Facilitating Strategic Planning for a Changing Landscape

In October 2023, the Aerospace Account in Booz Allen Hamilton was holding a Leadership Offsite to have senior leaders work through the biggest issues for their sector. They tasked our team with designing an interactive, creative, facilitated Activation where senior leaders could discuss the most pressing issues for the Aerospace Account.

We designed, planned and facilitated three “activations” centering on anticipating emerging changes, strategically planning to reach their goals, and empowering and supporting their people.

︎ Booz Allen Hamilton Aerospace Senior Leadership

︎ Booz Allen Hamilton
︎ Design Strategy, Facilitation

︎ August 2023 - October 2023

Credits:
Team: Kylie Riddel, Kat Schneider, Dominique Willis, Zachary Kaan, Maia Sciupac, Sasha Avrutina

Planning & Leadership Engagement

Before we began designing the activation, we met with leadership to determine the goals and lay the ground work for design.

To ensure we were designing the right activation, we

Surveyed senior leaders on topics to focus on
Met with Vice President throughout planning to confirm schedule, topics, and overall activity planning
Identified activation goals

These efforts proved beneficial for the foundation of the activation design:

Ensured the focus for the activities were centered on participant priorities and aligned with leadership goals

We met with leadership continually throughout the project to pulse-check ideas, directions, and language.

Powerpoint slide to gain leadership buy-in and feedback on emerging ideas

Ideation

After we had a sense of the purpose for the activation, we set out creating fresh ideas to inspire the activity design.

During this time, we

Led 4 distinct ideation sessions
Identified branding inspiration
Identified sources of inspiration
Came up with 4 main ideas

This phase set us up well as we moved closer to writing out the facilitation guide and designing elements for in-person:

Created the idea inspiration for the 3 activations we actually created
Created fresh ideas by pulling from outside the design world for inspiration
Early iteration sessions with outlandish ideas gave fresh inspiration to be referred to later in the process when ideas would run their course
Co-creating with the entire team in ideation sessions gave everyone buy-in and input throughout the process

Branding inspiration and unique activity ideation

Idea Refinement

Each concept went through various forms of iteration to get to the final version. This meant working in small teams to refine and then bringing to the larger planning team to review. The cycle would continue until the concept, facilitation, and design felt complete.

Logistics

In order to prepare for day of facilitation, my team and I prepared a comprehensive Run of Show document. I led the creation of the Facilitation Guide as well as the set-up and break down lists. The document also detailed relevant travel details and contact information.

Activation Overview

Leaders rotated through three activations, tackling different aspects of challenges from emerging change in Aerospace.

Activitation #1:

Strategic Planning

PURPOSE
Evaluate how current sector goals are being reached within Aerospace and identify what needs to change

ACTIVITY & PROMPT

Have the five sector goals placed as 5 different sections. Participants choose a goal to focus on for the activation.
Participants use cards to define the current state regarding the goals.

What are we currently doing to achieve the 5 sector goals?

Stoplight voting is used to identify what strategies are and are not working.

What current strategies are and are not working?

Participants solution some new ideas or improvements to how to achieve the sector goals and then discuss.

What are ways we could improve the strategies?

OUTCOMES

Leaders had robust discussions around their priorities and if their current metrics for success were effective.
Their discussion informed key decision-making for the next fiscal year.

Activitation #2:

Anticipating Change

PURPOSE
Explore the impacts of emerging changes and plan for how we could take action

ACTIVITY & PROMPT

Map potential impacts of the 4 emerging changes onto the bullseye targets

What is the impact on this change for our people, the business, and our capabilities?

Identify actions that help mitigate those impacts

How can we address, prevent, or mitigate that impact?

OUTCOMES

Leaders were able to identify the possible changes coming to the sector in the near and future term.
The impact of these discussions affected how leaders addressed the changes as they emerged over the next two years.

Activitation #3:

Empowering Our People

PURPOSE
Capture senior leaders’ needs associated with emerging change and discuss how they can feel empowered to support their teams

ACTIVITY & PROMPT
Participants visited four exhibit activities:

Fear/Concerns: display of fears

What fears/concerns do you have about being able to effectively support your team in this time of change?

Categorized Needs: display of needs

What does your team need to face the coming changes?

Lessons Learned: advice/letter to a mentee

What advice do you have for leading high performing teams through change?

Accountability: mosaic of leaders’ names and stickers that indicate their priority areas

What can we prioritize to ensure your team has what they need for the coming future?

OUTCOMES

Leaders were able to discuss the needs of their staff and engage in empathy related to emerging changes effects on their people.
Leaders exceptionally appreciated the Letters of Advice activity.