Dale Lind

To use a sailing illustration, “Any port will do if you don't know where you're going.” In today's world, though the business climate can change daily, it is important to have a strategic plan to formalize a unified direction and organizational focus. Beginning with determining a precise definition of your mission, this planning process then asks the pertinent questions, “What do you produce?”, “What do you want to produce?” and “What can you do better than almost anybody else?” The results of this planning process will be a clearly stated goal-oriented Strategic Plan with built-in flexibility for inevitable changes.

A 2-day planning retreat by Dale Lind includes:

• Ice-breaking and team-building exercises
• A review and update of company mission and purpose
• SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
• Appropriate board and management roles discussion and decisions
• A definition of desired business and operational outcomes (Dale will supply sample outcome statements)

Dale will spend a day with top administration and key departmental leaders to develop strategies for achieving desirable outcomes. There will then be a day of one-hour interactive teleconferences with administration and staff to assist in the refining of strategy statements and assignments of responsibility.

Objectives:
At the completion of the 2-day retreat, the organization will have:

1. An honest and complete appraisal of organizational strengths and weaknesses
2. Developed a set of action plans designed to capitalize on strengths and compensate for or eliminate weaknesses
3. Established a clear understanding of strengths needed by staff members
4. Precisely defined areas of responsibility
5. A mutually agreed-upon set of goals and objectives
6. Be positioned to capture increased market share
7. Higher profit margins as well as improved quality and market image

This Board and executive management planning retreat is two days. Dale recommends it be followed by 2 days of leadership strategy development meetings which may or may not be consecutive. Additional days can be scheduled as needed.