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MindSights Consultants On-demand
Main Menu mmmmain topTOC consmenu
(Table
of Contents –TOC)
Problem Solving Consultants
Basic (90 minute)
Problem Solving: Quickly
resolve urgent problems with this five-step process.
Systems Problem Solving: Comprehensive
systems process to resolve complex problems.
Root Cause Analysis Problem Solving: Restores a prior,
original or standard condition.
Resolve Any Problem:
Gradually resolve what may appear to be an insurmountable problem.
Innovation & Performance Improvement Consultants
Brainstorm, Creativity &
Innovation: Turn creative ideas into innovative solutions.
Performance
Improvement: Lean Six-sigma DMAIC processes and
tools.
Describe
& Define: Collect and understand “relevant” data to improve
innovative thinking.
Planning Consultants
Strategic
Planning: Develop action plans to achieve your
organization’s mission & vision.
Goal Setting: Set meaningful goals
that are achievable.
Preferred Futures: Anticipate and
prepare for potential future problems or opportunities.
Management & Leadership Consultants
Project Management: Execute project
and achieve objectives (quality, on time, within budget).
Time Management: Find ways to improve
use of both work and personal time.
Decision Making: Improve decision-making certainty.
Team Building: Build and maintain a high
performance team and work environment.
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Strategic Planning Consultant
 Strategic
planning is the process of determining your business/organization’s
long-term vision or goals and how to fulfill them. Its purpose is to
provide a framework for decision making on what short/long-term
actions are important for achieving organizational success. The
following is a six step (task) process that uses strategic
planning tools, techniques and questions commonly asked by skilled
planners. sptdet
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Task 1: Describe your
business/organization’s current purpose and mission.
Task 2: Assess your current
environment, trends, strengths & weaknesses.
Task 3: Decide where you want your
business/organization to be in 2-5 years.
Task 4: Develop alternative
strategies on how to reach your Strategic Goal
Task 5: Pick the strategic
alternative(s) you want to implement.
Task 6: Map out actions that
alignment work efforts with strategic goals.
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Strategic Planning spt2
Task 2: Assess the current environment, trends, strengths &
weaknesses.
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 Purpose: The
value of looking at trends only becomes known after the fact. Maybe
nothing new will be discovered, but a future problem or opportunity may
be recognized. In general, it is better to anticipate potential
problems/opportunities and plan for them rather than simply waiting and
reacting. In the long run, companies (and individuals) that thrive the most are the ones that best analyze
trends and prepare for change with solid strategic plans.
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Thinking Workspace
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Thinking
Workspace: (Use this space to record ideas or meeting
notes)
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Key
Facilitator Questions to Ask
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Facilitator
Questions
- What trends are driving our
future? What if a trend
stops?
- What
might replace us in the future?
- Over
the past couple years what changes have you noticed in your
customers?
- How
have products and services evolved? How will they continue to
evolve?
- What is the best and worst thing that
could happen in the future?
- Who will be our main competitors in the
future? Why?
- What
major strengths should we be building on? What weaknesses
eliminated?
- What
opportunities might exist in the future … that
do not exist today?
- What situation can most directly
control and influence our future?
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Recommended Tools
- Observing
Market Trends: Organizations that thrive analyze trends
and prepare for changes.
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z7Customer Observation Thinkletcustomer
Why Use It
 Customers are the foundation of organizational strategy and
planning. Without
customers/clients, a business or organization has no real purpose.
Companies and organizations that thrive are the ones that best satisfy
client/customer needs.
How to Use It
To better know
your customers use the following Thinklet.
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Present Customer
State
(Customers today?)
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Future Customer
State
(Likely future customer state?)
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How many
customers do you have?
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How many
potential future customers do you expect?
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What are the
characteristics of the people who currently buy your products or
services?
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Will these
characteristics differ in the future?
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Who are your
most important customers?
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Who do you
expect will be your most important customers in the future (2-4 years)?
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How many
customers have you lost over the past year? Why?
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How can the loss
of customers be prevented?
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Over the last
couple years, how have your customers changed?
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How might your
customers continue to change?
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Do customers see
your products/services as a need or a luxury?
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What luxury
might become a necessity?
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Etc.
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Etc.
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<<< End of Thinklet
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SWOT Analysis swot
(Strength-Weakness-Opportunity-Threat)
Why Use It
A
S-W-O-T (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity
and Threat) (Weihrich, 1982) analysis
is a simple way of putting together an outline of current or potential
problems and opportunities. The purpose is to relate your business,
organization or personal performance (strengths and weaknesses) with
factors in the environment (opportunities and threats). Once the
attributes for each section have been identified, it is possible to
determine the point of balance and direction. Often, carrying out an analysis using
just the S-W-O-T framework will be enough to reveal the right changes
that can be usefully made.
How to Use It
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Step
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Action
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1
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Complete the S-W-O-T template below: List S-W-O-T from different internal
and external perspectives, e.g., what you think versus what your
customers think.
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2
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 Analyze the S-W-O-T template: The real value
of S-W-O-T analysis comes from thinking through the implications of
what you have uncovered. Look to
analyze:
·
Strengths:
How can you gain a more competitive advantage from you strengths?
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Weaknesses:
Decide which weaknesses need to be addressed as a priority.
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Opportunities:
Capitalize on those opportunities that play to your strengths or that
boost your weaknesses.
·
Threats:
Protect yourself against threats, particularly those that threaten your
strengths or take advantage of weaknesses.
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3
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Develop an action plan based on the insights
gained.
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SWOT Facilitator Triggers
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Strengths
These things are
done extremely well and provide competitive advantage. Use the following
areas to help identify strengths.
- Management
(goal setting, recruiting, decision making, production, planning,
administration)
- Work
Force (skills, morale, motivation, creativity, loyalty,
flexibility)
- Products
and Services (market leadership, profit margins, sales force,
marketing, productivity, demand)
- Customers
(customer relations, customer base, loyalty, accurate market
knowledge and prediction)
- .Production
(facilities, equipment, work flow, suppliers, inventory, quality,
cost controls)
- .Financial
& Legal (cash flow, net income, balance sheet, credit,
patents, intellectual property, prediction and planning)
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Weaknesses (Problems)
These are things
that are done poorly and can be improved. It is best to be realistic
and face any unpleasant truths at this stage in the planning process.
Look to find
weakness in the same areas listed in strengths. Look at any areas in
which your competitors might do better for weaknesses that can be
exploited by them.
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Opportunities
Internal &
External changes can provide opportunities that well managed businesses
can turn to their advantage. Look at changes and trends in areas like:
- Customers: buying behavior, demographics,
global growth, demand, niches
- Economic
& Technology trends:
broad and industry specific, emerging.
- Personnel:
new hires, happy, loyal, 360 feedback, training, experience,
leadership.
- Social
and personal lifestyle trends.
- Political,
legislative or regulatory changes.
- Organization:
mergers, franchise, new branches, profit centers, process
integration.
- Marketing
& Sales Configuration
- Competitor
performance or errors
- Product:
new distribution channels, quality, price, market size, new
products, R&D.
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Threats
(Problems)
Threats can be
minor or can destroy your business. Look for negative trends and
changes. What obstacles might your business face? Look at all threats
but particularly those that threaten your business strengths.
Look to find
threats in the same areas as opportunities, but take extra effort to
look for internal people threats including:
- Personnel:
anxious, unstable, self-interested, inflexible, afraid
of failure and non-action.
- Skills:
outdated, lack of observation ability.
- Education:
lack of training, coaching, mentoring.
- Rewards:
people compensated for real worth, dismissing bottom 2-3% of poor
performers.
- Any
common source for problems.
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S-W-O-T
Analysis Template
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Strengths
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Rank
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Weaknesses (Problems)
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Rank
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Internal
Organization or Self
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Internal
Organization or Self
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External
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External
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Opportunities
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Rank
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Threats
(problems)
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Rank
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Internal
Organization or Self
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Internal
Organization or Self
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External
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External
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