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strategic plan, strategic planning, framework, fine china, management

The Ultimate Strategic Planning Framework Tool: A Detailed Review

Published on by Grace LaConte3 Comments

Your strategic plan doesn’t belong in a cabinet like a set of fine china. In my last post, I talked about the many benefits of using a Strategic Planning Framework:

  • a clear vision for the future
  • foresee vulnerabilities and dangers
  • identify areas of healthy growth
  • effectively get control of your company

This simple tool answers 3 important questions:

  1. Why are we doing this?
  2. What is required?
  3. How will we do it?

Within these questions are a variety of areas that should be included in your strategic planning process. Let’s look at each of them in more detail.

Continue reading “The Ultimate Strategic Planning Framework Tool: A Detailed Review” →

strategic plan, strategic planning, framework, fine china, management

The Ultimate Strategic Planning Framework Tool: Introduction

Published on by Grace LaConte4 Comments

My great-grandmother, like most women in the early 1900s, had two sets of dishes. One was a plain set for everyday family meals, and the other was a very fancy set that she only brought out on special occasions. Each plate, cup, and saucer was decorated with a design of delicate pink roses, curled ivy, and a beautiful gold inlay that encircled the scalloped edges.

She left the set to my grandmother, who then passed it on to my mother, who quickly discovered that fine china with gold detail is no match for the power of a modern dishwasher. The inconvenience of hand-washing every single item (and the risk of chipping or breaking the dishes) was too great. So those heirloom dinner dishes were hidden away in a china cabinet and only emerged on rare occasions.

As a strategic risk expert, I believe many leaders treat their strategic plan like a set of fine china. They know their plan is important; they invest time and money to create it. The final plan is detailed, logical, and beautiful.

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The Inferno of Dante, Dante's Inferno, Divine Comedy, Divina Commedia, Robert Pinsky, bilingual, translation, Italian, strategic, strategic perspective, strategy

Dante’s Inferno From a Strategic Perspective

Published on by Grace LaConte1 Comment

When you hear the words “Dante” and “Inferno,” your initial thought is probably something like this:

  • Some guy named Dante wrote it a long time ago
  • It’s a book about the levels of hell
  • The Catholic faith has something to do with it
  • There’s something about “comedy,” but not in the traditional sense
  • I might have read the book in high school

Up until recently, that’s pretty much all I knew about this classic work. But what gems of wisdom are hidden in those lyrical texts? I decided to find out.

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letter, mailing, mail, mailbox, business, business mentor, business mentoring, fear, business fear, confidence, business confidence

A Letter to My Business Mentor: From Fear to Confidence

Published on by Grace LaConte2 Comments

I recently had a great e-mail exchange with my long-time mentor, who is the CEO of an engineering company in the US Midwest.

He asked me how things are going.

Here was my response:

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painful, struggle, pain, organizational management, discussions

5 Painful Discussions That No Organization Should Ignore

Published on by Grace LaConte9 Comments

This is the final in a 3-part series about Pain and Decision-Making.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

In previous posts, I described ways to see pain objectively, and how to identify pain points, and ways to fix them. In this article, we’ll be examining some difficult topics that most leaders tend to avoid.

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SWOT, SWOT Diagram, Super SWOT, SWOT Assessment, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, strategic planning, internal risks, external risks, comparison, comparative SWOT

How Do I Make a Super SWOT Diagram? Using Real Examples [Video]

Published on by Grace LaConte1 Comment

A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool to identify and fix vulnerabilities in your organization. It allows you to review your company’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Read How Do I Make a SWOT Diagram? to get an overview.

When used properly, the SWOT provides insights about root causes that might be causing negative outcomes. However, it is often treated like a once-and-done process, without any further analysis.

You can get the most out of a basic SWOT Diagram by going deeper, using what I call the Super SWOT.

Watch the video, or read more below:

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SWOT, SWOT Diagram, SWOT Assessment, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, strategic planning, internal risks, external risks, comparison, comparative SWOT

How Do I Make a SWOT Diagram? [Video]

Published on by Grace LaConte3 Comments

The SWOT analysis is a simple tool to identify and fix vulnerabilities in an organization.

When used properly, it provides insights about root causes that might be causing negative outcomes. However, the SWOT is often used as a once-and-done tool without additional analysis and follow-up.

Watch the video, or read more below.

Continue reading “How Do I Make a SWOT Diagram? [Video]” →

metoo, me too, inspiration, transparent, transparency, failures, business failures, entrepreneur, business ownership, trauma, abuse

Why #MeToo Inspired Me to Be Transparent and Share My Failures

Published on by Grace LaConte4 Comments

The following is my perspective on owning a business, experiencing trauma, and bringing my failures to light.

I used to hate the idea of sharing details about my personal life or business publicly, mostly because it’s not fun to get rejected by strangers. As an entrepreneur, my business and personal decisions are intertwined; so negative feedback about my company can feel like a personal attack.

Sometimes, it seems like everyone else is succeeding while you’re the only one struggling. But the truth is, we all face challenges of some sort. Most of us just don’t like to talk about it. Because being transparent is scary.

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hollow, empathy, empathetic, engagement, employee engagement, staff, strategic risk

Let’s Define… What is “Hollowed-Out Engagement”?

Published on by Grace LaConte3 Comments

Connecting with employees, customers, and other stakeholders requires us to see life from their point of view. In this Let’s Define episode, I share my “Needs, Fears, and Expectations” concept and simple ways to fix disengagement.

Read my definition of “Hollowed-Out Engagement,” or keep reading below

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pain, good pain, bad pain, painful decisions, decision-making, management, risk management

How to Use Good and Bad Pain in Decision-Making

Published on by Grace LaConte7 Comments

This is the second in a 3-part series about Pain and Decision-Making.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Although pain is usually viewed as harmful (“bad pain”), it can also help us (“good pain”). Let’s examine the useful kind.

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