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POWERFULSTRATEGIC PLANNING*QUESTIONSMike BrownThe Brainzooming GroupforDeveloping StrategyBranding and MarketingBoosting InnovationEnabling Extreme CreativityImplementing Successfully
*That TheBrainzoomingGroup Uses.So Far.
TheMost PowerfulStrategicPlanningQuestions**That The Brainzooming GroupUses. So far.byMike BrownThe Brainzooming Group 2016, The Brainzooming GroupAll rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyrightreserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted inany form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying,recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission ofthe copyright owner.
When strategic planning istoo complicated:time is wasted,executives get wasted,the CEO is pissed off,participants and ideas are uninspired,resources are squandered,managers wait for missing information,valuable data goes unnoticed,great ideas go unshared,jargon masquerades as intelligence,rock-paper-scissors becomes the best wayto make decisions,ingenuity leaves the building,the wrong people make decisions,infighting becomes a way of life,pet projects get all the resources,everyone goes home depressed,implementation is short-changed,competitors steal your market share,costs skyrocket,competitive advantage evaporates,customers run from your brand,your best salespeople abandon ship,revenue falls off the table,and the strategists who can’t figure out howto make strategic planning simple andfun lose their jobs.When strategic planning is simple,engaging, and fun:everybody’s happy,and you achieve real results.To make strategy planning simple & fun, visit:brainzooming.com/simplestrategy
Our 600 Most Powerful Strategic Planning QuestionsValue of Strategic Planning QuestionsProductive strategic thinkingexercises are at the heart of TheBrainzooming Group methodology.Great brainstorming and strategicplanning questions encourage andallow people to talk about whatthey know including factualinformation, personalperspectives, and their views ofthe future.The Value of Strategic Thinking ExercisesI tell people who ask about how wedeveloped The Brainzooming Groupmethodology that a big part of whatmotivated me were the business people Iworked with who didn’t know how to fill outstrategic planning templates andworksheets.What they did know a lot about were thebusinesses, customers, and markets theyserved. We found we could ask themstrategic planning questions andbrainstorming questions to captureinformation to create strategic plans.Since I could write the plan, knowing whichstrategic planning questions to ask (within afun, stimulating environment) was key todeveloping creative, quickly-prepared plansinfused with strategic thinking.Mike BrownFounderThe Brainzooming GroupPhoto by: Leslie AdamsHere are links to 600 of the mostpowerful brainstorming andstrategic planning questions weincorporate within strategicthinking exercises we use at TheBrainzooming Group.Yes, 600 questions!Who could ask for more?And when you combine “creative,” “strategicthinking,” and “quickly-prepared,” you getBrainzooming!1
Access your team's best ideasonline without a single,"Sorry, go ahead!"info.brainzooming.com/blastBlast! is an innovative online experience where you and your team answer questionsthat propel you to impactful breakthroughs. Proven questions, candid responses,and your team’s imagination create amazing results. There’s no software to download.And it all gets done in 30 minutes.Yes, really. It's a whole new way to collaborate.
5 Keys to Streamline Your Strategic Planning ProcessTHE 600 MOST POWERFUL QUESTIONSPage73Developing Your Overall Strategy325Articulating a Strategic Vision453Setting a Strategic Foundation564Branding and Marketing Strategy664Customer Experience737Creative Cool Names8120Innovation Strategy9Great Strategic Thinking Questions1024Extreme Creativity1144Looking Forward Strategically1284Implementing for Impact138Asking What Others Think1432
Developing Your Overall Strategy73Rather than asking only familiar strategy questions, we employstrategic thinking detours. Like a road detour routes you in anew direction, strategic thinking detours lead you to new strategicperspectives and ideas.The First QuestionThe 1 question that’s thegranddaddy of all strategyquestions within theBrainzooming methodology.Strategic Questions onWhat Matters for a Brand10 questions for getting to theheart of what is strategic for yourbrand.Two Questions to Ask forYour Strategic PlanChecking for Simplicity inYour StrategyQuickly identifying focus areasfor planning.3 questions to see if yourstrategy is simple enough to drivechange in your organization.3 Questions for PrioritizingYour Thinking TimeDecide where you shouldprioritize your strategicexploration.Identifying What Matters inYour Organization?9 Strategic ThinkingQuestions to Start StrategicConversations7 more questions to signalwhether a topic or effort isstrategic for a brand.Turning business talk intostrategic talk.3 Questions to DecideWhat’s Strategic5 Strategic ThinkingQuestions for IntegratedListeningIf 17 questions are too many, trythese 3 questions about what isstrategic for your brand.4 Questions to Decide If YouNeed a Strategic PlanA strategic plan is not always theright answer to yourorganization’s needs.Listening is a vital part of turningtalk into strategy.10 Questions for CraftingStartup Strategy in AnyBusinessEven an established organizationcan move into startup mode.12 Strategic PlanningQuestions Before You StartAnticipating Non‐TraditionalCompetitorsMake sure you start your strategyplanning in the right direction.4 questions for anticipating non‐traditional competitors andstrategic threats yourorganization might miss.3
Articulating a Strategic Vision25Any big strategy statements your organization is developing oralready has in place should sound the way your organization talks– not like corporate gobbledygook. That’s where these questionsare incredibly useful, and provide you with powerful results.Strategic Planning Doesn’t Have to Kill Creativity5 questions that will help you better articulate your vision statement.Look Inside for Distinctive Talents5 questions to identify talents and capabilities that can set both organizations andindividuals apart.What Are We Trying to Say?7 questions to improve the understandability, emotion, and impact of yourorganizational vision statement.Look and Ask Around3 questions to assess where your organization provides the most and least value,along with where you should focus more effort to improve the value you deliver.5 Questions to Test Your Vision Statement ImpactIs your vision statement (or other big statement) working as hard as it can?4
Setting a Strategic Foundation53It’s easy to go from year to year, never challenging yourorganization’s strategic foundation in meaningful ways. This set ofquestions pushes your strategy team to think afresh about strategicopportunities, challenges, and assumptions.Varying a SWOT Analysis11 Ways to Reimagine the SWOT AnalysisA Brainzooming eBook with 11 ideas to spiceup your organization’s SWOT analysis.A 16‐Part SWOT Analysis to Push ThinkingThoroughly push a team’s thinking to look atall aspects of a SWOT.4 SWOT Analysis Modifiers Nobody ExpectsWho says the S, W, O, and T in a SWOT can’tmean something different?Competitive Strategy – 7 Ways to Avoid“Never and Always”7 ways to ensure your brand isn’t alwaysusing the same, predictable competitivestrategies.Identifying Strategies and AssumptionsAsk and You Shall Receive with GreatStrategic Questions5 questions to help someone expand ontheir ideas.Resolving Contradictory Assumptions Easily2 questions to sort through assumptionsthat seem to point in opposite directions.Don’t Overthink It? 5 Key Questions forQuick Decisions5 questions to make decisions more quickly.There’s No Accounting for Taste3 questions with criteria more beneficialthan “I like it” to determine if your creativework is on strategy.55
Branding and Marketing Strategy 64When you develop clear branding and marketing strategiescollaboratively, you set the stage for team members to understandtheir individual roles and bring the brand to life consistently andeffectively.Branding Strategy4 Ways to Examine Brand Performance4 areas to check to see how your brand is doing.8 Questions for New Product Ideas in 30MinutesA quick sequence to develop new product ideas foryour brand.6 Ways to Freshen an Old BrandIf your brand needs a refresh, here are 6 paths topursue.7 Strategy Questions from Woody BendleFundamental questions for setting your direction.Marketing StrategyHow 1 Strategic Thinking Question Will MakeYou a Better MarketerA single question to guide stronger marketing.8 Questions on Launching Campaign‐SpecificMarketingCan your new marketing fit with what you’ve donebefore or does it require something new?Nobody Cares About You!!!2 questions to test whether your communicationsefforts are audience‐oriented.7 Questions for Smart MarketingDevelop a marketing strategy that maximizes yourability to perform and profit from it.11 Questions Behind a Messaging StrategyA quick way to identify what needs to go into yourmarketing messages.10 Questions to Identify New PartnersWho are the most intriguing and best brands youcan collaborate with successfully?6
Customer Experience64It’s impossible to separate your brand’s in-person and onlinecustomer experiences. These sets of questions, while presented intwo categories, are integral in supporting the overall brandexperience for customers.Customer Experience7 Strategic Thinking Questions on WhatHappens on the Way to Your Brand?Understand what experiences your customers havebefore they get to your brand.3 Questions to Test Customer SegmentInnovationDetermine whether a brand innovation fits youraudience targets.Online ExperienceIs Your Brand PersonalityPresent Online?10 questions to gauge whetheryour social media contentconveys your brand personality.See Me, Feel Me, CriticizeMe8 questions to ask on theaccuracy, ease, and userIt’s the Most Memorable Time of the Year8 questions to look for ways to strengthen personalinterest and better integrate emotional dimensionsfor customers.7 Questions for Creating High‐PerformingCustomersCreate an environment where your customers canrealize the greatest success.experience of your digitalpresence.outside‐in content thinking todevelop social media content.11 Buying Process Questionsfor Blog Topics5 Questions for PlanningOnline ContentTranslating the prospect /customer journey into contentmarketing topics.These 5 questions help identifynumerous recurring contentopportunities for your brand.5 Exercises for Audience‐Oriented TopicsAccessible ways to employ7
Creative Cool Names37What’s in a name? What’s in a lot of new product names: unrelatedsyllables, parts of words, and edgy-sounding acronyms. If, instead,you’d like to explore cool, high-impact options, these questions arefor you!8 Creative Thinking Questions for Creating Cool Product Names8 questions to go beyond bland names for new products and develop names that stand out from the crowd.Another 21 Creative Thinking Questions for Naming Cool ProductsEven more questions to stimulate creative ideas for cool product names!8 Questions to Create Innovative Job Titles8 questions to enliven current job titles within your organization and create bolder horizons for your team.8
Innovation Strategy120We see it again and again: asking questions from a wide variety ofdiverse directions yields the most powerful new ideas. Here aremore than 100 questions we use with clients to catalyzeinnovation.Innovation StrategyWhat is the first innovationstrategy question to ask?One innovation question is themost important!14 Innovation StarterQuestionsGet your team thinking aboutinnovation possibilities.16 Ways to Find NewResources to InnovateAn eBook devoted to finding newresources to boost yourinnovation strategy.Innovative Perspectives9 Questions for Finding YourBrand’s Strategic AnalogsIdentify intriguing brands to trackfor innovation ideas.17 Questions to FindInnovation Case StudiesWe use these questions to findanalogous situations to inspireinnovation possibilities.Innovation OpportunitiesWhen New and InnovativeBecomes Status Quo3 questions to figure out whenit’s time to innovate yourprevious innovation.15 Innovative Questions forBetter Business Results9 Questions to Break aBusinessMore questions, more innovationopportunities!Questions to foster thinking onweak spots and new businessmodel opportunities.A Spoonful ofUnconventional Makes theConventional Go Down4 questions to help you findunexpected innovationopportunities in your market.Disruptive Innovation11 Questions for DisruptiveMarket Innovation11 questions to explorepotentially disruptive moves.Boosting InnovationA Great Way to Be MoreCreative Each Day8 creative questions to changeyour current situation.9 Questions for InnovativeIdeas from ExpertsAsk the right types of questionsto get experts to share theirknowledge more effectively.Trying to Finish thePreviously Unfinishable5 questions to identify ways toturn incomplete ideas intosomething salvageable.9
3What characteristicslead to great strategicthinking questions?These three questions aboutquestions provide a smartformula for expanding yourown set of powerful strategicplanning questions!10
Extreme Creativity24Don’t make the mistake of askingemployees for their big ideas.Instead, pose BIG QUESTIONS tothem. Let them fill up the thinkingspace these questions create withextreme ideas of all types!Our Original Extreme Creativity Questions9 questions to push new possibilities to reach extreme creativity levels.10 Brainstorming Questions from Diners, Drive‐Ins, & DivesGuy Fieri visits crazy restaurants where they serve up incredible food andextreme creativity questions galore!5 Questions to Harness Extreme CreativityBring extreme creativity back to today’s reality and get startedimplementing!11
Looking Forward Strategically44Sometimes the biggest strategic issues are right now – or rightaround the corner. Other times, you need to push your thinkingfurther out. That’s when you can turn to these questions.20 InnovativeQuestions for YourNext MarketingPlan20 questions fromvarious marketing andstrategy experts toimprove a marketingeffort through strategy,communications, andcontent marketing.15 Future‐OrientedQuestions toExploreForward‐looking strategicthinking questions toextend your horizons.9 Big Questions toAddress NowBig questions to answernow to prepare forwhat’s ahead.Developing strategy for yourorganization or brand needn’tbe stressful.See page 17 to learn more12
Implementing for Impact84Planning is great, but successful implementation is everything!These questions lead the way in transitioning from great thinkingto killer DOING!Do You Have What It Takes for a Plan?15 questions to ensure you have everything in placefor a complete marketing plan.7 Questions to Create Report Shrinkage10 Project Planning Questions for LaunchingNew ProgramsMake sure you start implementation with these 10effective questions.Cut your plan down to size before you share it withthe organization.5 Strategic Questions for When You Can’t,You Don’t, and You Won’t Stop10 Questions to Ask about Your StrategyChallenges will happen, but you can use strategicthinking to move beyond them.A quick check on whether your strategy is ready forimplementation.13 Point Change Management ChecklistDetermine whether your leadership team iseffectively managing strategic change.9 Questions to Help Teams Execute StrategyStart a team on the right track to more successfullyimplementing a new strategic initiative.7 Strategic Thinking Questions for WhenThings Aren’t WorkingIdentify current problems and figure out how to fixthem.Learn from Your Mistakes Once!8 questions to dissect what didn’t go right withstrategic implementation so you don’t make thesame mistakes multiple times.13
If you’ve beencounting as we go,that’s 592 questions.Compiling this eBook, we weren’t sure howmany questions to include. There was nospecific starting goal.But 592?592?Why couldn’t it have just been 600 questions?That would have been so easy, so remarkable.Instead of falling short of this newlyimportant goal, however, we’ve made it so youcan turn the page for 8 MORE valuablequestions we use!14
Asking What Others Think8Unless you’re doing something locked in a room all by yourself(and we won’t ask questions about that), people will likely havevaried perspectives of how a plan, initiative, or event went. Forongoing improvement, gather these rich perspectives withquestions!We ask a variety of open‐endedquestions after any type of significantactivity to solicit perspectives fromother participants.question to see if people had, well,questions:The questions have grown and morphedover the years. The original critical thinkingquestions was from the Plus MinusInteresting approach developed by Dr.Edward de Bono.In some situations, people may be reluctantto share negative reactions. When wesuspect that may be the case, we’llsubstitute a failed‐to‐meet‐expectationsquestion with these two questions:The original questions were:6.1.2.7.3.What worked or was successful?What didn’t work or failed to meetexpectations?What things were intriguing about this?We later added another question to solicitnew ideas from participants:4.What recommendations do you have ifwe do this again?Shortly after that, we added anotherThe5. What questions do you have followingthis?What would you like to see more of ifwe do this again?What would you like to see less of if wedo this again?We also often ask a catch‐all question tocover anything that falls through the cracks:8.Is there anything else you expected tohappen / be covered that we didn’t do?So! With those 8 questions,you now have Most PowerfulStrategic Planning Questions**That The Brainzooming Group Uses. So far.15
What if you only have ahard copy andneed links to the600 PowerfulStrategic PlanningQuestions?Download yourvery own eBook at:Info.brainzooming.com/600Questions16
One guy sitting in the corner officeis not going to come up with thebest strategy for what’s ahead now.The old days are over.If you are looking for ideas on how to engageyour organization to collaborate and shape strategy,schedule a FREE, 30-minute chat with a memberof the Brainzooming team. You'll walk away withinnovative ideas on what the right funand productive strategy formula looks like for you.Visit info.brainzooming.com/lets-chat-about-strategy
brainzooming.cominfo@brainzooming.com816-509-5320
infused with strategic thinking. Andwhen you combine “creative,” “strategic thinking,” and “quickly-prepared,” you get Brainzooming! Here are links to 600 of the most powerful brainstorming and strategic planning questions we incorporate within strategic thinking exerci
