Navigating the Annual Marketing Planning Process: When to Outsource a Facilitator

As the calendar turns and the annual marketing planning process looms, marketing leaders face a complex challenge. It's time to set the framework, motivate the team, and drive a collaborative, cross-functional effort that will shape the coming year's strategy. But how do you balance your roles as facilitator, participant, leader, SME, and decision-maker?

The process is complex, and while it will require much more than this, your first topline thoughts are how you will oversee the process to:

• Develop a marketing planning framework
• Run multiple group sessions requiring team collaboration
• Include input and co-collaboration from subject matter experts across departments
• Tap into external subject matter experts for their knowledge, analytics, and interactive presentations/workshops
• Align strategic thinking and decision-making from leadership

The Challenges:

1. Dual Role: You need to facilitate the process while also being an active participant in strategic discussions.
2. Unbiased Leadership: Demonstrating to other departments that outcomes aren't unduly influenced by your facilitation.
3. Time Constraints: Planning and running the process while managing ongoing responsibilities seems daunting.
4. Team Motivation: Inspiring your marketing team to take ownership and drive the process forward.
5. Co-Collaboration Balance: Ensuring all voices are heard while maintaining focus and efficiency.

The Dilemma:

While you're capable of facilitating, your crucial role in strategic decision-making and the need for perceived impartiality raise questions. Should you guide the process yourself, potentially compromising your ability to fully participate and raising concerns about bias? You could delegate to members of your marketing team, but ultimately, they too would face having to play the dual roles of facilitating and being active members in strategic thinking and planning. You could tap into the facilitation skills of the internal People & Culture department, but will they be well-versed enough in marketing and customer nuances? Or should you consider bringing in an outsourced external marketing expert as a facilitator to help you navigate these waters?

As you weigh these options, consider:

• The complexity of your marketing landscape
• The stakes of the planning outcomes
• The dynamics within your team and across departments
• The value of your direct participation in discussions
• The cross-functional stakeholder engagement outcomes
• The best way to set your team up to succeed

The right approach will allow you to contribute your expertise fully, ensure an unbiased process, and create a motivating environment for your team to excel in this critical planning phase.

If you found these insights valuable and would like to explore how an external facilitator can enhance your marketing planning process, feel free to reach out to discuss further. Connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected]

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