Running a good strategic planning session is critical to the success of a solid strategic plan; one that includes specific and measurable goals and objectives, providing clear direction for the organization. To ensure that the actual planning retreat is as productive as possible, ground rules should be established and discussed before beginning. This article provides a list of 11 ground rules that I believe are imperative to managing a successful planning retreat.

1. Present the written agenda or schedule for the day so everyone is aware of the day’s activities. Be sure to discuss meal and break times, ask if any agenda items need clarification, and ask if there are any additions to the agenda. There are times when an addition may be requested, but it is not necessarily related to the strategic planning session. If this is the case, put the problem in a “parking lot”. If there is time at the end of the session, you can discuss the issue now or put it on the agenda for the next board meeting.

2. Ask participants to be fully present and engaged throughout the session. Your attention should be focused on the day’s schedule and activities, not on work or personal issues.

3. Ask participants to turn off their mobile phones during the planning session. This will prevent unnecessary interruptions and prevent people from reading text messages or sending text messages. Interruptions should be kept to a minimum, as they can be disruptive and disrupt the flow of the conversation.

4. Ask participants to respect each other’s comments, ideas, and suggestions, whether they agree or disagree. Since you would like someone to honor your thoughts, treat them in the same way. Also, you may not agree with what someone is saying, but you may come up with something that is important to mention.

5. Make sure each participant has the opportunity to fully express their ideas without interruption. If you are formulating a thought in your mind while someone is speaking, you are not really listening to that person. Make sure the person speaking is able to complete their thoughts before you express yours.

6. Depending on the time allotted for each agenda item, you may need to limit each person’s comments. Let people know ahead of time if there is a time limit on how many minutes they have to express their thoughts on a specific topic. If you set a time limit, make sure someone is designated as the timekeeper.

7. Communicate that no idea is bad. Participants should feel free to exchange ideas. Some of the best ideas come from spontaneous thoughts, as one thought can be a stepping stone to another thought.

8. Avoid “we did that in the past and it didn’t work / won’t work.” Suppressing someone’s thoughts can prevent them from suggesting to others. Also, while an action or effort didn’t work in the past, it may work today with a few tweaks.

9. Suggest that if you see someone who is silent or not contributing, ask for their opinion and ideas. One way to prevent people from being silent is to go around in circles and ask for their opinion.

10. Discuss confidentiality, as some discussions need to be kept confidential (eg discussing a problem employee, a collaborative partner who is not doing their part). Confidential items must be decided in advance. If you think it is necessary, you can request that the participants sign a confidentiality declaration before starting the retreat.

11. Make sure participants have the organization’s mission statement in front of them and look at it continuously during the planning session. Remind them that any ideas or suggestions for planning goals and objectives should relate directly to the mission statement.

By discussing and establishing ground rules for the strategic planning session, you will help the retreat run more smoothly and efficiently, resulting in increased productivity. By setting the ground rules in advance, you are laying the foundation for spontaneous input, new ideas and approaches, open and honest communication, and creative problem solving. This will not only help you manage your planning session, but it will also help you develop a strong strategic plan.

Copyright 2009 © Sharon L. Mikrut, All rights reserved.