Strategic Planning Unleashed: An Applied Methodology and Toolkit

Despite its importance, few companies have cracked the code on strategic planning. Meetings occur, white boards are filled, and then somehow, magic happens – a binder appears, supposedly summarizing the decisions agreed to by the leadership team. Unfortunately, that is where the magic ends. The strategic plan is rarely used and left to languish on a credenza till next year. Most strategic planning books focus on theoretical frameworks or rely on an approach endorsed by a single “ideal company”. Generic models and classroom-inspired case studies rarely hold up to the rigors of the real world. And though it’s true that some companies have obtained success in strategic planning, there is no guarantee that their approach will work for your organization – there is no sliver bullet! Written by seasoned practitioners who have applied the tools in over 200 client companies, Strategic Planning Unleashed provides a practical, comprehensive playbook for each phase of the process; Environmental Assessment, Internal Capabilities Assessment, Strategy Development, and Strategy Deployment. The methodology is scalable to different sized organizations and includes many strategic planning tools that are not in the public domain. Regardless of your company’s size, complexity, offering portfolio, or geographic scope, Strategic Planning Unleashed will help your organization analyze its external environment, reach consensus on your sources of competitive advantage, identify a business strategy, and execute it seamlessly.

Ronald J. Recardo is the managing partner of The Catalyst Consulting Group, LLC, a Connecticut firm founded in the early 1990s that helps its clients grow their business, improve their performance, and execute their business strategy. He has more than thirty years of experience as an executive at J&J and Fidelity Investments and as a senior-level consultant for Arthur Andersen. Mr. Recardo has completed projects for more than 130 companies across a range of industries and is the author of seven books and more than fifty articles. He can be reached at rrecardo@catalystconsultinggroup.org. Tim Toterhi is an organization development professional for a major health-care company based in North Carolina. He began his career in strategic sales in the nuclear industry and transitioned to HR via learning and development. Over the past fifteen years, he has held global roles in change management, leadership development, talent management, and learning operations. He is an executive coach, speaker, and the author of numerous articles on business best practices. He can be reached at tim@toterhiconsulting.com or via www.toterhiconsulting.com.