Anyone who has ever run a meeting knows how tricky successful strategic facilitation can be. It’s important to find the perfect balance between holding firm and yielding, progressing and allowing for discussion, and being guided by the big picture while endorsing smaller-scale action. By consulting with a proven strategic planning facilitator, you’ll gain access to an expert who knows how to nimbly employ the following seven methods in service of your company’s success.

1. Provide Everyone a Clear, Concise Agenda, and Stick to it

Begin every meeting by ensuring that all participants are aware of your carefully-planned and logical agenda. Don’t allow distractions and digressions to push you wildly off-course.

2. Ask the Right Questions

An expert facilitator knows how to guide the company leaders to determine the optimal course of action by asking them questions and giving them choices concerning the future of their organization.

3. Take Ownership of the Company

Constantly demonstrate to the key decision makers that you are committed to their success. Treat the company’s future as if you have a personal stake in its achievements.

4. Follow Through on Action Plans

Devising a cohesive, robust strategic plan with the buy-in of all necessary parties is no small feat, but the work never ends there. Continue to engage with the action plan owners and hold them accountable for following through on what was agreed upon.

5. Don’t Allow Anyone to Monopolize the Proceedings – Especially Yourself!

In order to get the key players to commit to change, it’s necessary for everyone with a stake to have a voice in the proceedings, but a seasoned meeting facilitator will never let one individual dominate the discourse, and they certainly won’t make this mistake themselves.

6. Organize Essential Information

Don’t neglect the research that needs to be done before the meeting begins. Organize all of your necessary industry trends, company performance data, results of past action plans, etc. so that they will be readily available and digestible for the participants when the time comes.

7. Be Transparent

Honesty and transparency are paramount to these mutually-beneficial business relationships. Always be upfront with the company’s employees regarding your role, your expectations, and your vision for the company’s strategy.

If you need help organizing your company’s meetings — call Leadership Strategies today.

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