Dear Mamta,
To bring change in the organisation, brainstorming session with the employees help only to the extent of bringing internal change. Employees generally give their suggestion on improvising the systems and processes, fostering collaboration among the departments, introduction of new welfare measures etc. Nevertheless, generally employees are institutionalised with the company's culture and when they start thinking, they think keeping the company's culture in mind. Therefore, to bring a strategic change, brainstorming change with the employees is one of the means but it is not adequate.
I have done facilitation on change management wherein I have used the brainstorming session and I am aware of the limitation of this tool.
In contrast, when you make strategic plan, it demands scanning external environment, doing SWOT analysis of the organisation and using other tools like Michael Porter's 5S or McKinsey's 7S. Above all, you have written that SWOT Analysis is done based on the employee suggestions. This is a grossly mistaken view about organisation's SWOT Analysis.
Take the example of Infosys. When Vishal Sikka became CEO, he was the one who identified that though Infosys had superb manpower, what they lacked was "Design Thinking" ability. Infosys, for more than three decades remained service company. Nobody thought of designing a product that defined the rules of the game. That included even Mr NR Narayanamurthy also. In his second stint for about an year in 2013-14, when he could not turnaround the company, Vishal Sikka had to be brought in.
When Mr NR Narayan Murthy came back on board of Infosys in 2013, there was criticism in the press on Infosys's failure to generate the leaders within. Infosys raised their Leadership Develop Institute in 2001 at the cost of 270 Crore. Nevertheless, after almost a decade, when crisis of leadership emerged, not a single leader could be assigned mantle of CEO. Infosys had to bring back retired person in form of Mr Murthy. When this old war horse also failed to understand the change dynamics of the market, Vishal Sikka was roped in. Can there be better example of limitations of the employees?
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
Dear Nabeel,
As per my suggestion, you should do the brain storming among all employees,through which you will get different-different ideas and then do the SWOT Analysis!
Thanks & regards-
Mamta
Principle Consultant
Quid-Pro-Quo Consulting Service