We’ve noticed over the years that most Strategic Plans end up sitting on the shelf. Our philosophy on planning is that the best plan is one that is high level and generative of high-level thinking. Clearing away the clutter is the initial step in a high-level Strategic Intents plan. The goal of Strategic Thinking is to help key leaders identify high-level strengths and weaknesses, understanding high-level risks and rewards, and then clearly articulating (usually on one page) key goals and strategies (not operational steps) on how to meet your short-term, mid-term, and long-term objectives with ways to evaluate performance, success and failure (yes, failure is an option!).
We use a process called a SOAP (Strategy on a Page). Our process crafts a one-page concise, yet clear, a planning tool that is meant to be used every day. A SOAP is typically completed over a 12-hour window and can be accommodated in as little as two sessions, but typically spans three or four sessions over a two-month period.