The Planning Pendulum

Canadian management guru Henry Mintzberg once observed that management theory over the decades seems to swing like a pendulum between planning and participation. It seems understandable that such swings should occur.

When our planning is centralized, we can get to a vision and operational plan pretty quickly. Those that were part of the “inner circle” are enthused, copies are printed, and that inner circle spreads out like missionaries explaining and selling the vision and the plan. The success of such a plan depends on a number of factors: how “grounded” the plan is in reality, how believable the vision is to others, and how talented, credible or forceful the inner circle is in its “missionary” work. At best, the plan attracts commitment; at worst, rebellion. Most often, the roll-out falls somewhere in between, in the realm of benign, but uninspired, compliance.

So the next time, perhaps, more consultation and participation are emphasized. Larger numbers of stakeholders – shareholders, employees, members, customers, suppliers, etc. – are asked what they think. The holders of that process do their best to incorporate the many points of view, but that can be like drinking from a fire hose. As with centralized strategic planning, the results vary – sometimes the drafters of the plan captured all the key concerns, and sometimes they don’t. And to the extent that a stakeholder doesn’t see his concerns reflected in the plan, he can conclude the consultation wasn’t a real one and may enlist in the plan’s loyal opposition.

So no wonder the pendulum swings back and forth! What would it be like to engage a wider circle of employees and others in co-creating a strategic plan? What conditions are required to have that consultation be genuinely open and the resulting plan be focused, clear and compelling?

There are tools and methods that help. Tools and methods for engaging stakeholders from the first open-ended question, through the chaos, through the distillation, and finally to the specific objectives. Of course, there will always be preparation and follow-up work that the planners needs to do, and there may be further consultations to drill down in particular areas, but getting widespread ownership for the strategic outcomes is the single, most powerful determinant of plan success.

The tools needed to engage the diversity of stakeholders – and converge to specific commitments – have made great advances in the last decade or so. What else could your organization accomplish? What would it be like to co-create with others a memorable and compelling strategic plan?

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