The process isn't rocket science, but it's just hard to accomplish. It’s difficult because of human tendency to hold on to what is known to be, what works, and what doesn’t work. And because there is no shortage of past experiences (baggage), and because of a lack of sufficient trust and a collective vision, truly committing to a strategic future does not happen easily.

Using this different methodology - starting in the future - conversations take place against a background of relatedness - either for possibility, to identify opportunity, to specify action, or to resolve breakdowns.

With this different methodology, the newly integrated leadership team redefines its business, and commits to, and documents:

• its strategic intent (e.g., “the leadership team leads the transformation of the organization into one which is recognized and respected as being world class”) 

• its strategic purpose (e.g., “the organization outperforms on every expectation”)

           and 

• its bold promise of what the organization will be in, say, 5 years (the organization's new being)

For example, if the organization's strategic purpose was: “within 5 years we outperform on every expectation”, the leadership team would document:

• what that would look like and feel like,

           and

• what each member of the team would need to do to make that happen

Using this different strategic planning methodology,

...planning is everything; the plan is nothing