Business Coach - Do You Pay Lip Service to Strategic Planning or Do As I Say and Not as I Do?

As a business coach do you have a strategic plan? Are you actively revisiting your plan? Do you encourage your clients to do the same?

Recently, I spoke to another group of Chief Executive Officers and managers of small businesses that ranged in revenue from $1,000,000 to $20,000,000. These individuals were members of a fairly expensive monthly coaching forum where they exchanged challenges under the facilitation of their director.

During the presentation, one comment struck me as particularly interesting. I was asked about how often I revisit my strategic plan. My response was weekly. I then asked permission to ask the inquiring mind if his company had a strategic plan and if so, when was the last time he revisited it. He replied, Sure, we created one at boot camp 18 months ago and I have not opened it since that time.

Since the purpose of this paid group coaching membership was to grow each organization, I could not help be surprised that strategic plans crafted over a year and a half ago were not the foundation for current discussions. What seemed to be happening is that the same issues were being addressed without any resolution.

Several times a year, I speak at different national conferences on strategic planning and leadership. Many of the attendees are business coaches and executive coaches whose practices include strategic planning. When I ask questions specific to aligning current actions to the strategic plan, I get what I call the deer in the headlight looks. This blank stare seems to cover the room except for a few. There are always exceptions.

If you are a business coach, executive coach or even a business consultant who specializes in strategic planning, take action within the next seven days to revisit your strategic plan. Measure your current results against planned goals. Make those course corrections. At least this way, you will be in alignment with your values and no longer in the Do as I say and not as I Do behaviors.

Then return to each of your clients and take the time to help them with their strategic plans. And when they question you about the last time you worked on your plan, you can be authentic and tell them within the last 7 days.

Do you want to learn more about how to get to where you want to be? I have just completed a FREE 7 lesson on-line email course. Sign up here and now Building Your M.A.P. (My Action Plan) to Success.

Leanne Hoagland-Smith, M.S. is a speaker and Indianapolis business coach & Chicago business coach who has written hundreds of articles with a focus on improving individual and organizational performance through excellence in leadership to executable strategic plans.

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