Strategic review: The soloist 'away day'

If you've been around a corporate environment, you'll be familiar with the concept of the 'off site', 'away day', 'strategic review', 'conference', or 'executive retreat'.

Apart from an excuse to over-indulge at the gala dinner, hug your work colleagues and sit on the photocopier, there's a good reason all major companies do this - because it works.

Whatever you choose to call it, it boils down to the same thing. It's a chance for the business to do a strategic review of what they've achieved over the year, identify improvements, set goals for the coming year(s) and map out a plan for achieving them.

January's a great time to do this before the routine kicks back in. So are you game to have your very own strategic review 'away day'?

Treat the day as a fully productive work day, except that there is no email, no phones and no client work. This is one day per year where all your energy and creativity is focused on improving your business.

Find an inspiring place where you can spread out, well away from your home or office. Write a detailed agenda beforehand with specific topics and time to be spent on each.

You could dust off your business plan (if you have one) and update it. Review your marketing material. Rewrite your home page. Revisit your pricing strategies. Explore ways to delight your most valuable clients. Set some bold goals. Write your elevator statement. Research your competition. Brainstorm new business ideas. Create a marketing plan.

Yes, it’s a chance to get cracking on your "as soon as I get a second to think" list!

The key to making all this worthwhile is to come away with a list of specific actions with completion dates next to them. That way, next January you can see exactly what you have or haven't done.

So book a strategic review day in your calendar, write the agenda, divert the phone and you're ready for your annual away day.

Do you already do this? Do you see a strategic review day as a valuable exercise? We'd love you to share your thoughts and ideas below.

Love your work,

Peter Crocker is a director of Flying Solo responsible for the areas of marketing and advertising. He is a business copywriter specialising in websites, videos and marketing communications.

Published 09 January 07
Email this item
Print this item

7 comments | Add your own

I do like to do this each year in a 2 day format, with monthly 1/2 day sessions. My business works closely with another and it is essential to ensure opportunities are being seen, shared and planned out. Often it is about revisiting things that were good ideas but not urgent and/or are in danger of being forgotten. Importantly also, it helps pick up any aspects that are redundant in our actions or "going pear shaped" as in every (honest) soloist's life, there is the hidden "whoops" factor waiting to bite their derrière. Karen Dempster - Creating Change from Victoria
This is a valuable exercise and Peter's right, January is the ideal time to do it. To distinguish from days off work (of which there have been several at this time) and to help give you focus, I find it helps to pay yourself for your time away.. You can mark it up in your accounts as 'professional development'. Take it away, soloists! Sam Leader from Flying Solo | Read my articles
As a Business Mum, this doesn't work in January as the kids are home from school & kinder & there is generally no daycare, at least not for the school kids (though it doesn't stop for my preschooler). I'll mark a day in February when life gets back to routine and the kids are away for the day :) Melissa from Melbourne, Australia
It's in the diary...Next Tuesday. This is a great idea. Thanks for the tip...I thought I was The Ideas Guy!? Tim Reid from Melbourne | Read my articles
Hi Peter, may I suggest that we also add "why ?" to everything that we are either changing or planning to change. That way, when we review, we can also see how how the factors influencing us have changed! Grant Hyman from Sydney | Read my articles
Hi
I have been 'flying solo'for 19 years and I have 'subliminal'away days all the time in my head
and I'm always refining what I do every year ,by the time I'm 60 I'll be an expert! Paul from Melbourne
Brilliant idea - this is all the 'stuff' I've been planning to do before the year kickstarts again, but giving it a proper name and structure makes it all seem much more do-able and productive! Thanks for another great tip - it's in the diary for next week. Chris Black from Melbourne

7 comments | Add your own

Add Your comments

Preview comment

Name

Website *

Town / city and country

Email (never sold, displayed or given away)

* This will link your name to your site. So please avoid self promotion elsewhere! We delete spam, disrespectful or off-topic comments.