The annual strategic planning retreat

More synonymous with food and drink than thinking and planning, the annual strategic planning retreat is etched onto many organisations calendars.  It is meant to be the place where the company's future direction is discussed, debated and the outcome is a well crafted plan positioning the organisation in the attractive industries of the future....

The problem is that business, opportunities, threats, moments of crisis etc don't wait until you have had your strategic planning retreat.  They come up at random moments and require reaction if the organisation is not going to miss the turn off to the future.

Imagine strategy in a military sense, lets wait for an annual planning session to determine how we are going to fight this war!!!!  It just doesn't work does it.  Strategy is more a constant process than an episodic one with information constantly being checked and input into the thinking process.  The key question that should always be in every strategists mind when information comes is - so what does this mean? So what does this mean??

I have a hunch that strategists in business may be rarer than you think and though there are many people out there who have the word 'strategy' in their title, this may be a little illusory.  I was once employed by a NZ Govt. department with the very posh title - Regional Strategic Planner.  I lasted three months before resigning as only the word 'Regional' was accurate, certainly there was no requirement for strategy or planning, concepts that didn't seem to be understood at all.

My research is going to look into this very area, what and where are the 'real strategists' and what skills and competencies do you need to be a 'real strategist' and not a well dressed impostor..........

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