Winning at Strategy

Winning at Strategy is an interactive seminar designed to give any team- business or non-profit the tools needed to successfully accomplish its goals. The following comments from past seminar participants tell more about the quality and practicality of the seminar than anything that can be included here:

 "Sal's strategy 'pyramid' really helped my organization clearly define their goals and more importantly put the strategy and tactics in place to accomplish the goals. Once we set our goals we were able to assign responsibility to each individual to execute their strategy and were able to hold each other accountable. We can all have goals but without the strategy and execution and accountability, they were simply just goals." Craig, Regional Sales Manager

 "I felt my time working with Sal and the exercise he had us complete helped me learn how to improve my strategy planning skills. Setting goals is not easy and most of us keep them too generic without the necessary strategy, specific action and required time frame for completion attached. This is an area that will be an ongoing challenge for most and any training and reinforcement of positive skills has been helpful. He (Sal) was a very good instructor." Mary, Regional Sales Manager

 "I have implemented the 'pyramid' into my planning. I use it to express the regional vision, goals, strategy, execution and tactics. I am constantly adding and adjusting the plan as the goals are changed or met and I keep it in a hard copy in my carry bag and on my I-pad for review. In my opinion, the information that we received the day that Sal presented was definitely worth the price of admission." Ron, Regional Sales Manager

The Winning at Strategy seminar outline:

1. Why do you need a strategy?
   
   • Strategy lessons from history.
   • "When you come to a fork in the road take it" Yogi Berra
   • Why don't employees accomplish what they are supposed to accomplish?
2. The strategy pyramid
   
   • Have a vision.
   • Set the goals.
   • Execute the strategy.
   • Develop the tactics.
3. Breakout session 1. Assessing the organization:
   
   • Strength
   • Weaknesses
   • Opportunities
   • Threats
   • Sharing with the group.
4. Breakout session 2. Creating the strategic vision statement:
   
   • Sharing with the group.
5. How to set goals:
   
   • Goals must be supportive of the vision and be:
     
     • Specific
     • Measurable
     • Achievable
     • Realistic
     • Timely
6. Breakout session 3: Setting the goals.
   
   • Set the goals.
   • Share with the group.
7. How to set strategies to achieve the goals:
   
   • Strategies represent "how to do it".
   • Strategies require knowledge of "SWOT".
8. Breakout session 4: Developing the strategy then sharing with the group.
9. Executing the strategy:
   
   • Who, what, where and when.
   • Execution is doing what is critical in order to deliver on the strategy.
10. Developing the tactics for successful execution.

Conclusion:

Participants leave with a ready to implement business plan. This is a practical workshop not a "feel good" session that wears off in time. The participant's quotes above were written several months after the session was attended. The lessons learned become part of the business practice "DNA" of those in attendance. The cost is $2,000 per day plus expenses. The profit benefit achieved will be noticeable and long lasting.