	Secretary, local University of the Third Age Bruce has a much focussed understanding of people and community organisations such as ours and we were always kept well informed throughout all stages of the course. We found him flexible and always willing to adapt his approach so we were able to come up with a mutually acceptable plan that would take our organisation to a successful future. He encouraged us to bring forth our own ideas and with his encouragement those ideas multiplied extensively. He also introduced a little humour into the sessions.
	President, not-for-profit organisation ...we were impressed with the authenticity of [Bruce's] commitment to the community sector, his ability to relate strategic planning concepts and processes in a way that was accessible to all our participants, and his calm and gentle demeanour. At the end of what initially seemed to be fun and light-hearted sessions, we would regularly find ourselves with the solid foundations of our plan, as if by magic.
	Director, executive consultancy Bruce is very skilled at researching complex issues in a variety of policy contexts and drawing out the most productive options, supported by relevant evidence and making recommendations for action based on extensive experience, and has great skill at bringing together people of varied backgrounds to work on effective implementation.
	President, not-for-profit organisation "I have engaged with strategic planning processes before and have always found them to be quite tedious and somewhat clinical, however the process that Bruce guided us through was exciting, challenging, demanding and extremely fulfilling. It left the whole group feeling enthusiastic, connected and with a sense of heightened anticipation about the future."
	Education Manager, Registered Training Organisation Throughout the facilitation day, Bruce used a variety of group process methods such as brain storming, structured problem solving, consensus building, personal visioning, 'what's in it for me' (WIIFM), 'what can you add to the list' (WCYATTL), and graphic facilitation (using words and images) to elicit responses from the group....I would have no hesitation in using Bruce as a facilitator on other projects or recommending to other senior and executive managers to take advantage of his considerable facilitation skills.
	Manager, Arts and Community Centre (Not-for-Profit) The facilitated strategic plan has been and continues to be a great success in our not-for-profit organisation"
	President, not-for-profit organisation [Bruce's] advice ...has been most important and [his] professional knowledge on governance issues and fundraising has been very helpful. [His] contribution did much to educate Board members about their important responsibilities and ensured that more thought is given to Director's duties. [Bruce's] comments concerning Board membership and expertise on the Board will be in our thoughts when recruiting future Directors.
	Board Chair, not-for-profit organisation [Bruce was] a strong and effective contributor to the Board's deliberations during a significant time for organisational micro-reform, restructuring and developing financial security.
	Director, not-for-profit organisation Bruce assisted the Board of the Creative Ministries Network 'pro bono' to commence a process of strategic planning. Bruce listened carefully to my briefing of our key concerns and issues, and offered the Board a simple and coherent framework to start our strategic plan. The core elements of that framework are still evident five years later.

Why do so many managers and CEOs put the very survival of their organisations at risk by not introducing a methodical process of strategic planning? This is why:

They don't know where to start,

They erroneously look for complexity to justify the approach,

They don't use an integrated consultative process linked to action.

As different organisations have different budgets and timelines we will work with you to determine the best approach for your strategic planning. Strategic planning is the process of self-renewal. Sometimes a staged introduction is a satisfactory beginning and we can accommodate that. There are options available to you rather than "one-size fits-all".

HEADS TOGETHER PROVIDES:

1. By mutual agreement, a free one hour consultation at your office. To contact us and make an appointment, please click here

2. By mutual agreement, a free one hour presentation to your board or management committee.

3. Facilitated preparation and implementation of a meaningful and authentic strategic planning process for your organisation whether it is not-for-profit, public, private or community based.

For more on HEADS TOGETHER group facilitation please click here

For enquiries about the appropriate strategic planning approach for your situation and budget,

please click here to contact Heads Together (Dr. Bruce D. Watson) and arrange an appointment at your office, email chat or telephone conversation. We will usually respond within 24 hours.

Expand/collapse the list below by clicking on the headings

What is the difference between strategic planning, long-range planning and operational planning?

	Long-range planning is considered to assume that the current knowledge about future conditions is sufficiently reliable to ensure the plan's reliability over the duration of its implementation, e.g. stable economy
	Strategic planning assumes that an organisation must be responsive to an environment that is dynamic and hard to predict. Strategic planning stresses the importance of making decisions that position an organisation to successfully respond to changes in the environment
	Operational plans primarily affect the day-to-day implementation of strategic decisions. While strategic decisions usually have longer term implications, operational decisions usually have immediate, less than one year, implications

Why do so many top management teams put their very survival at risk by not introducing a methodical process of strategic planning? This is why:

They don't know where to start, their concept of strategic planning is wrong and too complex, the method is unintegrated and unrealistic, their is narrow involvement and analysis

What could they do?

Overcome these common barriers and obstacles by having external facilitation and strategic planning expertise brought into their organisation or cooperative

Why use our strategic planning method?

It takes into account the size and type of an organisation or cooperative

It helps to decide if current strategies will deliver acceptable results

It has a unique way of focusing effort strategies that have the best chance of success

It is an integrated process that allows you to concentrate

It makes effective use of everyone's time

Easy, facilitated instructions and explanations - no gobbledegook!

We provide recent case studies.

Use state of the art knowledge and experience from a range of sources

You will avoid major strategic planning mistakes

The benefits of facilitation

Facilitation is the process of making it easier, or less difficult, for the people of an organisation, to carry out the task of strategic planning

The benefits of using an external facilitator for a process of this nature are widely acknowledged

All participants can be fully engaged in the process

HEADS TOGETHER

Strategic Planning

Facilitation

Qualified Industry

Standard Group Facilitator:

Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training (Melbourne)

30 years of experience.

Based on state-of-the art concepts and current research.

Verify here: http://tinyurl.com/ctws99

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