Board Strategy Development Session Facilitation
- benjaminpattison1
- Mar 7
- 4 min read
Facilitators help navigate and manage a collaborative and open board environment, building unity and consensus across the strategic landscape, to arrive at a clear set of values, goals and priorities for the direction of the organisation.
Below is an example framework of how Wellsteed Group approaches the facilitation of clients board strategy sessions:
Before The Session:
The Board Strategy Session will form the organisations high level priorities for a proposed period of time. The overarching mission is to build unity and consensus on priorities and direction.
1. Meet with the organiser and gain an understanding of management’s current operational issues and focuses.
2. Learn about the current Board dynamic and each individuals’ personality and areas of expertise/interest.
3. Identify and articulate current problems facing the organisation from management’s perspective.
4. Review previous strategic reports or session notes as well as any performance reports/metrics.
5. Examine further information provided and undertake any required market/industry research.
6. Plan the format, location and agenda of the session.
During The Session:
Estimated Time Required: 3-4 hours (longer depending on type of organisation/challenges/size of board).
1. Welcome and read through the meeting’s agenda.
2. Organisations current place in market and defining achievements: Management or Chair to lead, depending on convention.
3. A glance back at the previous Strategic Plan or Session to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses.
4. Round-table individual priorities per board member – an opportunity to vocalise their topics of concern and interest as well as propose ideas and register perspectives.
5. Session Discussion commences:
What is our mission and do we have clarity at all levels on our purpose?
What is our overall vision of a successful future?
What are our intrinsic values that guide our decision making?
What are we succeeding in right now?
What are we failing in right now?
Do we have clearly defined objectives and timelines with which to obtain objectives?
Do we have the right people to navigate and implement processes?
Are our timelines and objectives realistic given internal and external factors?
How are we going to measure the impact, performance and success of strategy initiatives?
What are some of the major obstacles to achieving our goals?
How can we start to address those obstacles (at an individual, management and board level)?
6. Determination and Resolution Phase:
What are our priorities going to be for the next 12 months (prioritise goals)?
What order of importance and who should be overseeing them?
How to do we maximise productivity and engagement?
7. Key Factors:
Does the blueprint mapped out today go far enough to make our problems go away?
Is there enough consensus to move to a strategic plan to implement the vision, values, goals and priorities?
8. Last comments from Chair and Management
9. Session closes.
After The Session:
Debrief with Management
Opportunity to meet individually with any board member who wishes to contribute their thoughts and ideas more directly, in a less-contestable, more private environment.
Strategic Session Report created, combining the key elements of the session and putting forward proposed strategy items in a clearly defined document.
Post Session feedback from board and management encouraged and will be responded to individually.
Next Steps:
The Board Strategy Session will be a great start to align and unify the board on key priorities, but to truly achieve objectives - be it sustained growth, brand success or internal productivity - it’s important to have a comprehensive Strategic Plan that incorporates action plans, resource allocation, and risk management – as well as team buy-in and measurement of progress to realise the strategy session's objectives.
Wellsteed Group can undertake this process and harness the collective intellectual capability of all internal teams to contribute to the configuration of an effective operational strategic plan to achieve the board’s strategic vision. This means detailed action plans, clear ownership of duties, timelines, and KPIs to ensure that the vision is translated to activity, and from activity into to tangible results.
FAQ:
What is your management approach to facilitating the session to ensure focus, timeliness and order?
A rough guiding methodology is in place for each line-item of the agenda, where typically each topic will be approached via adherence to the following:
Explore: Examine the topic from all angles and viewpoints from the macro to the granular
Refine: Which angles are most appropriate for the situation/issue at hand
Define: Build consensus on a topic and arrive at a solution
Decide: Agree to commit to a course of action or to park it for further review
Furthermore, we can apply a SWOT framework (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to work out disagreement on direction and items of discussion. At other times, a post-session PESTLE Analyses (Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal and Environmental) may be suitable, likewise the provision of Responsibility Assessment Matrixes (RAM) and the Ansoff Matrix to help unlock solutions. These models are all used to some degree in the under taking of a full Strategic Plan to ‘operationalise’ the goals and vision of the Board Strategy Session.
Overall, what are we meant to 'get out' of a Board Strategy Session?
Unified Vision and Clear Priorities.
A consensus of short, medium and long-term goals
A understanding of the current state of organisation
Utilisation of the full power of the board through harnessing their ideas, acumen and passion.
Move towards a decision as to how and when to implement the findings of the session to attain ambitions.
How does an Independent Facilitator improve the process and the outcomes?
Neutrality and independence – a fresh set of eyes, free from any preconceived conceptions or agendas.
Reduces the chance of, or intensity of, disagreements on contentious issues.
Leads the session in a positive and focused manner, to clearly definable actionable outcomes that give management clear objectives to act upon.
If you require a facilitator for your next board strategy session, Wellsteed Group would be glad to assist.
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