How to inject new life into your strategic plan

By Laurie Frees

When focused on day-to-day operations, it can be easy to lose sight of big picture planning. That’s where a strategic plan comes in. It provides a roadmap for reaching long-term goals, identifying opportunities and mitigating risks.

Whether the plan was a new initiative or recycled from the get-go, the daily demands of running a business can pull attention away from big-picture goals. That’s why more than 40% of strategic plans go unfulfilled. Avoid becoming part of that statistic by investing quality time in developing a strong plan that clearly defines your purpose, reflects your current context and outlines specific actions. Here’s how to bring your planning process back to life for the new year.

Explore how things got off track

The first step to reviving your strategic plan is to determine what challenges prevented successful follow-through in previous years. This requires a clear and honest look at where you fell short—from unclear goals, misalignment across teams or obstacles that emerged beyond your control. Understanding what needs work can help chart a realistic path forward.

To get the ball rolling, assemble a team of employees from various departments with different jobs and levels of experience to explore why the past plan missed the mark, and what adjustments can be made. Give participants jotters to use during brainstorming exercises and to take notes on strategic planning alignment for the year ahead.

Refocus on what matters most

Get back to your core values. Use your organization’s mission and vision to guide your strategic planning. The mission is the fundamental reason your organization exists, and the vision outlines the future you’re working toward. When clearly defined, your mission and vision should guide all decisions, inspire your team and, of course, inform your strategic plan.

Recruit a team of leaders and strategic thinkers from across your company to help turn these foundational statements into your organizational roadmap. Strategic plans typically cover one to five years. Forty-four percent of entrepreneurs and executives say three years is the ideal scope, so you may want to aim for that sweet spot. Give branded camp mugs as a buy-in gift for employees to build enthusiasm and keep them hydrated (and caffeinated!) for the work to come.

Align execution and strategy

As you and your team flesh out your new and improved strategic plan, be sure to include ways to align actions and strategy that can be put into practice each day. This means setting clear, measurable goals, keeping communication open and ensuring everyone understands how their role feeds into the bigger picture. Weave actions throughout the plan or include a specific section for tasks, timelines and responsibilities. When execution and strategy align, your business can be more efficient and effective, and spot challenges early enough to course correct.

Make sure everyone knows what’s expected of them by assigning individuals or groups to craft each section of the plan. When initial drafts are turned in, or when the final plan is locked in, show them your appreciation by giving fleece jackets or embroidered backpack to thank your strategic planning committee.

Build for adaptability and accountability

We all know things don’t always go as expected. That’s why it’s important to ensure your plan is adaptable. Adaptability means being able to adjust when conditions change, whether it be customer preferences, market trends or changes in technology. It’s also vital to make sure everyone knows what’s expected of them. Accountability means every employee fully understands their role and takes ownership of the results. Adaptability and accountability are two characteristics that can set your organization up for success no matter what obstacles emerge.

Keep adaptability and accountability top-of-mind throughout the year. Create a monthly or quarterly award for each category, and recognize employees for outstanding acts. Give a different branded swag item each time. Start with quarter-zip pullovers or beanies.

A new and improved roadmap for success

Reviving your strategic plan is about your full team having clear goals, understanding your purpose and matching actions to your vision. By fixing what isn’t working, refocusing on what matters, aligning execution with strategy and emphasizing adaptability and accountability, your strategic plan will help drive success in the year ahead.

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