Organizational Applied Strategic Planning (OASP)

On behalf of myself and the Surlean Foods family of team members, I wanted to thank you for your assistance with the development of our 5 year Applied Strategic Plan. Without your leadership and coaching I do not believe we would have produced such an impactful result.  The inclusive team building approach and collaborative way the material was presented not only allowed us to adequately assess our current state, but put us in a position to envision our desired future.

The Shadow Teams were so insightful and did provide those precious "nuggets" you said they would and continue to provide the checks and balances that we needed to ensure our progress is sound.

You are surrounded by an outstanding team of professionals and we are very appreciative of Bill, Carole and Angela's passion and talents.  Our team is better because we were able to work with your team.

Our team has a common goal and a unified strategy to reach that goal. I am confident that Surlean is on pace to become "the preferred customized food manufacturer passionately serving the food service industry" as our new Mission Statement reads.

We grew as a company, a team, and individuals through the ASP process and I know I speak for the Surlean Family when I say thank you for being an instrumental part of our future of choice.

Very Truly,

Since I had not experienced the 'vision' aspect (of Applied Strategic Planning) before, I found this to be the most helpful in determining what I want to do with the next 40 years. Articulating and writing down vision then mission really helped me get balance into my life which was one of my original reasons for attending the retreats. Vision, personal mission, and leadership information was most meaningful. The team enjoyed the visualization process and symbols and their meaning. For the office, getting a clear mission statement done and being able to refer back to it and hire new people was most helpful.

I was impressed from the first moment you greeted us as we arrived after a day of travel ...I was impressed with your ability to translate your practical experience for the doctors and their teams ...One of the most significant benefits of thinking strategically is simplifying the process of determining goals, objectives and tactics. If a person learns nothing else from strategic thinking than how to ask the appropriate questions, they're on the right track. I believe the key selling point of Applied Strategic Planning is determining what is important and removing what isn't ...Bob, your passion for people and sharing wisdom is very inspiring ...meeting you and making a wonderful new friend has been a great experience for both of us.

Since the New Patient Experience Practicum, I'm amazed at the difference in people's attitudes when I really listen to them. Treatment acceptance has risen dramatically. Although it takes a little more time at the outset, the extra time is worth the lower levels of stress when presenting treatment that I already know the patient wants. I actually look forward to going to work now! I have never in my dental career had anyone say, "I don't care how much this costs, I WANT THIS and I'll find the money for it." I had two patients say that to me in one week after implementing your process. What an amazing result, thank you!

Thanks for an exceptional presentation yesterday (to the Indianapolis Study Club)! Everyone thought it was terrific. More importantly, it has started everyone thinking and re-examining their possibilities. For me, our Thursday dinner and the Friday meeting have given me some important ideas to think about. It has been a very positive experience!

Years before Lucy & I attended your Applied Strategic Planning seminar you had been instrumental in helping me change my office from one in which I was a benevolent dictator to one in which everyone played a role in planning and carrying out shared visions and goals. The ASP Series gave Lucy & me the tools to complete the very important transition to retirement. It really took work to achieve our goals as we proceeded into retiring. Your whole process in the seminar truly guided us each step of the way and for this I will always been indebted to you. My office was truly grateful also. I wanted this to be a win-win-win situation for Lucy & me, for my staff (as many had been with me 25 – 30 yrs) and finally, for my patients. Your ASP Series was vital in me achieving these three goals.

Dr. Bob Frazer was outstanding. I announced during his introduction that, in an effort to get more members to stay through Friday, I had saved the "keynote" for Friday. I could only hope that his presentation would provide the "Wow!" factor I needed to finish out the meeting. Everyone was tired, low on energy, and ready to go home, and then Bob started speaking. Within the first 30 minutes of his three-hour presentation, Bob had our energy levels back up, we were re-energized, and everyone was on the edge of their chair and participating. After another 15-20 minutes I left briefly to go to the restroom, where another Schulman Group member commented, "Have you noticed how the energy level in the room has spiked?" We both laughed and rushed back to the room so we wouldn't miss too much of the presentation. I can't tell you how pleased everyone was with Dr. Frazer's presentation; they were overwhelmed. Please accept my sincere gratitude for recommending Bob!

The Applied Strategic Planning process was extremely rewarding to me. The sessions helped me on the journey toward more effective leadership and caused me to realize that more growth is needed. You are to be commended for the excellent way that you worked with us, bringing out our best and correcting us when needed. You role modeled many valuable leadership skills. I learned how to better interact with others and express appreciation more often. I also gained considerable knowledge regarding the full scope of strategic planning, how to listen more effectively, and how to focus planning efforts into a coordinated plan. Your focus upon what is important in relation to God, family and relationships was most appropriate and contributes immeasurably to your success as a person and leader. Thank you again for your wonderful example of leadership. You have much to offer.