Q:Other planning exercises we’ve done started out strong but took too long and people lost interest. How long will this take?
A:I use practical business planning methodology that helps to expedite the creation of the plan. The goal is to have a consolidated plan and each departmental plan done within one month.
Q:We’ve always struggled with execution of our plan—how is this process different from what we’ve done before?
A:My CGone planning process doesn’t stop with the creation of a plan. That’s just the start. Every member of your leadership team will complete a monthly progress report which tracks project plans and scorecards. There is consistent visibility, communication, and tracking of important outcomes and timelines.
Q:I don’t want to be the only one keeping track of our objectives—how will this system make my team more accountable?
A:My CGone includes a monthly business plan review meeting, which provides the structure and discipline for self & team accountability.
Q:I’ve seen too many strategic plans that are too theoretical and not practical—they describe the vision but not how to get there.
A:The difference with my CG one process is that it links vision, strategies, objectives and action plans so that there is alignment between the long-term vision and the day-to-day work being done. So stuff actually gets done, short and long term.
Q:How will this process impact our management meetings?
A:The web-based planning tool provides transparency to plan outcomes—everyone can see the results of all plans on the system so meetings become focused on asking “Why?” and problem solving instead of reporting out.
Q:Why do I need to use the web-based software—can’t we just keep track of metrics in spreadsheets?
A:The use of the One Page Business Plan in the CG one process provides a consistent format for the planning process—so everyone’s plans answer the same questions. The web-based system provides visibility and transparency.
Q:I know planning is important but the idea of writing a business plan feels to much like school to me—I don’t like to write.
A:The One Page Business Plan offers templates which prompt the plan owner with ideas for content so you’re not starting with a blank page. The templates are based on the principal of the balanced scorecard, which offers suggested strategies and objectives for all areas of the organization, not just financial.
Q:As the business owner, do I have to have a plan on the system? Who else needs to have a plan?
A:The business owner or CEO creates the consolidated plan which sets the direction for the entire organization. That usually includes specific metrics and projects that he is focused on. Typically, every member of the senior leadership team will also have a plan which will ‘cascade’ from, and line-up with, the consolidated plan. That’s how things get done – with alignment among the consolidated organizational plan and individual and departmental plans. It works!
