CFFB Annual General Meeting with Speaker Neil Thornton

We look forward to welcoming members to our Annual General Meeting this September, bringing members together to reflect on our accomplishments, strengthen community connections, and discuss the year ahead.

Lead Change with a Strategic Plan that Actually Works with Neil Thornton | Hint: The Planning is Easy, the ‘Doing’ is the Hard Part

Strategic planning should be more than an annual retreat, a complicated document or a set of ambitious statements that rarely influence daily decisions. In today’s rapidly changing business environment, organizations require a clear and compelling set of goals and vision that moves people beyond short-term problem-solving and reactionary thinking. This keynote explores how leaders can establish an honest picture of their current reality, define what they want to create and translate their focus into meaningful priorities that people throughout the organization can understand, support and act upon.

Drawing on proven strategies from the trenches of experience, participants will learn the essential elements of an effective and practical strategic plan: what, why, how, when and who. The presentation will examine how to establish measurable goals, determine strategic actions and timelines, assign champions, engage employees and create a culture of accountability. Most importantly, participants will discover how leadership presence, communication and influence can bring a strategic plan to life—moving it beyond the boardroom and turning vision into coordinated action, measurable progress and sustainable results.

Objectives:

• Understand the three key questions for any planning process
• Apply the Balanced Scorecard approach (Kaplan) with 5 key priorities
• Understand the strategic planning is easy; it’s the ‘doing’ that is the hard part
• Ensure fingerprints are on the planning process at every level of the organization
• Engaging people in the process through vision, mission, and values
• Speaking and coaching skills required
• Remember that your culture will eat your strategic plan for breakfast!