Growing Clients

The business and financial worlds have changed dramatically. The traditional approach to planning in no longer sufficient. We live in turbulent times. For 20 recession-free years, the business environments in most countries were relatively simple. This is no longer the case. A recession and globalisation have changed our business environments.

To match new circumstances we need to use better planning tools such as scenario conversations. This tool has been around for decades but has largely been unused. Has your company ever used a broad scenario conversation as a precursor to developing its strategic and operational plans?

Scenario conversations? From attending a recent chamber of commerce event it would seem that most small and medium enterprises have not heard of or used this tool. Or among those owners or MDs who have, there is a perception that is only used by large corporations. Our chamber invited a colleague who delivered an excellent presentation on scenario planning.

After the event small groups of businesspersons huddled together. It was obvious that the topic was more or less foreign – except to two of my clients who were present and who were exposed to scenario conversations.

One client made an interesting observation namely that the conversation (over six to eight hours) touched on numerous topics which every businessperson knows but often ignores. In fact, nothing in the conversation is really a surprise, except perhaps how to structure a scenario gameboard and how to conduct the conversation which leads up to creating scenarios. And then one has to structure the knowledge and insights which come out of the conversation.

What is really new and surprising is the intensity of the 10-stage process and the range of the discussion. I always advise people to arrive with general knowledge, common sense and no prepared documents or PowerPoint presentations. Prepared position papers or presentations only hinder a free flow of ideas.

A scenario conversation or scenario planning enables the participants to shake loose the information that they already know. Traditional planning to a large extent ignores or skims over the context in which a company finds itself. It lacks the richness and depth of conversation that is needed. Groups often jump right into developing mission and vision statements and do not use all the knowledge which a group has at its disposal.

The purpose of this post is simply to ensure that you are aware of this exiting strategic planning tool. Consider using it.

More information is available at www.abplan.co.za.

Albert