How do you structure our annual planning sessions with you to ensure we do not just create a dry strategic plan but actually build a functional operating covenant for our partners?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A strategic plan is useless if the partners and leaders who must execute it are not in complete alignment. During our two-day annual planning sessions, we dedicate significant time to building a functional operating covenant based on the Owner's Box framework. We do not just review numbers and set goals. We actively work on the relational health of your leadership team. We begin by reviewing your Core Values and evaluating every leader against them using the People Analyzer tool. This process ensures that everyone on the team is aligned with your culture and belongs in their seat. We also establish a clear charter of trust, which acts as a handshake agreement for how partners and leaders will interact. This charter focuses on three essential pillars: trust, being on the same page, and saying yes to strategy and structure. If there are unspoken frustrations or misalignments among partners, we bring them to the surface during the IDS portion of the session. We do not leave the room until we have resolved these issues. By the end of our annual session, your leadership team will not just have a dry document. They will have a shared, deeply felt commitment to each other and to the clear plan outlined on your V/TO.