Strategic Plotting

June turns over to July soon, and with that, half of 2017 is a wrap. This midpoint is a good time to check in on strategic plans, goals, or intentions set for the year. There’s still reasonably enough time to reset, or to set a stretch goal if things are moving along nicely.

Personal Reflection

For personal projects or initiatives, blocking out an hour for reflection may be enough. If you have lists or documents about your goals, review those first. Then, give yourself time to think, jot down notes, and reset as needed. These questions can be a starting point for your reflection:

• What are the good, the bad, and the neutral things that have happened in 2017 so far?
• What progress have I already made toward goals, and what is left to be done?
• Has new information or circumstances surfaced since I first set goals and intentions?
• If I haven’t made the progress expected, what has been standing in the way?
• Is there anything I should let go of to make space for important tasks?
• Do I need to reset my plans in any way? If so, what should I add, subtract, or edit from my initial pan?

Group Check-Ins

Strategic plans usually involve everyone on a team. Some people may “own” areas, while most people will have specific tasks or work plans derived from the plan. Though checking in as a large group can be a bit unwieldy, it’s nice to include anyone whose work is affected. To review a larger strategic plan as a team, you may want to try a framework like the one below.

Strategic Plotting
This group activity is about plotting out what you’ve accomplished so far, and what’s left to be done. It’s perfect for midpoint check-ins on strategic plans or major projects.

Pre-planning:

• Before you begin, gather a few supplies: sticky notes, markers, and a large workspace – either a whiteboard or a sheet of butcher paper – approximately 3’ high x 6’ long.
• You’ll also want to select a facilitator to lead the activity.
• Schedule your session, then invite participants and inform them about the purpose of the activity. The larger your group or more complex your goals, the more time you will need. A team of 20 with a fairly complex strategic plan should carve out about 2 hours for the activity and discussion.
• Set up your facilitation space. Rooms with some natural light and space to move around work best for activities like this. Draw a simple timeline on your whiteboard, like so:

To facilitate:

1. Ask participants to plot progress, asking questions like “What have we accomplished so far toward our goals this year?” Instruct people to use the markers to write down one thing per sticky note. Give people at least five minutes. Ask follow up questions to help spark memories, like “Where were we at the end of Q1?” or “How did your specific department contribute?”
2. Invite people to place their sticky notes on the board or paper on the timeline. This serves two purposes. Sometimes seeing others’ contributions triggers other notes and memories for people. Also, the movement helps keep energy levels up. After the sorting, give a final round for people to write more, if needed. As you map out sticky notes, your whiteboard will start to look like this:
   
   

3. Present a quick recap of the progress so far. The point of this part of the activity is to take note of accomplishments and celebrate a little, and to set your group up to reckon with what’s left to be done.
4. Ask participants to plot what is left to be done to meet your goals. Instruct people to use the markers to write down one thing per sticky note. Give at least ten minutes. Ask follow up questions like, “What have we already decided to do?” and “Are there new tasks or steps we were missing before?”
5. Ask people to again sort their notes based on when they think a task can or should be completed. Let people work together to sort and rearrange the notes. Provide a second round, if needed.
6. Lead a discussion around what’s left to be done. Good questions might be: “What are some of our biggest challenges?” or “Do we have the resources needed to accomplish these goals?”
7. Decide next steps. Depending on your culture, you may have a smaller group reconvene to finalize a work plan and assign tasks. Or, you may be able to have people volunteer and choose tasks in the moment. Whichever path you decide, make it clear what’s next.

After reflection, you may be able to pat yourself on the back and celebrate your accomplishments so far. This is time well spent – celebration is important. If you need a reset, then you’ve set yourself up for that before it’s too late.

Do you have habits or rituals for reflecting mid-year? I’d love to hear how you check in and reset on your goals and intentions.