If you are not focused on where your company ends up, it may not matter how it gets there. If, on the other hand, you would prefer to have all of the members of your organization pulling efficiently towards a common goal, then formal, strategic planning should not be put off any longer. Knowing where you want to go is the first step in determining how you will get there. It is widely believed that the most important role of the CEO is defining a vision for his or her company and aligning the people of the company behind that vision. Simply put, strategic planning is the process by which the guiding members of your organization, with input from all constituencies, envision the future and develop the necessary strategies and tactics to achieve that future. The CEO Resources Inc. Strategic Planning Method™ compels organizations to develop a consensual vision of the future. Our process also provides an appropriate forum and a facilitated structure for resolving conflicts and making committed, consensus decisions. Good planning will eliminate the paralysis and inefficiency caused when your people or departments work at cross purposes. Your plan will assure proper resource allocation so your critical activities are staffed and supported. Our planning process will involve, at some level, virtually every member of your organization and critical constituencies such as the board, customers, resources and professionals. We will guide you in the collection of data on sales and sales trends, customer satisfaction and trends, competitors and their predicted moves, technology trends, supplier trends and your company's core competencies. The highly participatory process will improve team work among the planning team members. We have developed this method based upon our own planning experiences, the good and the not-so-useful. We have found that people own what they help build. Once your managers have helped you to build this plan they will be willing and able to use it to focus more clearly on organizational outcomes and priorities. Your plan will be a living, breathing tool for helping you move your business towards achieving the goals you have for it. This will be one plan that will not just sit on the shelf.