Entries by Jeff Schilling

What I learned (again) at 151 MPH

Five years ago this month, I had a chance to do something I had always wanted to do, but never thought I would.  The previous Christmas, my family surprised me with a paid pass to the NASCAR Racing Experience: a chance to drive a real race car on one of the championship series tracks.  Having […]

Benchmarking: A “Better Way” Probably Already Exists

More Innovation - Yes Please!  In my last post, I talked about the resurgence of interest in innovation.  The Covid19 Pandemic, as well as some other factors, contributed to this interest as individuals and organizations who had never worked together before pooled their knowledge and skills to respond to some urgent needs.  This “next level” […]

Innovation: The Path to the Prize

As a Strategic Planning Consultant, I am definitely a “trend watcher”, and one of the reasons is to make sure clients are considering any relevance of what I call the “Strategy du Jour” to their Mission, Vision, and Goals.  It seems that there is always at least one strategy (sometimes more than one) that is […]

Minimizing Risk in Strategy Implementation

With Fall being such a popular time for developing a new Strategic Plan, it’s not surprising that after the holiday break, the focus begins to shift to implementation.  Most Strategic Plans include the development and deployment of new initiatives, expansion (or contraction) of services, or the execution of Tactics to help achieve one or more […]

Mission Matters

In a recent Strategic Planning work session with a client, a Board member asked if the organization was running the risk of “Mission Creep”, which they felt should be avoided.  Also called “Mission Drift”, this is when organizations begin to diversify into services or products that are increasingly different from their original purpose and offerings.  […]

Need help with some “Fall Clean-up?”

My Township Office hosts several “Clean-Up” events a year, one usually in the Fall.  It’s a great opportunity to dispose of some items, gain some “space” back, and feel a bit more organized. This past weekend, I was there! The event reminded me that Fall is also a great time to “clean-up” some unfinished business […]

Collaboration Revisited

Back in the summer of 2015, I suggested that people should start building their “Collaboration Skill Set.”  The inspiration for this came from data I was seeing on the rise of collaboration, in particular formal collaborations such as mergers and acquisitions. They had been increasing steadily since 2009 with a noticeably sharper upturn in 2014, […]

Explore New Ideas with Feasibility Studies

As organizations emerge from the crisis management required during Covid19 and take up their strategic planning, many are feeling the need to “reset”.  The time seems right to revisit what was important prior to Covid19 but also take a closer look at what was accomplished during the pandemic.  This includes the new ideas and innovation […]

New Tool: Scenario Sensitivity Analysis

I’ll admit, I’ve always been on the fence about Scenario Planning, but I have a hybrid approach that may help you sleep better at night.  Let me explain. Scenario Planning – Yes! ..or Not Sold?  Scenario Planning does have its fans, and also, some skeptics.  Fans will maintain that if there is some major new […]