Facilitation for a food company's strategic planning for the next five years

Every generation needs a revolution - an entrepreneurial revolution

                    The facilitator together with the President
              center and the members of the family, the board
              members at the atrium of the hotel for the final
             session,  The facilitator still wears the signature I AM
             BEST  t shirt which the theme of the conference


We just concluded a strategic planning conference in a posh hotel at Camp John Hay amidst pledges and grand dreams:

The food company which is all ready amongst top 5 in the industry resolved to double its sales in five years (until 2021) via following strategy:

1.  entering Vismin market
2.  establishing a canning line of products
3.  establishing a brand management group to support sales to plan promotions and ads
4.  investment in automated plant facilities to be more efficient and save operating expenses\
5.  quality products

These are all meant to benchmark the strategies of the top food company and score higher in cpm critical success factors.  This author tried to explain very hard that being one of the top 4 being almost there, what separates them from the top are areas where they score low.  They were asked objectively if they score high in all.  And only in 4 out of 10.

I pray that my efforts and the resources expenses are resources well spent and are investments rather than expenses (became useless)   Its good that the board who joined the conference are seeing it that way.  It was explained by the new brand chief that its should be treated that way especially that the top notcher in the field has the strategy of continuously "investing  in brand equity."

Final closing session  (Day 2)

                         The story of the  carabao keeping
                              pace with the rabbit

                                   Together with the Best staff

Why was Prof Jorge absent at MBAH entrep class last Saturday?

 Prof Jorge Entrep link to his 3rd Baguio bike ride

As a professional and as Ateneo professor, we were trained to be mission oriented and to have zeal for teaching.  Thus, we must be ready to:  be assigned wherever our teaching expertise is needed; to teach assiduously even when no one is watching, and to be the best that we can be (Magis)

However, due to peer pressure and fear of mortality, I decided I will miss my class for the annual road bike ride to Baguio City (this is the fifth, the second from Angono Rizal to Baguio)  total distance of 280 km.  The Baguio ascent is but 30+ but the hill climbs are about 3 dozens.   We prepared hard and long for these.  For me I prepared for this for 2 years because I missed last year.

I am the only senior who is joining this difficult and challenging ride.  (One of us, my junior quit at Camp 6 when he was only 6 km to the Kennon Rd view deck ) No amount of motivation, chiding, ridicule would make him try one more time to pedal (this would be his 5th ride.)

I planned to ride only Friday and go back in the evening so that I will be able to teach Saturday.  However, the other bikers threatened to hide my bike bag and my wallet so that I will not be able to commute back to Manila.  That would be more shameful. 

So much to my regret, I had to write an excuse email to Dra Dimaano and to Krishna for this slight misdemeanor, to which they said yes though.

My bike ride though is doing (which is entrepreneurship) and showing the world and others that what you planned you can do.  The steep hills and the body pains do not count.  The achievement of the task count.

You may see some of pictures of Prof Jorge road bike ride to Baguio