After crafting the vision, the owner or leader should be able to describe the company's future state succinctly. In addition, successfully communicating the defined vision to the organization's internal and external stakeholders is required. The ability of the various organizational stakeholders to embrace the vision is enhanced when they can see how it changes what has been known to them.

Effective and efficient change leadership must be embedded at all levels and across all disciplines in the organization. A guiding coalition's success improves by including critical stakeholders' representation. Switching from change resistance to an energized cadre of zealous drivers of organizational transformation requires a well-developed guiding coalition.

Creating a legitimate sense of urgency is essential to carrying out transformational change. The work requires a delicate balance of what I describe as optimal tension. A state where leadership lifts the workforce to the level of their highest potential for maximum impact through developing a plan that fits the varied needs of each employee to be their best self.

Leaders looking to accomplish significant organizational transformation must utilize an efficient and effective change management process. However, success in doing so requires understanding by leadership that this work follows the development of robust strategic and tactical plans. Only then will the desirable outcome of lasting change become the reality of a future state of excellence in high-impact operations.

Successful outcomes of using the SOAR framework for strategic planning need a subsequent step of effective tactical planning. A team with balanced thinking preferences will lead to more effective and efficient tactical plans to ensure success in implementing the organization's strategy. The work is enhanced by following a series of action steps.

Defining the Results to track is essential to achieving the organization's identified Strengths, Opportunities, and Aspirations when utilizing the SOAR framework. In addition, these Results will benefit all internal and external stakeholders of the organization positively. The organization benefits significantly from the deep commitment of all stakeholders as they were active participants throughout the process.

Asking for and aligning the Aspirations of the workforce inspires them to achieve levels of success atypical of conventional approaches to strategic planning. Leaders shift from looking to manipulate people to achieve goals while ignoring them as human beings. Instead, they must collectively embrace their employees' similar aspirations, dreams, fears, and hopes.

Strategic planning work using the SOAR framework uses a strengths-based positive focus. However, the weaknesses and threats of the SWOT framework are not ignored but reframed as opportunities. Therefore, it is crucial to do extensive research to fully leverage our Opportunities to understand our organizational challenges, industry sector, business in general, and society.

Strategic planning work should begin with a focus on strengths. The perspective reinforces the positive mindset crucial to maximizing the ability of the team to realize an ideal future state of a human-centered organization.

The SOAR framework builds on a foundation of Appreciative Inquiry (AI). AI built into a strategic planning framework creates a transformational process that inspires organizations to SOAR. The SOAR framework for strategic Inquiry and decision-making uses AI to bring stakeholder dialogue into strategic planning.

The SOAR framework focuses on institutional strengths. It is a shift from the traditional SWOT analysis where we reframe weaknesses and threats as Opportunities that generate positivity. Leaders benefit from creating positive energizers by enabling optimistic relationships during strategic planning.

A commonality I have seen in struggling companies is that the owners or leaders do not take a human-centered approach. However, calls to adopt humanism into business are not new. A way to ensure humanism in business is to invite all internal and external stakeholders to develop a mutually beneficial strategy.

A current theme in a search for issues facing manufacturing executives is the lack of skilled workers. Yet, my experience of recently visiting several plants shows that the workplace has changed little since my first year in 1979. If we are to attract and retain employees, we need to adapt to the needs of our younger generations.

There is growing evidence that shifting from a singular focus on maximizing profit to a triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit leads to more robust financial performance. However, one obstacle to others adopting this approach may be a need for more knowledge about how to achieve this practical approach to doing business. One solution is utilizing the B Impact Assessment to determine our ability to gain this certification status.

Much like most things worthwhile in life, an organization that puts practices in place that embraces those with autism will employ individuals that can excel in a wide variety of roles. If we continue to use past methods that exclude the brilliant minds of those like Temple Grandin, we are missing out on a gold mine of talent. We should stop using old-school stockyard management approaches that exclude this exceptional talent pool.

Becoming a Certified B Corp or adopting a similar approach provides environmental and social good. But, evidence is increasing that doing so can improve a company's financial performance. "Doing Well While Doing Good" is the ideal approach to achieve more significant business success.