After facilitating many strategy days, I've learned one universal truth: the magic isn't in the PowerPoint slides - it's in the conversations that happen when people feel truly heard and engaged. This means no 2 strategy days are the same. Which is the thing I love the most! Being in the room to help amazing teams find clarity and make plans to bring their vision into reality - it doesn't get much better than that for me!

Let me share what really works (and what doesn't) in creating strategy days that actually drive change. This scratches the surface. If you'd like to chat more about your plans just reach out and we'll catch up 😊

Why Most Strategy Days Fall Flat

We've all been there - stuck in a hotel conference room, watching the clock, wondering when we can escape. But it doesn't have to be this way. Here's what I've learned makes the difference:

The Foundation: Before the Day

The success of your strategy day is 80% preparation, 20% execution. Here's why:

Clear Purpose
Every powerful strategy day answers these questions:
• What specific outcomes do we need?
• Why now?
• How will we measure success?

The Right People
• Decision-makers who can act on outcomes
• Everyone feels included, no matter what their job title
• Creative thinkers who challenge assumptions
• Practical implementers who make things happen

Pre-Work That Matters
Don't waste valuable face-to-face time on information sharing. Instead:
• Send out relevant data beforehand
• Request preliminary thoughts and ideas
• Have participants complete short reflection exercises

Creating the Environment for Success

The physical and emotional environment matters more than you might think:

Physical Setup:
• Natural light (where possible)
• Room for movement
• Visual thinking spaces (whiteboards, flip charts)
• Comfortable seating arranged for collaboration

• Snacks! Biscuits usually win out but try to avoid things that lead to a sugar crash!

Emotional Setup:
• Psychological safety - this work happens both in the room but also in the build up.
• Clear ground rules - respectful an open-minded listening goes a long way
• Permission to challenge respectfully
• Balance of structure and flexibility

The Flow: a flexible framework

Morning:

1. Connection (60 mins) Always allow more time for than you'd think. This is where you build the essential psychological safety
• Meaningful icebreakers - not too cheesy and awkward! Make them relevant to your focus
• Establishing psychological safety - everyone needs to feel seen, heard and like they belong in the room
• Agreeing on ways of working - keep it simple and state the obvious

2. Context Setting (90 mins)
• Current state analysis - remember to focus on strengths and positives as well as opportunties
• External environment review - what are the external factors that impact your business?
• The team - what strengths do we have? What are our gaps? A simple SWOT analysis is good here

3. Vision Creation (90 mins)
• Future state exploration - think creatively here to bring a new reality into sharp focus. Make it feel real

Afternoon:
4. Strategy Development (120 mins)
• Option generation - this is the fun bit! Where you can brainstorm and capture ideas. No ideas are bad ideas
• Decision making - group ideas into categories. What can be done in the short-term, medium-term and long-term. What should we do first?

Action Planning (90 mins)
• Clear next steps - who, what, when
• Owner assignment
• Success measures - how will we track our progress and hold ourselves to account (this is the most common ball that gets dropped)
• Timeline creation

Closure (30 mins)
• Commitment sharing
• Celebration
• Communication planning

Facilitation Tips That Make the Difference

Energy Management
• Mix up activities every 60-90 minutes
• Include movement
• Build in reflection time
• Breaks are essential and stay hydrated! Brain function relies on water

Engagement Techniques
• Silent reflection before discussion
• Round-robin input
• Small group work
• Visual thinking exercises

Managing Dynamics
• Balance dominant voices
• Draw out quiet participants
• Address conflict constructively
• Keep to time while being flexible

Inclusion

• Ask in advance what adjustments people need in order to feel and show up as their best selves
• Fidget toys and objects can be great to help neurodivergent individuals maintain focus
• Not everyone is comfortable in large group settings so don't assume a lack of speaking means a lack of engagement
• Use a variety of tools and resources such as videos and interactive exercises. Be mindful of your pacing and frequently check in to see if everyone is coping with the speed

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Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Overloaded agendas
• Death by PowerPoint
• Lack of follow-through
• Avoiding difficult conversations
• Rushing to solutions

Making It Stick: The Follow-Through

The real work starts after the day ends:

Document decisions within 24 hours
Schedule immediate follow-up meetings
Create accountability partnerships
Plan 30/60/90 day review points
Measuring Success

Your Next Steps

Book a discovery call to discuss your specific strategy day needs

Remember: A great strategy day isn't about having all the answers - it's about asking the right questions and creating the space for meaningful dialogue.

Need support in planning or facilitating your strategy day? Let's talk about how Seeds Coaching can help make your next strategy day truly transformative.

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