Strategy & Leadership Podcast Ep.189 Katie Klumper joins us to discuss how talent retention and organizational redesign are affecting CMOs, why CMOs are getting more of a seat at the table, uniting the CMO community, her big learning moments, and more. Katie Klumper is founder & CEO of Black Glass Consulting, a CMO-centric consulting firm. Previously, she was a Partner at Deloitte, President of digital agency KBS, and led CMO Transition Labs and CMO Academies. Follow Black Glass Consulting on LinkedIn for frameworks & other frameworks: https://www.linkedin.com/company/black-glass-consulting/ #cmo #csuite #leadership ► Subscribe to our channel for weekly videos on strategy & leadership: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOHLNRrpk3rGUdg7qUQjiog/?sub_confirmation=1 // Connect with us: ► Contact us: https://www.smestrategy.net/contact ► Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604/ // About SME STRATEGY CONSULTING: SME Strategy is a management consulting firm that specializes in helping organizations develop and implement their strategic plans. We work with teams to facilitate conversations about strategic direction and business strategy so that our clients can focus their energy on what will move them forward faster. ► Work with us: Are you looking for someone to facilitate your strategic planning process? https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-alignment-program ► Check out our Strategy & Leadership Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4yND4JKofh64gcvyvcLMqW ► Check out our online course on how to successfully lead your next strategic planning process: https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Aligned-strategy-course ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbCjJCTTJrw

Strategic planning requires full commitment and buy-in for it to be successful. In this video, we explain which #WorkplaceCulture best supports #StrategicPlanning and why. Access our FREE Strategic Planning Workbook template here: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-process-template-workbook Are you a leader in charge of creating a strategic plan or facilitating the strategy session? Our video course will walk you through each step in the planning process, and allow you to create a strategic plan from scratch. Plus, gain access to printable templates, guides, and tools. Learn more here: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-steps-course Looking for a software that will help you track & monitor your strategic plan? Cascade Strategy is the #1 choice of SME Strategy & our clients. Cascade allows you & your team is see your strategic plan beautifully visualized, update your progress easily, align your goals with the big picture vision, and gives you access to several reporting options. Click here for free trial of Cascade Strategy: https://go.executestrategy.net/trial?fpr=smestrategy // WEBSITE & RESOURCES: Website ► https://www.smestrategy.net/ Blog ► https://www.smestrategy.net/blog Strategy & Leadership Podcast ►https://www.smestrategy.net/podcast Alignment Book ► https://www.smestrategy.net/alignment-book Contact ►https://www.smestrategy.net/contact // FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/Smestrategy/ LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/2866558 Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/anthonyctaylor/ Twitter ►https://twitter.com/smeinsights // ABOUT SME STRATEGY CONSULTING: SME Strategy is a management consulting firm that specializes in helping organizations with their #StrategicPlanningProcess. We work with teams to facilitate conversations about strategic direction and business strategy so that our clients can focus their energy on what will move them forward faster. If you would like to work with an external facilitator to guide you and your team through the process, learn more about how we can add value to your next planning session: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator-and-facilitation-services ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzfIkTw8vTw

What are Stakeholders and Why is it Important to Engage Them in Strategic Planning? A “stakeholder” is a person or group of people with interest in or influence within your organization. Stakeholders can be internal (employees, volunteers, board members) or external (customers, partners, funders). Stakeholders are different from “the general public” because they hold a stake in the success of your organization. Stakeholder engagement is actively seeking stakeholder perspectives during planning and actively inviting their participation and feedback in implementation. Stakeholder engagement is important for many reasons, including: To consider needs, desires, perspectives, input of stakeholders; To foster connection, trust, confidence, and buy-in; To mitigate potential risks and conflicts such as uncertainty, dissatisfaction, misalignment, disengagement, and resistance to change; and To improve overall organizational alignment. When it comes to strategic planning, proactive stakeholder engagement is essential. You want to develop a strategic plan that will get real change and drive real value for your organization and those you serve. For this to happen, you need long-term commitment and strong support throughout the organization. You need buy-in. People will typically not buy in to organizational strategies they don’t see themselves in. You can write the best strategic plan, but to have true alignment, you need to effectively engage your stakeholders. Five Tactics for Effectively Engaging Your Stakeholders Ahead of Creating a Strategic Plan So, what should you be considering as you engage your various stakeholders on the front-end of creating your strategic plan? Here are five tactics: 1 - Map your stakeholders to determine exactly how you will engage them There are several models you can use to do this, but stakeholder mapping before engagement is key to identify exactly who you need to engage and how. Click here to read about the model we use for stakeholder mapping at SME Strategy. 2 - Engage stakeholders at every point in the strategic planning process, but especially on the front-end. Tell people how and when you plan to engage them. Then, deliver on what you promised. Follow up to answer questions, address concerns, and ensure buy-in. Consistency is key! 3 - Consider diversity of stakeholders even within mapped stakeholder groups. No group is a monolith. Even if a group “looks” the same, there are likely intercultural differences in communication styles/preferences, in connectivity and device access, and in accommodations needed due to age, ability, language, etc. Consider these differences to make your stakeholder engagement as inclusive as possible. 4 - Create a mechanism to track, monitor, and report on stakeholder relationships, communication, and feedback throughout the entire process. When you track, monitor, and regularly report on your planning and implementation progress, you make the process transparent, and that is a huge benefit in stakeholder engagement. When you set up transparent systems, you are modeling a culture of continuous engagement where people feel seen and heard and feel like they are a part of your organization’s growth. 5 - If you don’t know how to best engage your stakeholders, ask them what would make them feel engaged. Ask. Listen. Validate. Set expectations/boundaries accordingly. Repeat. Sometimes the best approach is the simplest! Next Steps: Make a Plan Discuss/map internal + external stakeholders as a Strategic Planning Team. Coordinate how you will engage them to collect their input. We recommend a combination of asynchronous engagement (i.e. - online surveys) + synchronous engagement (i.e. - listening sessions). Synthesize inputs into key themes and use these themes in your strategic planning Follow up with each key stakeholder group during and after the planning process. Make a specific plan, with actions and deadlines. Get to work, be consistent, be transparent. Like what you read? Continue the conversation with us in the Strategy + Leadership Community. Want to continue the conversation with other leaders around the world? Join our Strategy and Leadership community. https://strategy-and-leadership.mn.co/ ► Subscribe to our channel for weekly videos on strategy & leadership: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOHLNRrpk3rGUdg7qUQjiog/?sub_confirmation=1 ➡ Looking for a sample agenda for your strategic planning offsite? https://www.smestrategy.net/blog/sample-strategic-planning-agenda // Connect with us: ► Contact us: https://www.smestrategy.net/contact ► Work with us: Are you looking for someone to facilitate your strategic planning process? https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator ► Check out our Strategy & Leadership Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4yND4JKofh64gcvyvcLMqW ► Check out our online course on how to successfully lead your next strategic planning process: https://courses.smestrategy.net/ ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzOn5eKYsPc

The Entrepreneurial Journey Of Jeremy Delk Success is found not in avoiding failure, but in embracing it and learning to rise stronger. Transitioning from Wall Street trader to CEO of an Inc 500 fastest-growing company, Jeremy Delk shares his entrepreneurial journey built on resilience and leadership in this episode. Join us as we explore the twists and turns of Jeremy's life, where he learned valuable lessons from early successes and the heart-wrenching loss of a fortune. Jeremy openly shares his financial setbacks and how he overcame them to build a thriving company, Delk Enterprises. Jeremy was clear on how his entrepreneurial journey wasn’t a straight line to success. As CEO, he gives us a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes realities of running a business and the unglamorous aspects of leadership. From personal resilience to inclusive leadership, Jeremy shares how to ignite your entrepreneurial spirit and set an ultimately stable and thriving culture. Tune in now! Want to continue the conversation with other leaders around the world? Join our Strategy and Leadership community. https://strategy-and-leadership.mn.co/ ► Subscribe to our channel for weekly videos on strategy & leadership: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOHLNRrpk3rGUdg7qUQjiog/?sub_confirmation=1 ➡ Looking for a sample agenda for your strategic planning offsite? https://www.smestrategy.net/blog/sample-strategic-planning-agenda // Connect with us: ► Contact us: https://www.smestrategy.net/contact ► Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604/ // About SME STRATEGY CONSULTING: SME Strategy is a management consulting firm that specializes in helping organizations develop and implement their strategic plans. We work with teams to facilitate conversations about strategic direction and business strategy so that our clients can focus their energy on what will move them forward faster. ► Work with us: Are you looking for someone to facilitate your strategic planning process? https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator ► Check out our Strategy & Leadership Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4yND4JKofh64gcvyvcLMqW ► Check out our online course on how to successfully lead your next strategic planning process: https://courses.smestrategy.net/ ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5H0XaWBCSQ