How to plan a strategy consulting engagement with StratNavApp.com

Introduction

Planning and executing a strategy consulting engagement can be challenging. I am sure that, as a strategy consultant, you have your own process and techniques.

In this article, we will look at how StratNavApp.com can help you plan and execute a strategy consulting engagement.

6 tips for starting your strategy consulting engagement off on the right footing

How to plan your consulting engagements with StratNavApp.com:

Create a new project.

You'll probably want a new project in StratNavApp.com for each new engagement. If you work on a retainer, then you may only need a new project for each new client.

To create a new project:

1. select Projects on the main menu,
2. select Create a New Project on the submenu that opens up
3. follow the instructions on the screens that follow.

Add the engagement brief to the Project Description.

Include your project brief directly in StratNavApp.com so that it is always on hand.

1. Select the name of your project from the main menu.
2. Select Project Details on the submenu that opens up.
3. Copy and paste or type the engagement brief into the Description field.

You can format it with bullets and other formatting as required.

Identify the key stakeholders for the engagement.

Strategy is ultimately about people - stakeholders. So that is a good place to start.

There are typically two types of stakeholders:

1. input stakeholders - people you will need to consult with to gain a detailed understanding of the business, and
2. output stakeholders - people you will need to persuade to accept and execute the strategy.

Sometimes, but not always, they are the same people.

Add both types as stakeholders and record what you know about them.

1. Select Governance on the main menu.
2. Select Stakeholders on the submenu that opens up.
3. Select People at the top of the next screen.
4. Click + to add each person.
5. Click on the people you've added to add details.
   1. Enter any information you have about them in the Description field.
   2. Click on the LinkedIn search button to learn more about them.
   3. Use the LinkedIn Bookmarklet to bring their LinkedIn ID and photograph back into StratNavApp.com. This will make it easier to start recognising them.

Plan your schedule of meetings and workshops with those stakeholders.

In general, start with the input stakeholders and work your way toward the output stakeholders.

Select Governance then Meetings before adding each meeting.

Specify the attendees, time and date venue and agenda for each meeting. Try to make sure you have clearly defined agendas for all of your meetings at least 2 weeks in advance.

Make sure you send your agenda to all attendees before the session. You can use the button at the bottom of the Meeting page to generate a plan for the meeting in MS-Word format and mail it to the attendees if they are not also StratNavApp.com users.

During (or immediately after) the meeting

1. Confirm the attendees.
   
   Perhaps not everyone attended? You can mark anyone who did not attend as an 'Apologee'.
   
   
2. Record the minutes.
   
   You can type into the minutes editor as the meeting progresses.
   
   
3. Log any actions.
   
   Remember to establish accountabilities and due dates for those actions.
   
   When creating an action from the Minutes screen, if you enter the first name of an attendee or the full name of any stakeholder in your project, the system will automatically assign them as a stakeholder in an appropriate role to the Action. Similarly, if you include a date or an indication of a time period (such as next week) it will add that as the due date for the Action. (See Linking to New Actions.)
   
   
4. Create and/or link to any insights, initiatives or decisions highlighted, discussed or made at the meeting.

A timer bar will appear at the top of the meeting during the meeting and for a short period thereafter. This can help you ensure you finish on time whilst achieving your meeting objectives. It will turn from green to amber and then to red as you approach the end of the meeting.

At or immediately after each meeting.

1. Tidy up your minutes. Our AI Minute Writer can assist with this.
2. Download your minutes and actions in MS-Word format and send a copy to all attendees who are not included directly in the project on StratNavApp.com. (Those that are will be automatically updated by the system.)

Conclusion

If you follow this approach, you will find that the insights and initiatives that make up your strategy start to build up almost effortlessly. You can then use StratNavApp.com to further build them out, and link them together as you develop and/or execute the overall business strategy.

Then at the end of the engagement, you can personalise and produce a comprehensive, professionally formatted and cross-reference report of the entire engagement.

See also

• The Power of Strategy: Unleashing Growth Through Effective Meetings
• What is a business strategy consultant?