CFE Strategic Planning Facilitation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which technique is MOST effective for a facilitator managing a large strategic planning group (20+ participants) to generate diverse ideas efficiently?
- Open plenary debate
- One-on-one executive interviews
- World Café or breakout group rotations (Correct answer)
- Anonymous written surveys distributed after the session
Correct answer: World Café or breakout group rotations
World Café and rotating breakout groups allow large groups to generate and cross-pollinate ideas in a structured, time-efficient manner.
Question 2: The 'logic model' tool in strategic planning is used primarily to:
- Map the causal chain from resources and activities to intended outcomes (Correct answer)
- Rank competitors by market share and strategic threat level
- Calculate the financial return on strategic investments
- Document lessons learned from failed strategic initiatives
Correct answer: Map the causal chain from resources and activities to intended outcomes
A logic model visually connects inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes to show how a strategy is expected to produce results.
Question 3: When a strategic planning team reaches an impasse on a critical decision, a facilitator should FIRST:
- Make the decision on behalf of the group to maintain momentum
- Escalate the disagreement to the CEO for immediate resolution
- Identify the underlying interests driving each position (Correct answer)
- Remove the most vocal dissenters from the room
Correct answer: Identify the underlying interests driving each position
Surfacing underlying interests rather than stated positions often reveals common ground and enables creative resolution of apparent deadlocks.
Question 4: In the context of strategic planning, 'strategic drift' refers to:
- Intentional pivoting of strategy in response to market changes
- A gradual, incremental divergence of strategy from environmental demands (Correct answer)
- The process of aligning departmental plans with organizational strategy
- Rapid, disruptive changes to an organization's core business model
Correct answer: A gradual, incremental divergence of strategy from environmental demands
Strategic drift occurs when an organization's strategy incrementally falls out of alignment with its changing environment, often without leaders recognizing it.
Question 5: A facilitator uses 'force field analysis' during strategic planning to:
- Identify driving and restraining forces affecting a proposed change (Correct answer)
- Assess the competitive forces shaping industry profitability
- Rank strategic priorities by urgency and organizational impact
- Map stakeholder influence and interest levels
Correct answer: Identify driving and restraining forces affecting a proposed change
Force field analysis, developed by Kurt Lewin, visualizes forces that support or oppose a desired change to guide strategic decision-making.
Question 6: Which statement BEST describes the difference between a strategic goal and a strategic objective?
- Goals are short-term; objectives are long-term
- Goals are broad desired outcomes; objectives are specific, measurable steps toward those outcomes (Correct answer)
- Goals are set by the board; objectives are set by management
- Goals address financial performance; objectives address operational performance
Correct answer: Goals are broad desired outcomes; objectives are specific, measurable steps toward those outcomes
Strategic goals define broad desired end-states, while objectives specify the concrete, measurable actions and milestones required to achieve them.
Question 7: When facilitating an environmental scan, a facilitator who prompts discussion about demographic trends, regulatory changes, and economic conditions is applying which framework?
- SWOT Analysis
- PESTLE Analysis (Correct answer)
- Balanced Scorecard
- Value Chain Analysis
Correct answer: PESTLE Analysis
PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental) analysis structures the external environmental scan across these macro-level dimensions.
CFE Strategic Planning Facilitation 3
Which technique is MOST effective for a facilitator managing a large strategic planning group (20+ participants) to generate diverse ideas efficiently?