One thing I know is that business consultants for the most part suuuuuuck.  I can't count on both hands how many times I have sat through development conversations or leadership trainings where we do a handful of ice breaker activities then talk about vision for half an hour before we break for lunch.  After the meeting the consultants go away and come back with a boilerplate plan that in no way reflects what we've discussed, but at that point we're $20k in the hole for their time so we just go along with it.  Sound familiar?

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You don't have time for inefficiencies like that when the whole reason they bring in outside help is to make their operations run more efficiently.  

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The thing I know best is that it doesn't have to be this way. Your strategic planning process should be informed by your values but driven by your goals.  Your board and/or senior leadership team have to be on the same page as to what those things are, and that can't happen in a half day meeting.  My approach gives the folks leading your organization the tools to not only plan, but build the capacity to implement.