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| services:tactical_planning [2022/01/08 12:11] – [What is Tactical Planning?] rrandall | services:tactical_planning [2022/01/08 12:34] (current) – [The Strategic Planning Event] rrandall |
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| ===== What is Tactical Planning? ===== | ===== What is Tactical Planning? ===== |
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| After a strategic plan is developed, a "tactical plan" is a structured approach to achieving its objectives. | After a "Strategic Plan" is developed, a "Tactical Plan" is a structured approach to achieving its objectives. |
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| A "Strategic Plan" is developed by management identifying the long-term (e.g., 1-5 year) objectives for the business. | A "Strategic Plan" is developed by management identifying the long-term (e.g., 1-5 year) objectives for the business. |
| ===== Why Do Companies Need Tactical Planning? ===== | ===== Why Do Companies Need Tactical Planning? ===== |
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| Far too often, executive management establishes strategic objectives without fully considering all of the actions necessary to achieve each individual objective. For example, strategic planning often includes objectives to increase revenue from sales by a certain percentage (e.g., expanding to new markets). However, without knowing the actual process capability (Cpk) of its current production or service processes, the objective may be impossible to achieve. Consequently, the objective may require significant investments in equipment and personnel to support the achievement of the objective. | Thomas Edison said, “//Vision Without Implementation Is Hallucination//”. |
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| Quite often, when management unexpectedly encounters obstacles that appear difficult to overcome, the "Strategic Plan", developed with the best of intentions, ends up languishing on a shelf. | Far too often, executive management establishes strategic objectives without fully considering all of the actions necessary to achieve them. Consequently, when management unexpectedly encounters obstacles that appear difficult to overcome, the "Strategic Plan", developed with the best of intentions, ends up languishing on a shelf. |
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| While many management books focus on strategic planning, there are very few books addressing the challenges of implementing the strategic plan. | While many management books focus on strategic planning, there are very few books addressing the challenges of implementing the strategic plan. |
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| A "Tactical Plan", coupled with implementation activities, allows management to identify obstacles, break them down, and overcome them at a continuous pace. When management can monitor the progress being made, they're inspired to continue pursuing each objective through to completion. | A "Tactical Plan", coupled with implementation activities, allows management to identify obstacles, break them down, and overcome them at a continuous pace. When management monitors the progress being made toward its objectives, adjusting actions as needed, they're inspired to continue pursuing each objective through to completion. |
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| ===== Randall's Approach to Tactical Planning ===== | ===== Randall's Approach to Tactical Planning ===== |
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| Randall offers a unique approach toward "Strategic Planning" by utilizing a variation of "Fishbone" analysis (the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishikawa_diagram|Ishikawa diagram]]) where the "head" of the "fishbone" is a strategic goal rather than a problem. And the "bones" are "obstacles" to the goal, rather than the causes of a problem. | Randall offers a unique approach toward "Tactical Planning" by utilizing a variation of "Fishbone" diagram (the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishikawa_diagram|Ishikawa diagram]]) where the "head" of the "fishbone" is a strategic objective rather than a problem. And the "bones" are "obstacles" to the objective, rather than the causes of a problem. |
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| {{ :fishbone-diagram-md.png?200|Modified Public Domain Image. Obtained from http://www.clker.com/clipart-fishbone-diagram.html}} | {{ :fishbone-diagram-md.png?200|Modified Public Domain Image. Obtained from http://www.clker.com/clipart-fishbone-diagram.html}} |
| Randall's "Strategic Planning" sessions are focused on assisting companies in defining pathways to achieve a small number of major goals during a short period of time. As a minimum, goals should be annual, but ideally, are quarterly objectives. | Randall's "Tactical Planning" sessions are focused on assisting companies in defining pathways to achieve a small number of major goals during a short period of time. As a minimum, objectives should be annual, but ideally, are quarterly objectives. |
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| Randall requests management to define 2 or 3 major goals/objectives to be achieved during a specific time frame. Randall then hosts a full-day meeting with the management team to perform a "root cause" analysis identifying __obstacles__ preventing the company from achieving those goals. Once the "root causes" are identified, SMART action items are created to remove those obstacles. Once focused on the goals, and with the obstacles clearly identified, most companies experience short-term growth at a greatly accelerated pace. | Randall requests management to define 2 or 3 major objectives to be achieved during a specific time frame. Randall then hosts a full-day meeting with the management team to perform a "root cause" analysis identifying __obstacles__ preventing the company from achieving those goals. Once the "root causes" are identified, SMART action items are created to remove those obstacles. Once focused on the goals, and with the obstacles clearly identified, most companies experience short-term growth at a greatly accelerated pace. |
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| Using this approach, one organization was able to achieve ALL of the objectives in their 1-year "Strategic Plan" in only 4 months! The President of the organization was astounded. And Randall was immediately contracted to repeat the exercise in order to take the organization even further. | Using this approach, one organization was able to achieve ALL of the objectives in their 1-year "Strategic Plan" in only 4 months! The President of the organization was astounded. And the exercise was immediately repeated in order to take the organization even further. |
| ===== The Tools ===== | ===== The Tools ===== |
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| * **T**ime-specific (e.g., due dates, time or event-driven milestones, Gantt chart). | * **T**ime-specific (e.g., due dates, time or event-driven milestones, Gantt chart). |
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| ===== Preparing for the Strategic Planning Event ===== | ===== Preparing for the Tactical Planning Event ===== |
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| While the tools are simple, the "real" challenges in Strategic Planning are: | While the tools are simple, the "real" challenges in Tactical Planning are: |
| * establishing realistic (achievable) goals/objectives | * establishing realistic (achievable) goals/objectives |
| * having the "right" people involved (from the areas/departments/functions necessary to affect the desired change) | * having the "right" people involved (from the areas/departments/functions necessary to affect the desired change) |
| Regardless of how the event is held, the Fishbone diagram should be shared on-screen (or on an overhead projector) during the event so that everyone is aware of the obstacles being identified. | Regardless of how the event is held, the Fishbone diagram should be shared on-screen (or on an overhead projector) during the event so that everyone is aware of the obstacles being identified. |
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| ===== The Strategic Planning Event ===== | ===== The Tactical Planning Event ===== |
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| The event begins with management identifying a goal/objective (which should be decided prior to the Strategic Planning event). | The event begins with management identifying a goal/objective (which should be decided prior to the Strategic Planning event). |
| As obstacles are identified, these are entered into the Fishbone diagram as "Major Obstacles". Once a Major Obstacle has been identified, the questions should shift to "//And what obstacles are preventing us from eliminating that obstacle?//". This line of investigative questioning is similar to the "5 Whys" used in root cause analysis. However, the purpose is shifted to identifying the contributing obstacles rather than attempting to understand why they exist. | As obstacles are identified, these are entered into the Fishbone diagram as "Major Obstacles". Once a Major Obstacle has been identified, the questions should shift to "//And what obstacles are preventing us from eliminating that obstacle?//". This line of investigative questioning is similar to the "5 Whys" used in root cause analysis. However, the purpose is shifted to identifying the contributing obstacles rather than attempting to understand why they exist. |
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| {{ :articles:strategic_planning_fishbone_example.png?800 |}} | {{ :articles:strategic_planning_fishbone_example.png?direct&800 |}} |
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