How To Facilitate A 90 Minute "Strategic Planning" Session At Your Next Offsite
The following are detailed facilitator notes for the "Vision/Traction Organizer" from Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), but you can adopt this framework to other strategic planning frameworks.
If you’re reading this, you are likely in the middle of (or are about to start) an annual planning cycle at your company.
Strategic offsites are one of the most powerful tools you have to get your team to develop and finalize strategy, align on action steps, and enroll your company into taking action. Here at Offsite, we want to be true partners to you and your team when it comes to running a more connected company.
That’s why, on The Offsite Blog, we’ve recently shared:
The Cadence (so you can bake offsites into your annual planning framework)
Agenda templates for All-Hands Meetings and Executive Team Retreats
How To Develop Meaningful Company “Mission, Vision, and Values”
Below, I wanted to share one strategic planning framework we use at Offsite for annual planning, which you can use asynchronously with your team and/or at your next offsite!
While this is only one of many strategic planning sessions you might use at your offsites, if this write-up is interesting or helpful, please let me know (by emailing me at jared@offsite.com) so we can share more resources like this in the future!
With that, let’s talk about the Vision/Traction Organizer.
The Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO) is a strategic planning tool introduced in the book "Traction" by Gino Wickman, which helps businesses clarify their vision and how to achieve it.
It is a foundational tool in the operations framework called the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), but even if you don’t follow EOS, you can use the V/TO as an exercise in strategic planning with your leadership team.
Here's a structured approach to facilitate a 90-minute session to complete the V/TO with an executive team:
(Want to view this in a downloadable Google Doc, so you can use during your next offsite? Well, you’re in luck! Click here to view and download….)
Pre-Session Preparation:
Distribute Materials: Ensure all participants have a copy of the V/TO template beforehand.
Pre-read Suggestion: Encourage attendees to read the relevant sections of "Traction" for familiarity with the V/TO concept.
Pre-Work: Ask each executive to come with a rough draft of their ideas for each section of the V/TO.
Ideally, all of this is completed before your offsite. If you’d like Offsite to help with the logistics of your next team retreat, so you can focus on the strategic planning items and pre-session preparation or “pre work” with your team, visit offsite.com
Facilitation Instructions:
Introduction (10 minutes)
Welcome and Objectives: Briefly explain the purpose of the V/TO and the goals for the session.
Agenda Overview: Outline the session's structure and timing.
Ground Rules: Set expectations for participation, respect, and how decisions will be made.
Core Values (10 minutes)
Brainstorming: Have each executive share their thoughts on the company's core values.
Discussion: Facilitate a group discussion to identify and agree on 3-7 core values.
Consensus: Vote or reach a consensus on the final list of core values.
Core Focus (10 minutes)
Purpose/Cause/Passion: Lead a discussion on the organization's higher purpose beyond making money.
Niche: Define the organization's niche — what it does best and where it provides the most value.
Consolidation: Refine the discussion into a concise core focus statement.
10-Year Target (10 minutes)
Long-Term Vision: Guide the team to envision where the company should be in 10 years.
Quantifiable Goal: Encourage the setting of a measurable goal, such as revenue or market share.
Commitment: Ensure that the target is ambitious yet achievable, and gain commitment from all members.
Marketing Strategy (15 minutes)
Target Market: Identify the ideal customer profile.
Three Uniques: Determine what differentiates the company from competitors.
Proven Process: Outline the process that ensures customer satisfaction.
Guarantee: Discuss what guarantee can be provided to customers.
3-Year Picture (10 minutes)
Milestones: Define key milestones that need to be achieved within three years.
Metrics: Agree on revenue, profit, and other measurable goals.
Visionary Imagery: Encourage executives to describe what the company will look like, fostering a shared vision.
1-Year Plan (10 minutes)
Annual Goals: Set 3-7 goals that are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound).
Issues List: Start compiling a list of issues that could hinder these goals, to be addressed later.
Quarterly Rocks (10 minutes)
Priorities: Identify 3-5 priorities for the next quarter that align with the 1-year plan.
Ownership: Assign a responsible person for each rock.
Issues List (5 minutes)
Additions: Add any new issues identified during the session to the issues list.
Solutions: Briefly discuss potential solutions, with a plan to address these in detail later.
Conclusion (5 minutes)
Recap: Summarize the key points and decisions made during the session.
Next Steps: Assign any follow-up actions and set dates for review of the V/TO.
Feedback: Request immediate feedback on the session to improve future meetings.
Post-Session:
Documentation: Ensure that the completed V/TO is documented and distributed to all participants.
Schedule Reviews: Set regular intervals (quarterly, annually) to review and update the V/TO.
Remember, the V/TO is a living document and should be revisited regularly to ensure it remains relevant and aligned with the company’s strategic direction.
A 5-min explainer on the importance of V/TO agenda items
Once more, if you’d like this in a downloadable document, click here!
Find this helpful? What other facilitation notes, session ideas, or resources can the Offsite team create for you? Let us know…
Every company is different, and every offsite has different business objectives, so the team at Offsite is committed to being a resource for you throughout annual planning and when you’re ready to rally the troops in-person!
Email me anytime at jared@offsite.com, or visit offsite.com for client case studies to see how other companies are using Offsite for their team retreat needs.
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Thanks for reading!
-Jared
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