Strategic Planning Workshops
Build a working strategy your leaders can challenge, improve and act on.
Russell’s straw man approach gives the discussion a concrete starting point. Your team works through the strategic choices and develops shared ownership of the direction.
Get the right people around the decisions.
A workshop is useful when owners or leaders need to agree a new direction, revisit strategic choices or establish the priorities for the next planning cycle.
Russell works with your board and leadership team to clarify the purpose, participants and scope. Stakeholder engagement, interviews, surveys and diagnostics are selected to support that work.
Bring a draft into the conversation.
The straw man makes the initial thinking visible early. Leaders can test what is proposed, identify what is missing and work through differences of opinion.
Russell facilitates that debate and helps the team refine the strategy. The emphasis is on meaningful choices, shared commitment and a practical route into execution.
Prepare and draft
Agree the questions to resolve and build an initial framework from the available evidence and consultation.
Test with the team
Challenge assumptions and risks. Compare options and bring leadership knowledge into the discussion.
Agree the direction
Refine the working strategy and confirm objectives, priorities and the decisions needed to move forward.
Turn it into action
Set the next planning priorities and actions. Keep improving the strategy as implementation provides feedback.
A workshop designed around your organisation.
Preparation and consultation
Agree the outcomes and participants. Include stakeholder input, interviews, surveys or diagnostics where useful.
Facilitated strategic decisions
Work through vision, mission, values, objectives and strategic choices at the depth your engagement requires.
A working plan and next steps
Document the agreed direction and priorities. Establish annual and initial 90-day plans where these are part of the scope.
Cascade the plan through the business.
A useful plan connects the longer-term direction to the work teams and individuals need to deliver. These planning levels make that connection explicit.
- Strategic direction
Clarify the longer-term goals and choices, commonly over a three-year horizon.
- Annual operating plan
Translate direction into measurable outcomes and major initiatives for the year.
- Quarterly and team plans
Select the next 90-day priorities and define each team’s contribution.
- Individual actions and weekly reviews
Assign ownership, measures and deadlines. Review progress and address obstacles in the weekly rhythm.
See how direction becomes an actionable plan.
Explore an illustrative working strategy, annual operating plan and 90-day plan. See how each level connects to team responsibilities and individual commitments.
See the worked planning example →Agree the scope first.
Price on application
The proposal reflects the consultation, team size, workshop format, documentation and follow-up you need.
Most workshops run for a full day. Half-day formats can suit a narrower scope.
Keep the strategy evolving.
Quarterly Strategy Days return the team to the working plan. They help you test assumptions against results and decide what comes next.
You can add them to the planning engagement or use them with an existing plan.
Explore Quarterly Strategy Days →Strategic Planning Workshop FAQs
What is a straw man strategy?
It is an early working version of the strategy. It sets out proposed priorities, assumptions and risks so your team can challenge and improve them. It is a starting point for discussion rather than a final answer.
Who should participate?
Owners, board members, executives and managers involved in setting or delivering the strategy. Stakeholder interviews, surveys and diagnostics can be included where the engagement needs them.
How long does the workshop take?
Most workshops run for a full day. A half-day format may suit a smaller team or a focused question. Preparation, consultation and follow-up are agreed as part of the scope.
What do we leave with?
An agreed working strategy and practical next steps. Depending on the scope, this includes strategic objectives, an annual operating plan and initial 90-day priorities with clear accountability.
Does a workshop include ongoing Strategy Days?
They are separate products. You can commission a workshop independently and add Quarterly Strategy Days to maintain momentum between strategic plans.
What is the investment?
Strategic Planning Workshops are quoted individually. The scope, number of participants, consultation, preparation and documentation determine the agreed investment.
Can you facilitate a workshop away from the Gold Coast?
Yes. Russell works with leadership teams across Australia and New Zealand. Location, format and any travel requirements are agreed in the proposal.
What happens in the introductory strategy call?
The free 20-minute call explores your priorities, challenges and the decisions your team needs to make. You can discuss which service fits and whether a tailored proposal is the right next step.
How should our team prepare?
Agree the decisions the workshop needs to resolve and bring your existing plan, key business measures and relevant market information. Russell agrees any interviews, stakeholder input or diagnostics with you before preparing the straw man.
How do you handle disagreement between leaders?
The straw man makes competing assumptions visible. Russell facilitates discussion of the evidence, options and trade-offs so the team can agree priorities and the decisions required. The aim is shared commitment rather than avoiding difficult questions.
What support is included after the workshop?
The agreed strategy, next steps and documentation are provided within the scoped engagement. Quarterly Strategy Days and individual coaching can be added separately to support implementation.
Discuss your Strategic Planning Workshop.
A free 20-minute call with Russ to understand your situation and explore the right scope. No commitment to a programme.
- Discuss your priorities and the decisions you need to make.
- Explore the best starting point for your leadership team.
- Agree whether a tailored proposal is the right next step.
Prefer to contact Russ directly?
0414 929 585
russell@shifft.com.au