As a business owner, building a team that works together and cohesively can be challenging. Putting together a business plan can be a great team exercise to keep the people on your team engaged and excited about your company and the direction that it is going in.  Getting everyone on the same page is an essential part of building solid relationships with your organization.
I have seen/experienced companies doing this in a number of different ways. I have seen companies meet in the mornings for a period of time until the plan is complete. I have been a part of retreats in remote locations or spend 2-3 days going over our plan in a conference room.
I am gearing this to small companies with 15-20 employees or less. With that being said, it’s important to get as many people involved in this process as possible. The more people who feel ownership in the plan the better. When it comes to writing the final plan on paper, make sure that one person writes it so it feels and sounds cohesive. (Tip from Guy Kawasaki)
While this process can be a great source for team building, the easiest way to kill your team’s vibrant momentum is to not follow through on the plan. As the leader of the organization, you are responsible for making sure that what is decided on gets implemented into the business. I have seen too many leaders of organizations ignore this and create a cultural of cynicism that feedback doesn’t matter and neither does planning because the boss is just going to do what he/she wants anyway. Don’t be that leader that doesn’t follow through. It will destroy your credibility.
This is just another reason to have a business plan and a great way to engage your team in the process. When you have everyone on your team working towards the same result, special things can happen.