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Writer's pictureMarcus Ward

Get a Facilitator To Get Your Annual Strategic Planning Done Right




As we approach 2024, the need for effective collaboration and strategic planning in business becomes increasingly crucial for many teams. A facilitator can be a huge help in this process, especially when navigating complex projects and diverse team dynamics. But when exactly should you consider bringing in a facilitator, and how can they specifically aid in planning for the upcoming year?

A facilitator is an expert in guiding groups to collaborate more effectively, using specialised skills and techniques to design and plan efficient meetings and workshops. They are instrumental in engaging groups in activities that generate ideas and solutions, managing conflicts, building consensus, and turning ideas into actionable outcomes. A facilitator's role becomes even more significant in setting strategic directions and ensuring that teams are aligned with the year's goals.




Key Scenarios for Using a Facilitator in 2024 Planning

  1. Launching New Initiatives: If you're kicking off major projects in 2024 but lack a clear process, a facilitator can provide structure and direction, ensuring that your initiatives start on the right foot.

  2. Enhancing Participation and Eliminating Bias: In planning sessions for the year ahead, it's vital to have balanced input from all team members. A facilitator ensures even participation and helps keep the process unbiased and focused on the best outcomes for the project.

  3. Overcoming Creative Blocks: If you're struggling to find innovative solutions or new strategies for 2024, a facilitator can inject creativity into your planning, helping you break through barriers and ideate effectively.

  4. Achieving Consensus for Strategic Decisions: For critical decisions that will shape the year ahead, a facilitator can help in reaching consensus among all stakeholders, ensuring that everyone is on board with the chosen direction.

  5. Managing Complex Dynamics in High-Stakes Meetings: When planning for a significant year like 2024, tensions and high stakes can lead to complex group dynamics. A facilitator adeptly manages these situations, keeping discussions productive and focused.

  6. Transitioning from Discussion to Action: A facilitator can help turn the discussions and plans for 2024 into concrete actions, ensuring that your team doesn't get stuck in a cycle of endless talk without progress.

  7. Fostering Full Team Ownership: For plans and strategies to be successful in 2024, full team buy-in is essential. A facilitator ensures that everyone is involved in the decision-making process, creating a sense of collective ownership and commitment.

  8. Planning High-Stakes Meetings: When the outcomes of your 2024 planning sessions are critical to your success, an external facilitator can ensure that these meetings are productive, focused, and yield the desired results.

  9. Leveraging Expertise in Workshop Planning: If your team lacks the experience to effectively plan and conduct strategic workshops for 2024, a facilitator can lead the way, providing expertise and practices that you can use in future planning sessions.

The Role of a Facilitator

  • Before the Workshop: They should work with you to define goals for the year, create an agenda, decide on attendees, and set up the workshop space, ensuring everything is aligned for successful planning.

  • During the Workshop: The facilitator acts as a moderator, encouraging participation, managing time, and guiding the team towards the goals set for 2024.

  • After the Workshop: Summarize key takeaways and define next steps, maintaining momentum and translating workshop results into real-world actions for the year ahead.


Book a high performance planning workshop

As you plan for 2024, consider the pivotal role a facilitator can play in ensuring that your team's collaboration is effective, your strategies are well-defined, and your goals for the year are met with collective enthusiasm and clarity.



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