.

Continue reading “Take the Time to Plan!”

Don’t Keep Your Strategic Plan a Secret!

Having been involved in corporate communications and public relations for a number of years I’m well aware of the concerns that organizations often have about too much information being shared with too many audiences. Transparency, I believe, is under-rated! While there are obviously “trade secrets” or “inside insights” that organizations wisely protect, too often information that does not really present any real risk is kept close hindering the ability of the organization to actually achieve its goals.

One big example of this is Continue reading “Don’t Keep Your Strategic Plan a Secret!”

Top Tips for Strategic Planning

I recently had a business colleague ask me for some advice as she embarks on a major strategic planning effort for her organization. That’s a big question, but I gave it some thought and considered some of the “big rocks” that I’ve come across both in my own strategic planning efforts and in the research I’ve done on strategic planning. And, while this really represents just the “tip of the iceberg,” there are some foundational issues that can lead to the success, or lack thereof, of strategic planning efforts. Continue reading

How to Meet Senior Managers’ Expectations for Corporate Communications

What are senior managers across the globe and across multiple industries concerned about these days? Reputation. So says a recent study conducted by Spencer Stuart and Weber Shandwick. Not surprising given the hit that many companies have taken over recent years in terms of their reputation, credibility and trust among consumers. So what are senior leaders’ expectations of the communications function according to the study? Continue reading “How to Meet Senior Managers’ Expectations for Corporate Communications”

How To Be a Strategic Doer

If you’re like many people who have been involved in strategic planning efforts, the thought of becoming involved in another one may leave you less than enthusiastic. Why? Too often, despite the significant time and effort that may have been put into the process, once the plan is complete, not a lot happens. It seems we often feel fairly adept at the planning part of the process, but when it comes to the doing part we falter.

There may be a variety of reasons for this: Continue reading “How To Be a Strategic Doer”

Strategic Doing: Taking a Backwards Approach to Strategic Planning

I have long been interested in strategic planning and have been involved in strategic planning efforts as a participant, leader and facilitator for organizations that I’ve worked for as an employee and, now, as a consultant. I’ve researched and written about strategic planning in articles, blogs and books. I believe in strategic planning and I can honestly say that I enjoy the process (nerdy, I know…).

But there’s something more important than strategic planning–strategic doing. It’s not the plan that’s important; it’s the implementation of the plan that really matters. Continue reading “Strategic Doing: Taking a Backwards Approach to Strategic Planning”