| Facilitators, rather than consultants
The Argenti System provides for the use of a Planning Facilitator. The Planning Facilitator’s role is to ensure that the process works to best effect, by maximising individual contributions, exploring options robustly, and achieving timely consensus amongst participants at key points along the way. Planning Facilitators are not permitted to advise on the choice of strategies, which is very much the task of the top executives; the job of the Facilitator is to assist the team to reach their choice in a thoroughly objective, professional manner. It follows that the required skills include familiarity with the concepts of strategic planning, and ability to facilitate group dynamics. Wide commercial experience is valuable, as a source of ideas and precedents. Detailed knowledge of the organisation and its environment are usually well represented by the organisation’s own executives - although these views will be very much open to challenge. Where there are information gaps, the Argenti System will highlight these so that they can be addressed specifically. Internal and external options Some of our clients use The Argenti System as a stand-alone process: their Planning Team simply follows our strictly disciplined and detailed directions. The Planning Facilitator is selected from their own senior staff, and they move through the five Stages 'in house'. If you prefer this approach, Argenti provides guidance on the possible internal candidates, and the relative merits of each. It is widely recognised however that there are powerful reasons for inviting a skilled outside facilitator to take your organization through something as vital as strategic planning. He (or she) will know the process thoroughly from previous experience; he will be able to judge how well your project is progressing compared to his previous assignments; and he will provide an outsider's objective view of all your strategic discussions and decisions. He is also free of pre-existing relationships and loyalties, whether to people or to projects, processes and culture. This allows him to challenge 'sacred cows' objectively. His breadth of experience provides a resource pool that can be tapped for learnings, precedents and new ideas; and he brings superior workshop facilitation skills. The retention of an external facilitator also provides greater freedom for internal staff to engage in the process itself, rather than the coordination of it. A consultant, an accountant - any person whom you respect and who has the relevant skills - could be suitable.
| Argenti Planning Facilitators
We have a team of experienced 'Argenti Planning Facilitators' (APF's) who are trained to assist you to launch the strategic planning project and to guide your team through the process. They are located in most States of Australia, in New Zealand, and in other countries around the world. They will go anywhere in the world, subject to availability. Argenti Planning Facilitators have years of experience taking organisations through the planning process and, of course, they are uniquely familiar with The Argenti System of Strategic Planning. They enable client planning teams to start work without delay. And all the way along, our APF's will be meticulously transferring their planning skills and knowledge to your staff. We can also train your own Planning Facilitator. Several of our clients have approached the first cycle of their formal strategic planning by engaging an Argenti Planning Facilitator, and also nominating a suitable member of their own staff as a trainee, whom we can mentor as the process unfolds. The main duties of the Argenti Planning Facilitator are to:
Deliverables and Impact By the end of the project we would expect your team, guided by our APF, to have determined the following:-
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Argenti Systems (Australia) Pty Ltd ACN 121 557 104 |