How our strategic planning process gets your team on the same page.
The one page strategic plan: How it works
Discover how our process results in a one page strategic plan that is clear, flexible, and effective.
Our methodology was born as an antidote to traditional planning processes that result in stacks of paper that collect dust on a shelf.
What we consistently heard from organizational leaders was that typical strategic planning is slow and expensive.
Worst of all, the plan created from these practices are complex, inflexible, and ineffective.
Our Lighthouse Methodology results in a strategic plan on a page that is:
CLEAR
The visual presentation of your strategic choices demonstrates how everyone’s efforts contribute to your organization’s success.
It also provides a framework for how to lead your team in a strategically focused manner.
FLEXIBLE
You need to be able to quickly but strategically react to changes in your external and internal environment.
Because all your strategic choices sit on a page, elements can be swapped in and out as needed.
EFFECTIVE
Because it is both clear and concise, everyone in your organization is able to hold your plan in their heads.
As a result, it is much more likely to consistently influence how decisions are made and work conducted.
The Lighthouse Framework
STRATEGIC LEVELS
(first four tiers)
Determined by executive leadership in strategic planning workshop:
GUIDING LIGHT Who you are and/or want to be in 7 words or less
VALUES How you believe you should conduct yourselves
FOCUS AREAS Your strategic focuses for the next 12 months
BAROMETERS Your measurements for Focus Area success
TACTICAL LEVELS
(last two tiers)
Determined by departmental leads in discussion with executives:
PROJECTS Departmental tactics to achieve Barometers
Determined by individuals and small teams:
TASKS Daily activities that result in Project outcomes
Approaching strategic planning in this way allows an entire organization to come into ALIGNMENT.
Everyone at every level knows what they are responsible for and how their work connects to serving the larger purpose of your organization.
The end result is an engaged, focused, and driven organization.
We can typically complete prep, planning, and reporting in 4 weeks.
1. PREP
(2 weeks)
As an initial step, we will have a kick-off session to align on what you need to achieve and what additional information you’ll need to create an informed approach with the Brief.
From here we will create the Brief, which is a concise snapshot of where you were, where you are now, and some initial ideas of where you want to be.
This document is shared with all participants of a strategic planning session in advance to allow everyone to show up on the same page.
2. PLANNING
(Length varies)
We will guide your team through a workshop to determine Guiding Light, Values, Focus Areas, and Barometers.
The workshop will be highly collaborative and creative.
We specialize in getting a lot done in a short period of time while also ensuring all participants feel engaged and that their voices are heard and valued.
3. REPORTING
(1 week)
A Final Report will be created as a summation of all of the thinking from the workshop.
Most importantly, the report contains the One Page Plan that thinking created.
This will be presented in a final meeting to allow time for questions and further discussion on plan implementation at the Tactical levels (Projects and Tasks).
