Addressing Challenges that Arise in Strategic-Planning Meetings
No matter what your role is in an organization, you will most likely attend a significant number of meetings. For strategic planning in particular, meetings are an essential part of each phase of the process. What challenges have you noticed in the meetings you have attended? Why is it important to deal with these challenges effectively? Reflect on the following scenarios:
You are part of the team that is charged with developing your organization's strategic plan. During the brainstorming session, one of your colleagues criticizes all of the ideas that come up.
It is time to prioritize and engage in goal setting for your organization, yet the group does not reach consensus.
You are presenting the proposed operational plan to your team members and want to get their feedback. During the meeting, two of the team members do not participate in the discussion.
Your organization has just opened a new center and you have called a meeting to discuss what is working well and what challenges have arisen. When you ask the group members to share their perspectives, everyone is silent.
The data from a survey that your organization is using to monitor and evaluate a product launched last year indicates that many customers are dissatisfied. You call a meeting to discuss the survey data. During the meeting, one person talks over others' comments.
Prepare for this Discussion as follows:
- Select one of the scenarios above to focus on for this Discussion.
- What steps would you take to address this challenge?
- Review the tools included in the Memory Jogger 2. Which tools would you utilize in this particular situation?
- What additional skills would help you and others to address this challenge?
Response to the following:
In the first line of your posting, identify the scenario you have selected.
Describe how you would address this situation, indicating which tools and skills would be most beneficial for facilitating a positive outcome.