Strategic Planning: Instructor Preparation Guide

Course Summary

A 360-minute seminar teaching comprehensive strategic planning and execution. Covers environmental analysis, vision setting, objective definition, strategy formulation, and implementation planning with tools and frameworks participants can apply to their organizations.

Learning Outcomes Focus

• Participants can conduct SWOT and competitive analysis
• Participants understand strategy formulation frameworks
• Participants can develop strategic roadmaps
• Participants understand execution requirements for strategy success

Time Allocation

• Opening & Context: 20 minutes
• Module 1: Foundations: 40 minutes
• Module 2: Environmental Analysis: 75 minutes (includes SWOT exercise)
• Break: 15 minutes
• Module 3: Strategic Direction: 50 minutes
• Module 4: Objectives & Strategies: 60 minutes
• Module 5: Implementation & Execution: 65 minutes
• Closing: 15 minutes

Key Teaching Concepts

1. Strategy is choice - emphasize what NOT to do is as important as what to do
2. Analysis before strategy - show how SWOT/Forces analysis improves strategy quality
3. Vision must be aspirational but realistic - not fantasy, not incremental
4. Strategy execution fails without alignment - tie back to Module 5 constantly
5. Environment changes - strategies must be monitored and adapted

Interactive Exercises

Exercise 1: SWOT Analysis Case Study (25 minutes)

Provide case of a real company and facilitate analysis:

Instructions:

1. Show company background (3 min)
2. Small groups complete SWOT (10 min)
3. Groups share and compare (8 min)
4. Discuss strategic implications (4 min)

Facilitation Notes: Use company similar to participants' industries if possible. Push groups to be specific ("great customer service" is weak; "92% customer retention vs. 78% industry average" is strong).

Exercise 2: Porter's Five Forces Analysis (20 minutes)

Analyze industry attractiveness:

Setup: Provide industry description

Instructions:

1. Brief framework overview (3 min)
2. Analyze each force (12 min in groups)
3. Assess overall industry attractiveness (3 min)
4. Discuss what positions are defensible (2 min)

Facilitation Notes: Show how some industries are inherently more profitable due to force configurations, not just because of better companies.

Exercise 3: Vision and Values Critique (15 minutes)

Evaluate real vision statements:

Instructions:

1. Show 3-4 actual company vision statements (2 min)
2. Groups rate each on characteristics (5 min):
   • Clear and specific?
   • Aspirational?
   • Memorable?
3. Discuss what makes effective vs. weak visions (8 min)

Facilitation Notes: Use some weak examples from real companies. This helps participants understand why so many visions feel like wallpaper.

Exercise 4: Competitive Positioning (20 minutes)

Choose strategic positioning:

Scenario: Market with three competitive options

Instructions:

1. Present market options (3 min)
2. Groups choose positioning: Cost Leadership, Differentiation, or Focus (2 min)
3. Detail implications of their choice (8 min):
   • Operations required
   • Products/services
   • Customer targets
   • Required capabilities
4. Compare across groups (7 min)

Facilitation Notes: Show there's no "right" answer - each positioning has trade-offs. The key is choosing one and committing.

Exercise 5: Strategic Roadmapping (30 minutes)

Build actual roadmap:

Scenario: Participant organization (use real if appropriate, or realistic composite)

Instructions:

1. Review roadmap components (5 min)
2. Define strategic objectives together (5 min)
3. Small groups develop initiatives to achieve objectives (10 min)
4. Create timeline and dependencies (5 min)
5. Share and discuss (5 min)

Facilitation Notes: This is where theory gets practical. Help groups think through realistic timelines and dependencies.

Discussion Questions

1. What strategies have you seen succeed and fail in your industry? What drove differences?
2. How clear is your organization's current strategy? How well does everyone understand it?
3. What environmental changes pose the biggest threat/opportunity for your organization?
4. What would need to change for your organization to pursue a different competitive positioning?
5. What's the hardest part of strategic execution - developing the strategy or implementing it?

Materials Needed

• SWOT template (large format for wall posting)
• Porter's Five Forces worksheet
• Vision/Mission/Values examples
• Competitive positioning matrix
• Strategic roadmap template
• Case study materials
• Markers and flip charts

Teaching Tips

• Share real examples from your experience
• Acknowledge that strategy is hard - analysis removes some uncertainty but not all
• Show how market leaders often change their strategy as conditions evolve
• Emphasize that best strategic plans are living documents, not static plans
• Draw connections between strategy and organizational structure, culture, resource allocation

Handling Resistance

Some participants will say "We're too small/busy/unstable for strategic planning."

Response: "Even small organizations benefit from clarity about where they're going and how they'll get there. It doesn't have to be complex - even a simple plan is better than no plan. Plus, in uncertain times, strategy helps you make faster decisions because you have a guiding framework."

Differentiation

• Experienced strategists: Introduce balanced scorecard and strategy map concepts
• New leaders: Focus on understanding existing strategy; internal planning comes later
• Large organizations: Emphasize cascading strategy and alignment across units
• Small organizations: Simple frameworks focused on market position and resource focus

Follow-Up Resources

• One-page SWOT template
• Balanced scorecard framework
• Strategic roadmap template
• Quarterly review questions
• Environmental scan checklist