As a PA, I’ve learned that strategic planning season is like preparing for Christmas dinner. Everyone gets excited about the end result, but somebody needs to handle all the behind-the-scenes planning to make it actually happen. And more often than not, that somebody is me.

If you’re supporting leadership through their strategic planning process, you’ll know it’s equal parts interesting  and exhausting. One minute you’re booking conference rooms for ‘blue sky thinking sessions’, the next you’re trying to decipher what “synergistic growth opportunities” actually means! But here’s the thing to remember. As a PA, you’re not just the administrative support. You’re the backbone that turns big ideas into business reality. Here’s what I do to support the planning process in my business.

Start with a timeline – and share it liberally!

Before you get into vision statements, you need to map out the entire planning process. I typically work backwards from the final presentation date, building in buffer time for the inevitable ‘just one more revision’ requests.

I create a master timeline that includes research phases, stakeholder interviews, draft reviews, and final approvals. Share this with everyone involved. I include the leadership team as well as department heads, finance teams, and anyone else who needs to contribute data or insights.

Embrace the research

Your leadership team might be brilliant at seeing the big picture, but they often need support gathering the details that inform their smart decisions. This is where I come in.

My top tip is to set up Google alerts for key topics of interest. This can include industry articles, competitor blogs and so on. As well as tracking trends, I compile competitor analysis reports, and keep all the information together in a file. When planning season arrives, I already have a treasure trove of insights ready to go, backed by a simple spreadsheet that has tracked market developments and any potential impacts on our business.

I control the meetings

I’ve found that strategic planning sessions are notorious for becoming talking shops with conversations going off-piste all the time. I work hard to control the meetings and keep things on track – but I do allow a few jokes and downtime! I share detailed agendas and each subject has a time allocated to it. I always build in some flexibility for those ‘breakthrough’ moments too. 

My top tip is to capture all key decisions, action points, and anything relegated to the ‘parking lot’ for future discussions. I don’t keep all the details, just the points listed above.

Act as the translator

One of the trickiest actions is to gather input from different departments and translate it into a consistent language. For example, finance speaks in numbers, sales speak in targets, and operations speaks in processes. It’s all important and all needs to feed into the decision-making. 

I’ve handled this by creating standard templates, with clear deadlines and specific questions. Rather than asking marketing for ‘their thoughts’, I ask for three key market trends that will impact how we acquire new customers. By making a specific request, I get specific answers. I’ve been told that this is easier for the department heads too.

Documentation – be religiously strict with naming conventions

Planning creates an avalanche of documents, so strictly controlling version control is key. Without it, you’ll find a document called “Strategy_Final_v2_ACTUAL_FINAL_use_this_one.docx” by week three!

Implement a clear naming convention from day one and stick to it religiously. I’ve found that collaborative platforms like SharePoint or Google Drive are great – as long as there’s proper version control. I hold a master index document that tracks which version is current and where to find supporting materials. 

Briefing packs are great communication tools

Stakeholder management will be a key part of the strategic planning process. Creating clear briefing documents, and follow-up communications, is another key for success. My briefing packs are built at the start of the project and explain the planning process, timeline, and what input is needed from whom. I also use the packs to set expectations about response times and format requirements. 

Jack of all trades – and master of them all too!

Supporting leadership through the strategic planning season means being part project manager, part researcher, part diplomat, and part mind reader. It’s challenging work, but when you watch those big ideas lead to success, you’ll know you played a crucial role in making it happen. You just need to be proactive and very, very organised.

If you have need help with strategic planning – contact Hour Hands

Add Hour Hands to your contacts list if you need help with any aspect of your business including strategic planning. We can help with tasks such as research and competitor analysis, managing your filing systems and documentation, scheduling meetings, and coordinating stakeholders. 

If you think that we can help – or if you’d like to talk about it and find out – fill in the contact form or give us a call. We’re always on hand as your virtual PA, and we’re happy to help!