ABSTRACT
In the course of my observation and facilitation of high-level strategy meetings, it quickly becomes apparent that the questioning, the responses, the interaction, and the process itself occur at lower levels than we might imagine at most companies. Although the position of the executives may be high-level, the quality of the conversations is most often variable at best. Many of these meetings consist mainly of an exchange of analytic data, summary findings, rapid-fire question-answer segments, possibly a brief brainstorming portion, and recommendations for a future course of action. Sometimes there is debate or perhaps discussion about the analysis, but I rarely encounter meaningful critical dialogue. Over the long haul this has a tremendous impact on the quality of the strategy that is made.
