Strategic Planning & Facilitated Working Sessions
Get Clear On Where You're Going And
Get Everyone Moving There Together
Step out of the day-to-day to define your long-term direction, align your team around it, and leave with a clear plan your team owns and can execute.
When Everything Is Urgent, The Future Gets Crowded Out
Organizations can get so caught up with what's in front of them that they lose sight of where they're going.
And every quarter brings a new set of fire drills.
Without dedicated time to step back and plan for the future:
Focus keeps shifting because there’s no longer-term direction to guide it.
Teams end up with competing priorities and start heading in different directions.
Leadership gets pulled into dealing with today’s problems instead of making time to prevent tomorrow’s.
A clear, shared plan—and the discipline to revisit it—
keeps the organization aligned and executing intentionally.
Lasting Impact Starts With Clarity
I make sure your time together is focused on the conversations and decisions that will shape where the organization is going.
Strategic planning creates the space to:
Clarify the Vision
Get clear on the long-term direction, the priorities that will move you there, and why they matter.
Work on the Business
Look at the business as a whole, have honest conversations, and make the decisions that move the organization forward.
Turn Strategy Into Action
Leave with a simplified plan that turns direction into clear priorities, ownership, and milestones.
Bring the Organization Along
Communicate the direction and plan so people understand where you’re going, why it matters, and how they can help move it forward.
Your leadership team should be in the conversation–
not facilitating it.
Full Participation
Everyone gets to think, contribute, challenge, and decide—without the pressure of managing the process.
The Right Conversations Happen
A neutral outside view surfaces different perspectives, challenges assumptions, and keeps history and hierarchy from getting in the way of healthy debate.
Decisions Get Made
A skilled facilitator keeps the conversation focused and helps the team work through issues, make clear decisions, establish ownership, and move to action.
Client Perspective
Denise has been a game-changer in our organization. Every meeting she leads is focused, productive, and drives the team and the agenda forward.
She challenges my team and me to stay on top of our quarterly priorities, ensuring we’re always pushing towards our goals. Denise doesn’t shy away from inviting healthy conflict, which has sparked some of our best ideas and deliverables.
Her consistency and determination to help us succeed are unmatched; with Denise driving our quarterly planning sessions, I know my company and team are always growing stronger, one quarter at a time.
David G.
Facilitated Working Sessions
Move The Important Work Forward
Some of your organization’s most important work could benefit from dedicated time and skilled facilitation.
Each session is designed around what your team needs to accomplish.
Sessions might include:
Leadership Alignment
Reach agreement around a critical direction, decision, or priority.
Complex Business Challenges
Bring the right perspectives together to determine the next best steps.
New Initiative or Project Kickoff
Clarity around the purpose, priorities, roles, and path forward.
Navigating Change & Transition
Work through what’s changing, why it matters, who it impacts, and next steps.
Clear the Air
Address unresolved issues and what’s getting in the way so the team can move forward.
More Than Facilitation
Denise Cole
A credentialed team coach who understands both the business in the room and the people around the table–so neither gets lost in the work.
One partner. Advanced capabilities. One integrated approach.
Here’s How You Move The Important Work Forward
01
Step 1
Schedule a Call
A no-pressure conversation to talk through where you are, what’s going on, and whether working together makes sense.
02
Step 2
Define What You Need to Accomplish
Together, we’ll clarify the outcome you need, who needs to be involved, and how to structure the time to get there.
03
Step 3
Move Forward, Together
Bring the right people together, work through what matters most, and leave clear on the decisions, priorities, and next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Strategic Planning & Offsites
What's the difference between strategic planning and a facilitated working session?
Strategic planning looks at the whole organization: where you're going, the priorities that will get you there, and who owns what. A facilitated working session focuses on one important piece of work, such as a critical decision, a project kickoff, or a change your team is working through. Both are designed around what your team needs to accomplish.
How long is a strategic planning session or leadership offsite?
Most strategic planning sessions run [one to two days], and larger leadership offsites can run up to three. Facilitated working sessions are often [a half day or a full day]. We'll set the length together once we've clarified the outcome you need and who needs to be in the room.
Where are sessions held? Do you travel for offsites?
In-person sessions are held at your office or an offsite location you choose, anywhere within about two hours of the Lehigh Valley, including Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Lancaster. [Travel beyond that is available on request.] Many facilitated working sessions can also be held virtually.
Who should attend?
For strategic planning, it's usually your leadership team: the people who set direction and will own the plan. For a working session, it's the people closest to the issue or decision. Deciding who needs to be involved is part of how we prepare together, so the right voices are in the room and no one is there just to watch.
What happens before the session?
It starts with a no-pressure call about where you are and what you need. From there, design the agenda around your outcome, I talk with key participants and review relevant background if necessary, and share any pre-work so your team arrives ready to make decisions rather than catch up.
What will we leave with?
You'll leave clear on the decisions made, your top priorities, who owns each one, and the next steps and milestones. For strategic planning, that becomes a simplified plan your team owns and can execute.
How is strategic planning different from EOS®?
EOS® is a complete operating system for running your business, with tools, meeting rhythms, and accountability built in over time. Not every organization is ready for that, but many still want to bring their leadership team together to clarify their long-term direction, build a 3-year plan, and set annual goals. That's what strategic planning is designed to do. If you're looking to put a complete operating system in place, see EOS Implementation to learn how that process works.
Get Everyone Clear And Moving Together
Whether you need to define where you’re going or work through an important issue standing in the way, dedicated time and skilled facilitation can help your team get clear, make decisions, and move forward together.
