Follow the 7 steps Christensen clearly describes to ensure your strategic planning session turns out amazing.This first installment in a three-part series is an easy read and a valuable guidebook for preparing your organization for its upcoming strategic planning session, whether you hold them annually or whether this will be your first.If you decide to gather your board, executive and management teams, and other stakeholders for a strategic planning session without consulting this book, you will likely miss some critically important opportunities for success. Planning for Awesome will provide priceless ideas for the first time session planner or the experienced facilitator.Yes, location matters, as does your choice of the meeting leader (hint: don't try to run the meeting yourself). Suffice to say here that you need to view your strategic planning session as an investment. If you invest little time, energy and resources, you should not expect much in return. See steps 1 and 2 for more on the possibilities.Are you missing any key participants? Find out in step 3.Timing of your session counts. In step 4, you will find guidance on choosing not only the day of the week, but even the time of day and the season that work best for you.Approaching a planning session without a well-thought out and organized agenda is not unlike throwing a paper airplane into the wind hoping to land on the moon. Far too many boards and executive teams meet to put together a strategic plan and have nothing to guide the discussion other than some hope and maybe a prayer. Step 5 provides in depth guidance on assembling and distributing a great agenda for your purposes.Steps 6 and 7 will have you ready for the big day, ensuring you have the appropriate supplies, equipment and even seating arrangement. You may not want to assign seats, but do not expect much positive discussion if your participants are not arranged to optimize interaction.Finally, if you are unsure of the difference between a mission statement and a vision statement, a strategic plan and a strategic planning session, you will find a helpful and concise glossary of critical terms and concepts at the end.