Friday’s featured speaker was Mary Santiago, a trainer and coach in strategic planning for Alaska Airlines individuals and companies.
Mary pointed out that in order to benefit from
strategic planning, you have to identify your values; then understand your mission; then have a vision of how to put that mission into effect; and, finally, to make priorities based on that vision, in
order to realize it.
She challenges her clients to consider what they really care about and what they really stand for and what they really must have in their lives to be really fulfilled.
Mary used a number of quotations from John Wooden, the most successful college basketball coach in history, that have a lot to do with
values. For instance, “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Character is what you really are; reputation is what you are perceived to be.”
Once a person or business understands its values, it must understand its mission. Mary suggested asking these questions:
- What is your purpose?
- What are you meant to accomplish?
- What makes you a unique leader to accomplish that mission?
The power of vision is something that cannot be understated, according to Mary, for it will illuminate the path to your goals.
Finally, Mary suggested that there are at least seven benefits to strategic planning:
- Alignment of intentions so that everyone is working towards the same goal
- Balance in personal and business life
- A sure way to respond decisively to uncertainties
- Commitment and resolution
- Optimization of resources
- Learning and innovation
- Fitness and ability to handle the future
In summation, Mary quoted an ancient Chinese proverb: “If we don’t change the direction we’re going, we’re likely to end up where we’re headed.”
Thanks to Jan Nestler for the introduction.
|