Critical Issues

Determining focus in Strategic Planning

By Kordell Norton - © Copyright 2007 – All rights reserved

The story is told of a large oil refinery that mysteriously shut down.  The manager of the facility quickly called a known expert who promptly arrived with his special hammer.  Wandering the complex and putting his ear to various pipes, he finally walked over and smacked one especially large conduit which caused the plant to whir back to life.

Upon receiving the large bill for services rendered the plan manager asked, “That much for you come out with a hammer and hit a pipe?”  The expert said, “No that fee is not for the hammer. . . . it is for knowing where to hit.” 

 

With the many choices today’s companies enjoy, one of the biggest challenges is getting specific on what the focus can and should be. 

 

It is all about the Critical Issues to focus on, or “knowing where to hit.” 

 

When organizations go through their strategic planning, one of the most used tools is the SWOT Analysis.  This device measures the internal and external forces on the organization.  The SWOT is powerful for

 

• Seeing what threats, left unaddressed may at a future time become a weakness for the organization
• Letting the organization put some priorities on fixing their problems
• Seeing how the organizations can be parleyed into new directions and focus
• The strengths can be used for sales and marketing insights.
• Used as an analysis tool on the competitors, give some rich insights into possible directions. 

 

Once a SWOT is developed, it can be used as the hammer for the next steps of the planning process, which is referred to as the Critical Issues.   Knowing where to hit. 

 

Organizations just cannot do all things.  Their resources and time are just not big enough.  So it is common practice is to choose the best 3 to 5 areas of focus.  But before these 5 Bold Steps of activity and direction can be determined, a distilling of issues occurs. 

 

The SWOT is reviewed, in connection with the current environment and trends for a list of Critical Issues.  The Critical Issues is extremely important for the strategic directions. 

 

The Critical Issues process and guidelines

 

1. Identify those things that left unresolved can harm, or prevent high performance for the organization
2. It narrows down the top 5 to 7 issues and prioritizes them.
3. Is restated in a question format
4. Usually contains one or more of the phrases of: “How do we . . . . “ or “given that . . . .” and “so that. . . . “
5. They are written so they resonate and stir the emotions and logic of the group
6. “Lock-in” the Critical Issues and move on to the next step.

 

Examples:

 

School District

“How do we attract new students and retain current students so that our education partners do not feel we are competitors?”

 

Manufacturing

“How do we improve manufacturing quality and production given the competitive forces of overseas competition so that our profits increase along with customer satisfaction?”

 

Government

“How can we increase the communication between our agency and other government entities given the lower operating dollars we will have access to?”

 

Car Dealership

“Given the decline of our product brand, how can we increase sales faster than the category/brand decline so that we are seen as the premier location to purchase a car.”

 

 

By asking these questions, the organization enters the brainstorming process with clear vision of what specific problems need to be addressed.  In addition the consensus by the group is higher with the communication on the common ground issues.  And last of all, having the critical issues worded so they resonate, an enthusiasm and energy will bubble up in the organization . . . much like that oil refinery, as it whirred back to high production.

 

About Kordell Norton - The Top Line Guy

Your organization has a strong interest in the "top line" for growth. As a consultant, speaker, author, Kordell Norton works with corporate, association, education and government organizations who want to focus on branding, sales, marketing, strategic planning/leadership, team building, and customer service.

Kordell was an executive with several multi-billion dollar corporations with executive suite positions in sales, HR, marketing and call centers. As a certified Graphic Facilitator, he uses highly visual processes, along with humor, and entertaining methods for powerful, high energy presentations.

Author of Throwing Gas on the Fire - creating drastic change in Sales and Marketing

He can be reached at (330) 405-1950 or at kordell@kordellnorton.com or at his website -  www.KordellNorton.com