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A strategic planning facilitator can make your strategic planning process more effective and valuable by: 

  1. Keeping the conversation focused

  2. Managing conflict

  3. Asking the right questions to challenge the participant's way of thinking

  4. Allows all members of the team to participate instead of having to facilitate

  5. Removing issues that will get in the way of alignment

  6. Driving outcomes by pushing harder than someone internally would

  7. Using a proven process - you don't have to create the process or learn by doing 

 

 

Align your team around a clear strategic direction

Strategic planning process sme strategy
Virtual or in-person strategic plan creation with a facilitator.

Strategic planning process SME Strategy

Visit our sample strategic planning agenda to learn more.

 

 

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  • Align your Board or Leadership team around a vision, mission, values & goals
  • Get buy-in & input from your leadership team
  • Get clear about where you're going and what you need to do to get there

ALL ALIGNMENT PACKAGES
INCLUDE

  • Participant Pre-survey and Interviews
  • Strategic planning facilitation (In person or Virtually) 
  • Strategic plan recap in Word, Powerpoint and One Page Infographic.
  • Three Coaching calls to support strategic plan implementation
  • Access to SME Strategy Members-only Resources
  • 12 Months of Quarterly Check-in calls

Cost

  • VIRTUAL (5 3-HOUR SESSIONS) $12,500

  • IN-PERSON (2 DAYS): $16,500
    • (Exclusive of flights and accommodation billed at cost)

Contact us for a consultation

QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKING WITH A STRATEGIC PLANNING FACILITATOR?

SME Strategy's FAQ about Strategic Planning

Do you have a strategic planning facilitator near us?

We have strategic planning facilitators available for meetings in USA and Canada.

We can also facilitate strategic planning sessions virtually via Zoom. 

Should we do strategic planning virtually or in person?

There are many benefits to doing your strategic planning session online as well as in-person.

We go over the various benefits in the video and infographic below.

 

virtual-in-person-infographic-sept-2021

 

Should we use a facilitator, or should lead our strategy meeting internally?

There are 8 main reasons we think you should use a strategic planning facilitator for your strategic planning offsite. 

why use a strategic planning template

 

But here are eight reasons you should not use a facilitator. 

  • You feel 100% confident leading the strategic planning process
  • You don't mind facilitating, and you feel you can participate at the same time
  • Your team will speak candidly regardless of who facilitates
  • Your organization is already fully and explicitly aligned with your vision, mission, values and goals.
  • You don't want an external perspective on your organization
  • Your goals are to stay exactly where you're at. Status Quo is the way to go.
  • You're not interested in creating a strategic plan with your group, and you'd prefer doing it alone. 
  • Your organization is too small, and we don't need a full two-day process. 
What's the difference between the SME Strategy and other strategic planning facilitators?

Our clients say what they like best about SME Strategy is the process we use to align teams and our ability to drive honest conversations through our facilitation methodology. 

We regularly hear:

"We've never gotten this far in the process"
"I've been in many strategic planning sessions before, and this is the best and most engaging one."
"We would have never gotten this aligned without you pushing us"

Many other facilitators are less expensive, but they don't specialize in strategic planning like us, and they don't have as regimented a process as ours. 

While that flexibility can be valuable for some, if you're looking to get aligned on a clear future, we think we're the best.  


 

“SME Strategy was instrumental with helping PageDNA with company strategy definition. I believe they have set us up with a living template to use going forward, so we can continue to refine our strategy as our customer needs and our company evolves. SME Strategy, in a few words, highly recommended! 

Everyone - from ownership, to team leads, to individual contributors - now knows better than ever what the company is focusing on, why we are doing so, and also - critically - everyone has specific areas where they are able to contribute to this mission, going forward. 

Steve Enstad

CEO - PageDNA

SME Strategy has become an official partner in our work as there can't be another strategic planning specialist who could learn so much about a complicated project, dig into the details, and offer so much support as he has in such a short time. We hired SME Strategy in March to help plan our project's vision, mission and strategic goals, and even with the current worldwide situation of Covid-19, we have developed relationships that he forged to push the work forward in critical ways. We will continue to work with SME Strategy in the coming months and years and view his skills and talents as a necessary component to the success of the project. The team appreciated his thoroughness and insight, but also their energy and attention. During a period where leaders are constantly in web meetings, our members have shared only the highest remarks for their work. Any organization or business will be much improved under their skillful strategic planning partnership.

Jennifer Pyles

Former Director - Director at Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organization at PASSHE.

"We contracted with SME to work with our organization, supporting and facilitating our strategic planning, in spring 2022. We were so fortunate to work with Jenna Sedmak, who so capably, professionally and competently lead the pre-strategic planning surveys and interviews, which set the stage for our online strategy planning sessions. 

The SME process, with Jenna's leadership, kept us focused and on task. Strategic planning can be a challenging process, one where ideas (and personalities) and plans can wander, but Jenna so skillfully and patiently guided everyone back to the task at hand and ensured organizational alignment.

SME's ongoing support and check-ins are most certainly a value add and help to reassure staff and the board. She, and SME, are thorough and detail oriented, which is so very necessary and appreciated, which in turn ensure a very good result for our organization."

Don Giesbrecht

CEO - Canadian Child Care Federation

Once you have your plan it's time to implement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our skilled facilitators help you implement your plans effectively, ensuring everyone is on the same page and keeping you accountable to your goals."

 

Learn more- Downloadable PDF  

 

AT A GLANCE

Strategy Implementation Packages

Key Features
Transformation
Std
Growth
Bus
Accountability
Ent
Monthly team project calls
Quarterly strategy reviews at months 3, 6 and 9
Documenting a Customized Strategic Planning Playbook
Management Essentials Workshops
Leadership Essentials Workshops
5 hours per month of leadership team coaching.
Management Essentials with second level of leadership
10 hours per month of leadership team coaching.
6 90-minute alignment sessions for problem-solving or team alignment
Access to SME Strategy Resource Bank and course library

 

 

Build Your Leadership Capacity

To guide your team toward your One Destination

 

Management Essentials Workshops

Leadership Essentials Workshops
  • Goal Setting & Action Planning for Strategy Execution
  • Developing a Team Charter to Optimize Work & Performance
  • Creating Effective Communication & Collaboration with Your Leadership Team
  • Leading with Values: Mapping Behaviors to Guide Organizational Culture
  • Developing Clarity with Roles & Responsibilities by Mapping out Your Org Chart
  • Developing Clear Accountability Within Your Strategic Plan by Using a RACI Matrix
  • Preparing for Successful Change
  • Leading & Implementing Successful Change
  • Cascading Your Strategy Throughout the Organization (Top-Down & Bottom-Up)
  • Strategic Selection: Prioritizing Initiatives and Projects for Maximum Impact

 

 

 

 

90-minute Alignment Session Topics 

  • Group Coaching (conflict, problem-solving)
  • RACI Matrix (projects or departments)
  • Project Management Fundamentals
  • Creating Effective Systems to Track Progress and Improve Accountability towards Achieving Goals
  • Stakeholder Mapping & Stakeholder Engagement Planning
  • Best Practices for Leading Effective Meetings
  • Prioritization Within Projects to Develop an MVP
  • Risk Management & Scenario Planning
  • Facilitated Stakeholder Engagement

 

All these topics are available within our strategy implementation packages.

Contact us to discuss how we can integrate these within your organization. 

Transformation

$

6500

/month

Develop your organization's ability to foster a positive culture and lead a transformational change with both your senior leadership and second level of management.

get started

Growth

$

3900

/Month

Deepen your leadership's capacities for tracking, monitoring, and communicating the strategic plan progress and lay the groundwork for future transformational change.

get started

Accountability

$

2000

/month

Build a foundation for your leadership's capacities for tracking, monitoring, and communicating the strategic plan progress.

Get Started

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ABOUT WORKING WITH A STRATEGIC PLANNING FACILITATOR

How long does the strategic planning process take?

Once we agree to work together on your strategic planning, we typically have a minimum of 3 weeks of pre-work, including interviews, a group survey, and document review. 

From there, we'll facilitate your strategic planning process in person (2-3 days) or online (5 weeks). 

Once we complete your initial strategic planning process, we'll provide a written recap in 10 business days. 

Once your strategic planning process is finished, our Implementation Plans run for 12 months or more.

 

Do you have a strategic planning facilitator that specializes in our industry?

Our strategic planning facilitators have worked in over 30 different industries so it's very likely that yes. 

That said, our process is industry agnostic as has been successful with dozens of different industries and companies big and small. 

On the small chance you're in an industry we haven't worked with, we'll focus on making sure we understand important terminology and buzzwords when going through the pre-work phase, so we can quickly get up to speed. 

Do you offer stakeholder engagement as a part of the strategic planning process?

Yes we do (at an additional cost). Depending on the needs of your organization, you may need to consult with internal and external stakeholders as part of your strategic planning process. 

This conversation would also be led by one of our strategic planning facilitators. 

These sessions are typically 2-3 hours long and can vary from 5-150 participants.

 

Do you work with non-profits?

About 40% of the clients we work with are non-profit organizations. 

This includes local, regional and national membership organizations, financial and education institutions, and mission-driven organizations. 

We believe for-profits should act more like not-for-profits, and not-for-profits should act more like for-profits. 

The better you do financially, the more you can do for your community. We want to help.

Ask us about our non-profit discount. 

What if my team is.. stubborn and loud?

Don't worry, we won't tell them you clicked on this.

All our strategic planning facilitators are trained to deal with conflict and to be able to lead challenging conversations with passionate people. 

Our approach to facilitation is by asking questions and having all participants reflect for themselves on the answers.

We make a point of having equal airtime, and making sure everyone feels heard.

That said, your team needs to be coachable, willing and open to participate in such a process, and if they aren't then there's nothing we can help with. 

What if my team has never done strategic planning before?

Perfect! 

Whether you are a seasoned veteran of strategic planning or this is the first time reflecting on your mission and core values, our process will make sure everyone on your team participates and gets the learning outcomes and deliverables from the strategic planning process. 

Do I need to do the Alignment Program before I do implementation?

Yes. We don't take on any implementation or transformation clients without first making sure they have a clear One Destination. 

 

How do I get started?

Fill out the form below to schedule a no-obligation introduction call.

We'll learn more about you and your needs, and we'll let you know if we think we're a great fit to support your team alignment and strategic plan implementation. 

We'll pick at date, match you up with one of our strategic planning facilitators, and we're ready to go. 

That's it! So easy.

Schedule a no-obligation introduction call to get started today. 

Schedule an introductory call to see if we're the best fit for your needs.

Contact our facilitation team and get your organization on the path towards One Destination.