You are on page 1of 11

Including our Strategic Planning Template

By Brian Oken
The Oken Company

15 Questions to Gauge Your Strategic Thinking


Rate each of the questions below according to the following key:
4 - Always
3 - Frequently
2 - Once in a while
1 - Never
1.

Are your company-wide projects focused around a clearly specified vision?

2.

How often do you discuss strategy with your management team?

3.

Do your employees feel safe enough to question decisions and express alternative
opinions?

4.

Can your executives and their subordinates easily state your number 1 strategic
goal for the year?

5.

Do your employees know and understand the progress, i.e. measurements, the
company is making toward its goals?

6.

Do you achieve your budget goals?

7.

Do you have projects that are still open 6 months after starting?

8.

Do you know the net profitably of your products and segments?


2015 The Oken Company theokencompany.com Not to be reproduced without permission.

9.

Do you know the profit contribution of your customers?

10. Do you successfully move up customers from lower margin products and services
to higher margin products and services?
11. Do you personally visit your top 10 customers each year?
12. Can you outline your customers reasons for buying the products and services you
provide?
13. Do you know which of your customers are the most satisfied?
14. Can you back up our competitive advantages with objective proof and
measurements your customers care about?
15. Do you understand why new entrants into your industry believe they will be
successful taking market share from existing providers such as your company?

Please add up your score and check your results on the next page.

2015 The Oken Company theokencompany.com Not to be reproduced without permission.

Results & Feedback


Thank you for taking this assessment. At The Oken Company, wed love to be a
resource for you as you work toward achieving your vision and goals. After reviewing
your results below, you should have new insights into your strategic approach as the
leader of your business. There is clear evidence that a planned, methodical approach to
thinking strategically, developing a written plan and managing the planning process
yields better results than not doing so. You can review your individual results below.
If your score was 15 to 30, you tend to deal with issues spontaneously as they arise
without much thought as to how they impact other activities going on throughout your
organization. As a result, you and your team are probably buried under numerous
unfinished projects.
Being a more strategic thinker will ensure people within your company are focused
only on the most important projects at any given time those that will actually drive
results toward your strategic goals. This is in contrast to operating in reactive mode,
where you are constantly shifting goals and priorities and fighting fires all the time.
Now would be a good time to reassess exactly what you want to achieve, take stock of
the mixed messages being sent to your team and contemplate how you approach
delegation of activities to others. Developing a clear strategic plan will document
direction, establish priorities, and set goals and responsibilities to keep employees on
track.
If your score was 31 to 45, you contemplate the strategic impact of situations and
decisions but you may not always be consistent. This inconsistency can lead to missing
measurable goals, a frustrated workforce and long, unfocused meetings without real
2015 The Oken Company theokencompany.com Not to be reproduced without permission.

objectives. Go back and impose a greater discipline upon yourself to focus on the
highest priorities all the time. If priorities change, be sure to communicate the new
direction to everyone in your organization, from top to bottom.
If your score was 46 to 60, you are a good strategic thinker. Congratulations! I
encourage you to seek fresh perspectives from other strategic thinkers within your
organization. Solicit additional input from your management team and ask others to
challenge your answers to ensure you are on the right path. In addition, you may want
to ask yourself, Is my strategic thinking actually getting implemented and seen
through to completion?
Short, weekly staff meetings that put strategic issues at the top of the agenda are a
necessity. Quarterly follow-ups ensure a high level of personal responsibility. This also
gives you an opportunity to review recent competitive moves and industry trends that
might affect your goals for the upcoming period.

Thanks again for taking the assessment and let us know if you have any comments or
questions. Wed love to hear from you!
Brian Oken
brian@theokencompany.com
theokencompany.com

2015 The Oken Company theokencompany.com Not to be reproduced without permission.

The Oken Company


Strategic Planning Template
This is a basic template you can use to better understand the strategic planning process.
Completing all the sections below will give you a workable plan that can serve as a guide for all
your company goals and activities.
List the 5 most significant opportunities for your company in the next 3 years:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
List the 5 most significant threats your company will face in the next 3 years:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

2015 The Oken Company theokencompany.com Not to be reproduced without permission.

What are the 4 most significant industry trends youve observed over the past 24
months?
1.
2.
3.
4.
What one issue are you not dealing with that you know you should be addressing?
1.

Being very specific, list up to 6 values you bring to your business - those values you
would never compromise - even if standing by them may reduce your competitiveness
or be strategically disadvantageous:
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.
2015 The Oken Company theokencompany.com Not to be reproduced without permission.

In specific terms, why does your business exist? Why does it do the things it does? And
why should anyone care?
For example, Sam Walton (Walmart) wanted to make products affordable and available. Herb
Kelleher (SouthWest Airlines) wanted to make flying fun, fast and cheap. Bill Gates (Microsoft)
had a vision of everyone having access to information.
List your Why:

Companies provide outcomes. List the 3 most significant outcomes your customers
enjoy by doing business with you. Make certain these outcomes are provable and
combine some sort of measure:
1.

2.

3.

2015 The Oken Company theokencompany.com Not to be reproduced without permission.

In 15 years (whether you are planning on selling your business or not), describe what
you would like to see your company achieve in size, industry significance, culture and
valuation:
Size in sales or revenues:
Market share:
Culture:
Valuation (typical): $
Disposition (legacy, public, sold, etc.):

Within the next 3 years, what are the 2 most critical company-wide goals you must
achieve in order to make progress toward your long-term goals stated above? These
must be in alignment with your strengths, opportunities, values and customer
outcomes:
1.

2.

2015 The Oken Company theokencompany.com Not to be reproduced without permission.

Next, fill in the following table:


Last Year Baseline

This Year Est.

Next Year Est.

Net Sales or Revenues

Operating Income ($)

Operating Income (%)

Finally, list 2 plans of action (strategies) for achieving each of your goals this year. As
the year progresses, fill in the progress youve made toward each goal.
Goal #1:
Strategy:
By when:
Person responsible:
Progress:

Strategy:
By when:
Person responsible:
Progress:

2015 The Oken Company theokencompany.com Not to be reproduced without permission.

10

Goal #2:
Strategy:
By when:
Person responsible:
Progress:
Strategy:
By when:
Person responsible:
Progress:
Will the plans of action above be sufficient enough to achieve your revenue and income
targets?
10 years from today, how would you like to be spending your time?
1.

2.

Keep in mind, strategic planning should be seen as an ongoing process and a normal
part of running your business. In order to remain effective, your plan must be used and
updated on a regular basis.
Email me if you have any questions. I answer all emails personally.
Brian Oken
The Oken Company
brian@theokencompany.com
2015 The Oken Company theokencompany.com Not to be reproduced without permission.

11

You might also like