The Mapping Specialist

Vol X, No. 1 - Winter 2002

Contents | In Focus | Mapmaking | Geonews | Profile | Planning | Employee

Strategic Planning

About the time you receive this, the Management Team of Mapping Specialists will be having its 11th annual strategic planning meeting.  This meeting serves many purposes each year, but always has the same goals: learn and grow professionally as an individual and as a team, make MSL a better company, be open minded and receptive to others' views and to have some fun.  Achieving these goals has never been a problem.

When Jeff Kranz purchased the company he was immediately focused on growing and developing the management team.  He knew through past experience that one of the best ways to develop the team and grow the company was through structured meetings.  In May 1993 the concept of a MSL strategic planning meeting was born.  The first meeting was in Pewaukee, WI.  The other eight meetings have been held at other locations throughout Wisconsin along with two meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada.  While the meeting location typically changes from year to year, the structure rarely does.

The meeting centers on a five-day block of time in mid January.  Two days, the first and last, are designated travel days and the remaining three are for meetings.  The three days of meetings are divided into blocks of time covering many topics.  The topics include an in-depth review of financial data from the previous year, including individual project and client analysis.  Markets we targeted the previous year are reviewed and discussions of new markets are held.  There is a block of time for each manager to do a brief evaluation of staff focusing on performance and the professional growth potential of each employee.  The chairpersons of the Building Committee, Product Development Committee, Internet Committee, and Personnel Committee all have a block of time to update the management team on the status of their respective committees.  Last, but not least each attendee is given a topic to present.  Topics covered have included "What would you do if you were the owner of MSL" as well as themes from the Investors Business Daily's "Ten Keys to Success."

While covering all of the topics in three days is a challenge, it is also very rewarding.  The management team leaves the meeting with a sense of direction and a new set of goals for the year.  Areas of improvement are identified and new and better ways of serving our clients are implemented.  The "bar" is set for the coming year and everyone knows his or her role in attaining that goal.

One of the aspects of the meeting that I haven't mentioned is the part about having fun.  While the three days of meetings are fairly intense, we always manage to find time for some relaxation and fun.  We've enjoyed outings to the Milwaukee Brewers baseball games, a chartered fishing trip on Big Green Lake in Wisconsin as well as seeing Blue Man Group at the Luxor Casino in Las Vegas.  As important as the business aspects of the meeting are, these side excursions are just as important.  Having a chance to relax and recharge your battery go a long way towards returning to work in the right frame of mind.

The MSL Strategic Planning Meeting has been a highlight for the management team for the past ten years.  We continue to look forward to future meetings and coming away from those meetings with better ways to run our company, serving our clients, and in the process, having had a little fun.

- Dave Knipfer

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