Getting strategic in the workplace

July 5, 3:53 PMTampa Workplace ExaminerMichael VanDervort

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Image of Sharlyn Lauby

The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) recently held their annual conference in New Orleans. I was lucky enough to attend as part of their press coverage.

One of the best sessions I saw in New Orleans was "Fail to plan, or plan to fail" presented by Florida based consultant Sharlyn Lauby over at HR Bartender. Sharlyn used a great mix of information, humor and practical advice to drive home a major point: If you want to be effective in HR, be strategic. Her self-described approach to being strategic is based on being practical. Here are some things she shared that were valuable:

• Strategic planning is like the conversation between Alice and the Cheshire Cat in "Alice in Wonderland". If you don't know where you want to go, then it really doesn't matter how you get there. Avoid this by knowing where you want to go, and then design a plan that will get you there most effectively.
• If you haven't seen the video called "Did you Know?", you need to do so very quickly. It is a great way to introduce yourself and your executive team to the social web and how it impacts the world. Sharlyn used it as a very effective opening to her presentation. You can find it embedded at the bottom of this article. Take 5 minutes and watch it. It will rock your world!
• You have to keep up to be effective. McDonald's is chasing Starbucks in coffee right now. Who expected that to happen? Starbucks didn't plan effectively while McDonald's did, and it has created a business race. Strategic planning helps you win in business.
• Simple 4 step plan to do strategic planning: Step 1: Formulation Step 2: Evaluation Step 3: Creation Step 4: Evaluation
• Some simple exercises to drive strategic thinking: 1) Articulate your mission and value proposition in 30 seconds and 2) Take 30 seconds and answer: "What will your company be doing in 5 years?
• 3 years is now long term. It used to be that 10 years was consider long term in business. Important to keep up!
• Values of the organization drive the performance of the organization. When it comes to standards of behavior, ethics, and connecting values to operations, the tone established by the CEO matters.
• Use SMART goals

The HR Bartender mixed up a powerful cocktail on strategic planning, and made it a Happy Hour special!