How to Run a Successful Strategy Review Workshop with Your Team: A Guide for Business Leaders

2 days ago4 min read

Running a regular Strategy Review Workshop is vital for aligning your team with the business strategy. It's key to ensuring everyone understands the objectives and has a say in decision-making.

This guide will walk you through some tips to organising and facilitating a productive workshop, which allows you to gather valuable insights through market research, customer feedback, and staff input.

Understand the Purpose of the Workshop

Clarifying the purpose of your strategy review workshop is your first step.

Are you assessing progress?
Identifying new opportunities?
Addressing challenges?

Defining your goals early on helps in structuring the workshop effectively.

Consider inviting participants from various functions within the organisation. For instance, including sales, marketing, and customer service can enrich discussions and provide a broader perspective on the effectiveness of the current strategy. This diverse input often leads to a more balanced approach and identifies areas that might need attention. Plus, its a great opportunitiy to bring the hearts and minds together to understand each persons perspective.

Eye-level view of a modern meeting room set up for a strategy workshop — A clean meeting space ready for group discussions - or consider a more inspiriting setting beyond the 'board' room (a hotel or function centre in the mountains, or near the beach...something a bit different!

Set the Agenda

A well-structured agenda is the backbone of a successful workshop. Outline topics to discuss, allocate time for each, and balance discussion with actionable tasks. A sample agenda could look like this:

Introduction: Present the current business strategy and highlight the goals. For instance, if sales have increased by 15% over the last quarter, share this achievement to set a positive tone.
Review of Previous Objectives: Analyze what has been accomplished and examine the results from recent market research, customer insights, and employee feedback. For example, if customer satisfaction scores rose from 70% to 85%, discuss the factors that contributed to this increase.
Team Discussion: Invite comments on the business strategy's effectiveness and opportunities for adjustments. Utilise statistics that emphasise the impact of suggested changes.
Goal Setting: Discuss and establish objectives for the upcoming period, ensuring they're in line with overarching business goals. If your goal is to boost market share by 5% this year, outline the strategies to achieve this.
Action Planning: Wrap up with a clear action plan, specifying who is responsible for each task and setting deadlines to ensure accountability.

Distributing the agenda in advance helps participants prepare their thoughts and contributions.

Gather Relevant Data

Preparation is crucial before the workshop. Conduct market research to collect both qualitative and quantitative data that counts. Here are effective strategies to gather insights:

Customer Surveys: Analyse feedback from customers to pinpoint areas needing improvement. For example, if 60% of respondents express dissatisfaction with response time, you have a clear direction for enhancing customer service.
Staff Interviews: Conduct interviews or focus groups with team members to gauge internal perceptions regarding the current strategy. Their firsthand experiences provide valuable insights that can guide discussions.
Performance Metrics: Review existing performance data to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your current approach. If your team achieved 90% of its targets last quarter, explore which tactics contributed to that success and where there's room for improvement.

Utilising concrete data fosters informed analysis, leading to actionable strategies.

Internal bias and internal assumptions - or even 'group think' - can create a false sense of security, so it's important to bring some external 'reality check' into the room.

Close-up view of an open notebook with strategy notes and a pen — A notebook with strategic notes ready for team discussions - sometimes handwriting important things down can really help tighten up your thoughts..

Facilitate Open and Constructive Discussions

As the workshop leader, your role is to foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable contributing. Here are key strategies to achieve this:

Create a Safe Environment: Set ground rules that encourage respect and openness. Inform participants that differing opinions are welcome, which can lead to robust discussions.
Use Thought-Provoking Questions: Engage your team with open-ended questions that spark critical thinking. For example: "What challenges have we encountered in meeting our objectives?"
Implement Brainstorming Techniques: Utilise methods like Mind Mapping, SWOT analysis, or DeBono's 6 Hats Thinking to help extract and organise ideas. These techniques help to visualise contributions and ensure all aspects of the strategy are considered.

Encourage all team members to speak up, especially those who may be quieter but have valuable insights to share. Diverse perspectives often lead to more innovative solutions.

Conclude with Clear Action Items

At the close of your workshop, summarise the discussions and ensure that each point leads to actionable items. Assign responsibilities and set follow-up deadlines. This promotes accountability and sustains momentum beyond the workshop.

Document Everything: Make sure to keep extensive notes throughout the workshop. Appointing a dedicated note-taker can help capture all vital points accurately.
Action Item Summary: Wrap up by outlining key decisions made and actions assigned. Sharing this summary with all participants soon after the workshop ensures everyone is aligned.
Schedule Follow-Up Sessions: Plan regular check-ins to assess progress on the agreed actions and any necessary adjustments to the strategy.

Gather Feedback After the Workshop

To enhance future workshops, ask participants for feedback. This can identify strengths and areas needing improvement.

Surveys or Questionnaires: Create a short survey to collect insights about the workshop's effectiveness, structure, and outcomes.
Encourage Honest Feedback: Allow participants to express what they found helpful and areas that could be improved. This ongoing feedback loop fosters a culture of continuous improvement.

Key Takeaways

Running a successful strategy review workshop hinges on thorough planning, clear objectives, and effective facilitation. By engaging your team in meaningful discussions about the business strategy, leveraging market research, customer feedback, and staff insights, you can drive impactful outcomes for your organisation.

Approach each workshop with a collaborative mindset to help align your business strategy and empower your team in achieving goals.

High angle view of a team brainstorming ideas using sticky notes — A creative brainstorming session filled with sticky notes and ideas - or use the many digital app tools..

By implementing these steps, you can turn your strategy review workshops into effective sessions that steer your business toward success.

If you need an independent Workshop Facilitator - get in touch with our team. We are experienced in running very successful and productive Team Strategy Review Workshops.