Systems Thinking offers simplicity, and therefore the possibility for agility both in the development and the implementation of strategies. Looking at an organization as a group of systems within a series of external systems is clearly a good start for creating agile strategies. Further, applying a practiced evaluation of the organization by identifying INPUTS-THROUGHPUTS-OUTPUTS with…
Creating and managing change is in the pressure cooker! The 2001 introduction of the “Agile Manifesto” by a consortium of thought leaders of the software development industry has now spilled over into nearly, if not all, aspects of managing organizations of all types. This includes strategic planning. First and foremost, let us accept that Strategic…
Takeaways: 1) Age demographics and volunteer burn-out are dilemmas for member-based non-profit organizations, 2) Why clear and concise communication is paramount, 3) Why change must be embraced with a revolutionary approach. Member-based non-profits inherently are subject to the dreaded disease of volunteer burn-out. As I scan the world for member-based non-profits and consider their membership…
A while ago I came across an article written by Noah Weiss for Medium.com (Nov. 2014), which describes a simple planning model he calls #now, #next, #later. In it he discusses a method for smaller businesses and teams to create effective action plans using what he calls “Priority Buckets”. As I read on, I realized…
Eric A. Denniston, Denner Group International January 30, 2014 Takeaways: A strategic planning career defined. A possible career path to plan for. What size organizations to seek work in. Valuable certifications to obtain and keep. Are you already planning to have a career, or switch your career in the direction of Strategic Planning? Make sure…
By Eric A Denniston, Managing Director, Denner Group International 11/18/2012 Takeaways: Overcoming planning mistakes requires some strategic thinking up front to ensure all the possible outcomes and issues have been addressed. I recently had the opportunity to address a group of folks who are undergoing some community-wide leadership training. The topic I was asked to…
By Eric A. Denniston, Managing Director, Denner Group International 3-22-2013 how you think matters when doing business planning Takeaways: Gain clarity in how the type of thinking can affect the outcomes of your work and planning for your business. Get some insight about the importance of skill building in how you think. Haven’t you…
By Jeri T Denniston, Chief Marketing Strategist, Denner Group International 10/4/2011 Takeaways: It’s important to include HR in the planning process to engineer success up front. Doing so makes it possible for them to address the people issues when it comes time to implement the key strategies. Many HR professionals have to learn to be…
By Eric A Denniston, Managing Director, Denner Group International 2-20-2-13 Takeaways: Business planning requires strategic thinking and analytical thinking skills. It’s important to understand the difference between the two. Best practices include having clarity about where your business is going, keeping the planning process simple, and involving your staff in the planning. Nearly all small…
By Eric A Denniston, Managing Director, Denner Group International 4-8-2012 Part C – PLAN Now, as we begin to plan what we’re going to do about deploying our tablet initiative in our warehouse, let’s keep our parallel involvement process going to mitigate any other potential unintended consequences. This is a key Systems Thinking tool. A…
