Fall is the season for pumpkin patches and corn mazes.

A corn maze is a strategically designed field that invites people to enter. The goal is to find the exit as efficiently as time allows. It is designed with obstacles and dead-ends so participants feel lost or confused.

The maze comes to mind because an association board president said, "Our facilitator is going to lead us through the corn maze. When we exit, our strategic plan will be near completion."

The Maze Runner

Strategic planning has as many challenges as a corn maze. If the plan is not finished in the allotted time, it is similar to being lost in the field.

The maze runner is the facilitator. He or she should streamline the planning process to make it as efficient as possible.

Some organizations forego the role of a facilitator. They try to save money by having a friend of the board lead the meeting. Inevitably a conflict of interest will arise.

Some associations direct their executive director to facilitate. While the executive may be qualified, it is better that they attend as a participant and not the facilitator and note taker.

Without a facilitator people may dominate conversations. Others may have personal agendas. Still others are quick to retort, "That’s not how we used to do it."

Another problem is exceeding the allotted amount of time for what must be achieved. Conversations wander while time passes.

Some directors don’t know the distinction between strategic and tactical thinking. With attendees coming from diverse environments they have different on planning and its value.

The value of a facilitator is to serve as the guide. Not to hijack the process, but to help the group make decisions about turning left, right, going forward or backing up.

Dead Ends

A corn maze intentionally includes challenges. Strategic planning should not be similar.

Every meeting has challenges. They probably start with people arriving with anxiety about the process or its value.

Watch out for these obstacles and dead ends:

• Overly ambitious agenda; impossible to achieve.
• Too many people; the wrong people, too few people.
• Poor room set up; uncomfortable room environment.
• Missing information; no focus groups, no survey, no budget.
• Too much time — allowing a deep dive into the weeds.
• Not enough time.
• Ill prepared facilitator or one with a personal agenda.
• No notes, no final report.
• Too many priorities and goals, no SMART goals — it’s not meant to be a to-do list.
• Chairman’s legacy, conflicts of interest, personal agendas.
• Lack of trust and respect within the group.
• Scheduling planning for several months instead of one-sitting.

Success

For a process that occurs about every three years, an organization should not leave the outcomes to chance. It should not be like finding the exit to the corn maze.

As the association president explained, "Our facilitator knows how to guide us through the corn field. He knows the desired outcomes. He did his homework and has the experience to avoid the obstacles. He wants the strategic plan to be a success as much as we do."