You have some ideas useful in helping companies come up with interwoven short/long-term strategic plans. However, if you have read the speaker application page, you may recall that we are fighting a battle against some incorrect perceptions. They afflict both profit, and non-profit organizations alike.

But how can you come up with ideas that can make for an effective conference presentation or panel discussion?

Step 1 – Mind Map Some Obstacles

Start by brainstorming the reasons why organizations don’t have long-term strategic plans.

Use everything you can find from your experience to fill in as many answers as you can find. Keep in mind the conference theme: “Transcend Short-Termism | Build Sustainable Value.”

Step 2 – Choose a Theme

As you survey your mind map, choose an obstacle to focus on. Some use data. Others use prior projects. Gut feel isn’t a bad indicator!

For your chosen obstacle, do you have an approach that can tackle it in some way? You need not be an expert. Or know everything. In fact, you may have to do some research.

Step 3 – Craft a Topic and Sub-Topic

With the chosen obstacles in mind, pick a draft or working title for your presentation.

What is the draft/working title of your presentation? Use 10 words max in your Title, and 12 words max in your Subtitle (e.g. How to Save Time in Strategy Retreats | Using Shortcuts that Don’t Produce a Drop in Quality).

One sample construct: How to do X, Y and Z | Without Falling to A, B or C

You will enter the Title/Subtitle in the application form. 

Still stuck? Here are some possible areas for exploration. Don’t be limited by this list!

Planning PhaseSuggestion
Enrolling/InspiringHow do you get your stakeholders to buy into a long-term strategic plan? (Board, Executives, Middle Managers, Staff, Customers, Investors, Vendors, Regulators)
Why is buy-in important before an interwoven short/long-term strategic planning cycle begins?
Should board members / investors be included in strategic planning activities? Are they above it all?
Why every company needs an interwoven short/long-term strategic plan. (Choose the 3 reasons you care about the most!)
The case of the resistant, stubborn, annoying board member in the strategic planning retreat.
Why are companies confusing short-term tactics and long-term strategy?
PlanningWhat is the optimal planning cycle? i.e. time horizon. The wisdom of getting the client to decide.
How do you include the recommendations of outside consultants in your planning process?
Who needs to be invited to participate in the interwoven strategic planning retreat? Why? Why not?
In the office? Virtual? At a hotel? Hybrid? How do you choose the ideal setting?
When do too many cooks spoil the broth? The optimal number of people to have in your retreat!
The role of interviews and focus groups before strategic planning retreats
We're "too busy" to do long-term planning...e.g. Kodak vs. Fuji Film
The "perfect" offsite or retreat agenda
PreparingThe role of advance, pre-retreat surveys
Do pre-planned presentations have a role in outstanding retreats?
What new concepts do your attendees need to grasp before your retreat? How will they learn them?
Tips for optimizing a tiny strategic planning budget
Our outside facilitator got sick at the last minute - now what? Why?
OrientingSetting the stage: extraordinary retreats are made in the first hour. And lost.
Balancing the role of the top attendee: ensuring that CEO's don't bully others in strategic planning retreats
Is it critical to establish a current day snapshot/ "level set" before creating a new vision of the future?
CollaboratingHow decisions are made in the best strategic planning retreats
How to ensure the "Rumelt Crux" or "Compo Bottleneck" is included in your strategic plan
What expert facilitators do to manage contentious issues in strategic planning retreats
DecidingWhat are the key decisions to be made in every strategic planning retreat?
My team pretends to agree with whatever the chairman says. But they don't really. Now what?
ConsolidatingWhat are the best assignments to make during a strategic planning retreat? After?
SharingThe best tools for communicating the essence of a strategic plan with different audiences
My staff hates over-the-top rah-rah salesy sessions. But I still have to get them excited about the strategic plan. How?
ConcludingEnsuring that next year's plan is better than this year's
Getting my managers out of firefighting mode to implement the new strategy
Out-of-the-Box ThinkingWhy learning to understand game-changing strategy in other industries can help
How much should I care about beating back that new, scary competitor?
Planning to produce a breakthrough or disruption in your industry
Why short-term planning + long-term ESG = Greenwashing!
How an interwoven plan helps you beat competitors and substitues
Re-thinking the fundamentals of our business. (Or, reacting to a new disruptive technology.) Where do we start?
Insert your unique idea here! Try a prompt in an Ai LLM. "What are CEOs' obstacles to long-term strategic plans?"

Not inspired or provoked by the above? Here is a list of topics we are tackling in the JumpLeap Podcast. They are broader than long-term topics and may need to be re-stated.

Step 4 – Complete the Application

Fill in the Topic/Sub-Topic of your presentation in the application here.

P.S. If you have done the above steps and are on the verge of something interesting, but can’t quite get over the line…send me a message from https://replytofrancis.info.

A chat with me or another expert may help.

Francis