Your success
for this new year will be hugely determined by your ability to execute
your business growth plan. And, even if you have already developed a plan
for this year’s growth, I’d like to challenge you to review it because
if your business is to survive these demanding times it must have a plan
that is flexible enough to shift in response to uncertainty and change.
Without proper planning you will risk falling victim to an economic gap
between projections you have made for your organization and the results
that are inevitably delivered. Last year’s plan revised with new prospects
and increased numbers simply won’t cut it. As Dwight D. Eisenhower said,
“Plans are nothing; planning is everything.” Unfortunately most planning
merely scratches the surface, failing to establish any real sense of urgency
for the uncertainty of what may actually lie ahead. That’s why Scenario
Planning outsmarts the competition and builds a nimble sales team that
can turn on a dime to respond to market shifts. Scenarios are carefully
crafted stories about the future embodying a wide variety of ideas and
integrating them in a way that is communicable and useful. Scenarios
help us link the uncertainties we hold about the future to the decisions
we must make today. Here is a process to follow:
Identify and involve people who have the ability to contribute a wide
rage of perspectives.
When is the last time you included someone outside of sales to
contribute to your planning process? I recall one planning session
where the secretary cautiously suggested something based on her
perspective of dealing with both the sales people and the customers.
It was a revolutionary moment that made major impact on the entire
day’s planning.
Brainstorm about pending trends that may impact business in general;
trends in society, economics, politics, technology, etc. This helps to
create the “what if” part of the scenario.
Look for patterns. Review the trends and see if there are patterns
that seem to be emerging as a result of the possible shifts. This helps
you to see beyond today’s environment and to be better prepared for the
possible future.
Set priorities. You can’t address each and every issue that reveals
itself as a potential but you can prioritize to attack those that are
most likely and those that would have the most impact on your ability
to grow.
Sketch out scenarios. Using the few priorities that you have
identified, let down all barriers and create worst case scenarios,
detailing the impact that each would have on your sales growth.
Identify early warning signs. Using your case scenarios, identify
particular things that would indicate that the specific scenario was
about to unfold.
Identify a plan of attack. Determine strategies that you would use to
respond to the early warning signs. As hockey great Wayne Gretsky
would say, this puts you in front of the puck, ready to respond
accordingly—and it will certainly put you ahead of your competition.
Monitor, evaluate and review your scenarios. Put a process in place
that allows you to execute a plan that addresses today’s situation, yet
makes you nimble enough to shift when you see early warning signs.
Also, use this new information to identify markets, niches, etc., which
may not have been considered previously.
When Scenario Planning is combined with elements of traditional
planning you will be much more creative and proactive about business
growth strategies. But, like all planning, there are some pitfalls to
be aware of and to avoid.
Don’t use scenarios as forecasts. Remember, these are possible
situations, not yet real. Being prepared is the objective.
Don’t be too simplistic with your scenarios. It is important to be
neither too optimistic nor too pessimistic.
Focus only on scenarios of potential impact on business. For
example, the aging demographic trend has many implications but only
some of them will have a potentially direct impact on your business.
Don’t treat scenarios merely as informational or instructional.
Participation is critical for learning and the formation of strategy.
Not just anyone can facilitate this. While you may be able to
facilitate general planning sessions with your own personnel, an
outside, experienced, professional facilitator with no agenda will
always get the best results from your scenario planning team.
Do not inhibit imagination. This is not the time to be analytical;
the more imaginative stimulus to the design of the scenario, the better
the outcomes of potential resolve.
The great thing about Scenario Planning is that while you will find
yourself prepared for the potentially unexpected, you will also find
that the creativity that flowed from the group will also bring forth an
expanded variety of ideas to build upon current reality that can be
executed immediately. Drafts, re-dos and improvements can be made over
time. Then communicate the growth plan to everyone because the more it
becomes “everyone’s plan” versus “the sales team’s plan” the more
likely it is that the whole organization will contribute to the overall
implantation. After all, your sales team may be generating the sales
but it takes all the supporters to keep the customer happy. So, when
the sales plan becomes everyone’s plan, that’s when momentum sets in
and that’s when your plan defies death. |
