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Instructor: Stuart G. Walesh, Ph.D., P.E., F.NSPE, Dist.M.ASCE
Course Length: 1.5 Hours
This webinar was created because the presenter repeatedly observed failed or unsuccessful strategic planning efforts. Initial enthusiasm often degenerated into disappointing results. Up front time and energy investments failed to yield a return. Accordingly, this webinar offers practical advice on how to decide if a business, government, academic, or volunteer organization really want to take on strategic planning and, if so, how to do it.
Purpose and Background
Many engineering firms and some government agencies and academic entities prepare strategic plans and then, unfortunately, very little happens because of poor planning and/or follow through. More specifically, strategic planning fails or disappoints for one or more of the following reasons: viewing the plan as more of the same; weak, uninspiring vision; lack of implementation commitment; unchallenged internal opposition; unresolved conflicts between day-to-day operations and long-term planning needs; inability to effect change; inadequate time and monetary resources; reluctance to hold individuals and groups accountable; and insufficient self and organizational discipline to stay the course.
This webinar is based on the premise that obstacles like the reasons listed above can be recognized up front and proactively dealt with. The webinar takes a "look before you leap" approach: that is, first identify what would be needed to succeed. Then, if you still want to proceed, take a proactive and comprehensive multi-year approach. The often maligned Italian politician Nicolo Machiavelli said it this way in the 15th Century: “Any plan that does not carry its own plan for implementation, is worthless and… should be abandoned.”
Each webinar participant will leave much better prepared to lead and/or participate in his or her organization's strategic planning initiative. Participants receive a handout summarizing the webinar including a list of articles, books, e-newsletters, websites and other self-study materials.
Primary Discussion Topics
- The meaning of "strategic"
- Separating "what?" from "how?"
- Committing for the long haul
- Acting versus reacting
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Identify why well-intentioned planning efforts fail
- Find the elements of a promising strategic plan
- Appreciate the effort needed to implement a plan
- Obtain 20 questions for change leaders
Webinar Benefits
- Deal with inevitable scattered resistance to strategic planning
- Obtain advice from executives of organizations that have been successful with strategic planning
- Know whether or not to make the investment
- Ensure accountability if you proceed
- Create the organization's future
- Retain and attract top personnel
Assessment of Learning Outcomes
Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).
Intended Audience
This webinar will assist individuals in business, government, academic, and volunteer organizations who want to create their organization's future – not let others or circumstances dictate their future. More specifically, the target audience consists mainly of leaders who want to prepare and implement a successful strategic plan – who don't want to start from scratch. Instead, they want to learn from the successes and failures of others.
Webinar Outline
- Definition of strategic planning with focus on "strategic"
- Initial negative responses and how to deal with them
- The operations vs strategic planning paradox
- Leadership: You can’t plan without it
- Leading lessons
- Vision and mission: Need for and examples
- Visioning process
- Separating “what?” from “how?”
- Smart goals
- Your roadmap: Strategies and tactics
- Resistance to change: Deal with it
- Experiences of specific organizations: lessons learned
- Responsibility and accountability
- Resources for additional study
How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion
To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short on-line post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 1 year of purchasing the course.
How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?
1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]