Ernest A. Lewis    .

Executive Coach & Consultant    .

[Home]  [About Ernest]  [Clients and Testimonials]  [Contact]  [Free Newsletter]

A Model for Strategic Planning

Vision and Mission

        Our vision is what we would like to create in the long term. What will our organization look like, what will we be doing, why we exist, etc. Usually vision is created in terms of three to five years.

        Our mission is how we will create our vision on a daily basis. What will we do today and in the short term. Usually mission is created in terms of one to two years.

SWOT Analysis

        Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats must be looked at in order to assess our current organizational situation in concise terms to be able to determine where we want to go in the future.

        Strengths and weaknesses are an organizational or internal evaluation. Strengths are those things we do well. Weaknesses are those things we don't do so well.

        Opportunities and threats are an environmental or external evaluation. Opportunities are those things our organization might seize upon to do better. Threats are those environmental factors that may hinder our performance.

        Through a thorough SWOT Analysis we can determine our competitive advantage and thus define the best strategy for our organization.

Examples of SWOT Factors

Internal

Strengths

Core competencies

Financial

Planning

Skilled management

Weaknesses

Production inefficiencies

Financial resources

Poor planning

Not enough equipment

External

Opportunities

Untapped market potential

Favorable market shift

Emerging technologies

New Product

Threats

New competitors

Rising demand

Government regulations

Strategies

      Strategies are either cost based strategies or differentiation based strategies. Cost based implies that we will be the low cost producer in our industry. Differentiation based means our product or service is better or unique as compared to our competitors.

Goals

        Setting strategic goals is essential along with setting in place measurement and evaluation processes to track our performance over time. Critical in this process is personal and team accountability.

Results

        Results should be evaluated on a regular basis. Critical areas to evaluate can be revenues, market share and customer satisfaction. With positive results there should be some reinvestment in the organization not only monetarily but in the strategic planning process itself.

Interrelationship Digraph

A complicated name but a simple tool with lots of value! Determining priorities can often be difficult. It is not always clear as to where our true or most critical problems are. The ID can help:

1) Place the issues or tasks you face in a circle.

2) Compare each issue with every other issue.

3) In each case, draw an arrow from the issue that is the greater influence over the other.

Example: “Does customer service influence sales more or sales influence customer service more?” Most would answer customer service has the greater influence. So, draw an arrow from customer service to sales. If no clear relationship exists, no arrow is required.

4) Total all outgoing arrows and incoming arrows for each issue as X out / Y in. Issues with more outgoing arrows are called drivers or root causes. Applying your time and energy on a driving issue will resolve the issue and alleviate other issues, at the same time, for maximum benefit. In our example, the major driving issues are Planning and Customer Service. And, it shows Profit as a result! Try it out!

Testimonials

“E.A. Lewis Consulting was hired to assist in efforts to improve morale in a warehouse environment. Ernie achieved such positive results that we expanded his project to include our sales and management teams. Ernie was also instrumental in our efforts to implement cost saving procedures. I would highly recommend E.A. Lewis Consulting.”

- George Evanoff

General Manager

"I have hired Ernie for eight years as a trainer for my Leadership Toledo classes and will continue to do so. He does a terrific job as an individual and team developer. He is bright, active, fun and creative. Ernie is also a wonderful volunteer to many organizations and causes. He is an all around class act! Contact Ernie. You will be glad you did.”

- Dave Schlaudecker

Executive Director

Leadership Toledo

“I have known Ernie for over ten years and have always been impressed by his professionalism, knowledge and experience. He truly cares for his clients and helps them to reach peak performance.”

Jan Weakland

Sales and Marketing Capabilities Project Manager, BP

[Home]  [About Ernest]  [Clients and Testimonials]  [Contact]  [Free Newsletter]

Executive Coaching  -  Strategic Planning  -  Team Building  -  Continuous Improvement  -  Professional Development

Copyright © 2009 E.A. Lewis Consulting