workers-collab

Facilitating an Effective Strategic Planning Process

Regardless of goals, there’s one thing that can be said about every strategic planning process: The stakes are high. So you need to get equipped with a complete and agile toolbox of facilitation techniques and skills. How can you get the right people—and get them to actively contribute? How can you prevent assertive personalities from taking the session off-track? How can you make sure your goals are effectively defined and that you have all the right elements in place? This course combines effective facilitation with strategic planning. It’s carefully crafted into three segments covering early discussions and agreements, strategic planning facilitation and implementation. You’ll leave with hands-on experience and a comprehensive strategic planning toolbox that effectively prepares you to launch into any strategic planning facilitation.  

Seminar Number: 02009

4.8
(82 reviews)
  • Live Online
  • At Your Company Location

Course Scheduling & Pricing

Home>Course Topic>Strategic Planning>Facilitating an Effective Strategic Planning Process

About This Course

A strategic planning session succeeds only when the conversation is structured well and leads to clear, actionable decisions. This strategic planning facilitation training helps professionals guide planning discussions with stronger focus and follow-through. Participants learn how to manage the flow of a session, keep stakeholders aligned on their purpose and move ideas toward concrete outcomes, which is essential in learning how to facilitate a strategic planning session that leads to real progress.

Read the FAQs

Who Should Attend

  • Experienced executives, directors of OD and senior HR leaders
  • Division leaders, strategic planners and others who must manage the strategic planning process for a department or organization
  • Those who would like to become an internal or independent strategic planning facilitator

  •   Live Online2 Day(s)
    1.2 CEU, 12 CLP, 14 CPE, 12 PDCs, 12 PMU
 
 

Regardless of goals, there’s one thing that can be said about every strategic planning process: The stakes are high. So you need to get equipped with a complete and agile toolbox of facilitation techniques and skills. How can you get the right people—and get them to actively contribute? How can you prevent assertive personalities from taking the session off-track? How can you make sure your goals are effectively defined and that you have all the right elements in place?

This course combines effective facilitation with strategic planning. It’s carefully crafted into three segments covering early discussions and agreements, strategic planning facilitation and implementation. You’ll leave with hands-on experience and a comprehensive strategic planning toolbox that effectively prepares you to launch into any strategic planning facilitation.

 

  • Gain a clear understanding of your role in the facilitation process
  • Adopt a set of proven and commonly used tools
  • Know which discussions and decisions should occur prior to your strategic planning session
  • Ensure up-front clarity and agreement regarding expected results
  • Decide the best strategic planning approach/process to use and customize it
  • Determine clear processes, logistics and considerations throughout the entire process
  • Build in metrics and schedule meetings to assess milestones and measure progress towards goals
  • Get buy-in early and throughout the process to optimize success
  • Establishing agreements, consistent definitions and success metrics
  • Setting parameters for team selection and role assignments
  • Understanding and choosing an appropriate strategic planning model, frame of reference, and related decisions • Agreeing on logistics, scheduling needs and considerations
  • Knowing the key components of the strategic planning process
  • Translating the strategic planning process into tactical action and communication plans
  • Enabling innovative thinking in managers and leaders
  • Using simulation to demonstrate your understanding of new practices and tools
  • Delivering organizational results through an effectively facilitated strategic planning session
  • Establishing next steps and moving toward the execution phase
  • Conducting regular review sessions to check progress towards milestones
  • Establishing processes to align the organization, communicate the plan, and get organizational buy-in

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the Early and Necessary Discussions and Agreements Required to Successfully Facilitate Strategic Planning Sessions
  • Leverage the Format of a Classic Strategic Planning Approach, to Learn a Set of Proven and Commonly Used Tools to Successfully Move the Strategic Planning Process to Tactical Action and Communication Plans
  • Establish Processes to Move into the Execution Phase, Conduct Regular Review Sessions, Align the Organization, Communicate the Plan, and Get Organizational Buy-In

Before–Early Discussions and Agreements

  • Understand Your Organization’s past Strategic Planning Experiences and Your Culture for Change, Including How Organizational Success Is Defined
  • Develop a Consistent Understanding of Definitions and Terminology
  • Establish Team Selection Criteria and Role Assignments
  • Understand and Choose an Appropriate Strategic Planning Model, Frame of Reference, and Other Related Decisions
  • Determine Performance Measures to Assess Milestones and Progress Towards Goals
  • Ensure Up-Front Clarity and Agreement as to What Results Are Expected of the Process
  • Agree on Logistics and Scheduling Needs and Considerations

During–Strategic Planning Facilitation

  • Deepen Your Understanding of the Key Components of the Strategic Planning Process
  • Learn a Set of Proven and Commonly Used Tools to Successfully Move the Strategic Planning Process to Tactical Action and Communication Plans
  • Learn Practices and Tools to Enable Creativity and Innovative Thinking in Managers and Leaders
  • Through Simulation, Demonstrate Your Understanding of These New Practices and Tools
  • Learn How to Drive Organizational Results through an Effectively Facilitated Strategic Planning Session

After–Strategic Planning Implementation

  • Establish the Next Steps in Moving toward the Execution Phase
  • Conduct Regular Review Sessions to Check Progress Towards Milestones
  • Establish Processes to Align the Organization, Communicate the Plan, and Get Organizational Buy-In

Download Extended Seminar Outline PDF

View a Sample of Our Reviews

4.8

82 reviews

 
The instructor did an excellent job not only of engaging everyone but also making everyone feel good about themselves.
5
Amanda F.
 
Operations Lead
 
Industry: Business Services
Exactly the kind of training I was looking for! Our instructor enabled learning in a variety of ways, excellent collaboration and connections with our respective realities. I was able to benefit from a community of learners with rich experience and insight.
5
Natalie L.
 
Facilitator
 
Industry: Telecommunications
Class flowed well with good material and good interaction amongst the group.
4
Ronald A.
 
Executive Vice President and CFO
 
Industry: Business Services
This course was extremely valuable. I have experience with facilitating strategic planning, but am always looking for new insights, approaches, and tools. This course provided me just that. I am ready to go with additional tools in my toolkit to be even more successful as a facilitator and ensure a more valuable strategic planning process for my company.
5
Tamara R.
 
Systems Engineer
 
Industry: Business Services
Instructor was an excellent presenter and extremely knowledgeable, which contributed to the learning environment.
5
Christina V.
 
Lead Expert Employment Policy
 
Industry: Government

This course is valid for 12 PMUs.

 

 

American Management Association is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is accredited to issue the IACET CEU.

This program is valid for 12 PDCs for the SHRM-CPSM or SHRM-SCPSM

 

American Management Association is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org. For additional information or for more information regarding administrative policies such as complaints and refunds, please contact Customer Service at 800-262-9699.

Recommended CPE Credit:
Classroom – 14 hours/Advanced
Prerequisites: Familiarity with the fundamentals of Strategic Planning (see seminar #2565).
Advance Preparation: None
Delivery Method: Group Live/Group Internet Based
Field of Study: Non-technical – Communication & Marketing   Technical-Management Services

Live Online Schedule

4 Sessions Available

Frequently Asked Questions

What is strategic planning facilitation and why is it important?

Strategic planning facilitation is the process of guiding leaders and teams through structured discussions that define priorities, goals and long-term direction. Effective strategic planning facilitation helps organizations align stakeholders, clarify strategy and ensure that planning sessions lead to actionable outcomes.

How do you facilitate a strategic planning session effectively?

To facilitate a strategic planning session, leaders must guide discussions, encourage participation and keep teams focused on strategic priorities. This strategic planning facilitation training teaches participants how to structure planning conversations, manage group dynamics and move teams from ideas to clear strategic decisions.

What will I learn in this strategic planning facilitation training?

This strategic planning facilitation training program teaches participants how to design and lead effective planning sessions. Participants learn techniques for facilitating strategic planning, guiding executive discussions and ensuring strategic priorities are translated into actionable plans.

Who should attend this strategic planning facilitation course?

This course is designed for executives, organizational development leaders, HR leaders and strategic planners responsible for guiding the strategic planning process. It is especially valuable for professionals who want to strengthen their skills as a strategic planning facilitator.

Can this course help professionals become a strategic planning facilitator?

Yes. Participants learn the tools and frameworks needed to act as an effective strategic facilitator within their organization or as an independent consultant. The program focuses on building the confidence and structure required to lead successful strategic planning sessions.

How does strong facilitation improve the strategic planning process?

Strong strategic planning facilitation helps organizations move beyond discussion to clear priorities and measurable goals. Skilled facilitators keep teams focused, manage competing perspectives and ensure the strategic planning process produces practical, actionable outcomes.
Close