The Introduction to Lean Strategic Planning one-day workshop teaches the Lean approach to strategic and operational planning and deployment known as Hoshin Kanri, specifically for knowledge work and administration.  An essential starting point for those who wish to help develop and execute strategic or operational plans that are more likely to be achieved than those developed using traditional strategic planning methods.

• The Lean Strategic Planning workshop is targeted to:

• Leaders and individuals responsible for strategic planning in their organization, at the enterprise, branch/sector, or work unit levels
• Teams and individuals who want to plan better and develop their own plans that are executed effectively with minimal effort
• Lean practitioners who would become more effective if they understood the direct link between Lean and Strategic Planning, and the value that a Lean practitioner can add to a strategic planning exercise

• The learning objectives of this workshop include:

Equipped with a Hoshin Kanri workbook (provided in Excel) participants leave the workshop able to apply what they’ve learned to develop better plans for their organization at any level: work unit, department/branch, or enterprise, to ensure plans are:

• focused on the right problems (the must-do, can’t fail priorities);
• matched with available capacity;
• supported and owned by all levels of the organization;
• executed with a framework in place to monitor progress, maintain focus, and overcome obstacles

• Topics covered include:

• What is Lean Strategic Planning and Deployment? How does it differ from traditional planning?
• The five shortcomings of traditional strategic planning
• Six stages of Lean Strategic Planning
• Developing a “North Star” to guide strategy and operational decisions
• Identifying the “must-do, can’t fail” initiatives versus the “should-do, could-do” and “don’t-do” initiatives
• How to manage expectations of internal stakeholders when saying no?
• How to understand and manage capacity available and apply it to the “critical few” initiatives?
• An overview of the Lean tools used including: A3’s, Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagrams, X-Matrix, visual management
• How to design plans for ‘implement-ability” to improve results?
• How to broaden ownership of the plan beyond the executive suite?
• The important role of support functions (HR, IT, Finance, Admin., etc.) in the process
• Implementation tips