Essestials for Successfully Implementing Your Strategic Plan - Steps 2 and 3
| posted by Gayla Hodges The second step in implementing your strategic plan is to get people involved as you communicate. Get workgroups and/or individuals involved so they actually do something with the strategic plan. In many organizations getting people involved in doing something with the plan means there is a performance plan. Creating the individual or team performance plan is a matter of asking, “Given that these are the goals of the organization, how does my job fit into these goals? How do I make a difference? How do I help the company reach toward achieving the goals set out in the strategic plan?”Communication of the content and the intention of the plan should be linked with involvement in implementing the plan within the organization so that, whether I am the CEO or the janitor, I understand clearly how my contribution helps us meet the goals and implement the strategic plan.
The third step in successfully implementing your strategic plan is to keep it before the people. Many companies create a beautiful strategic plan. It is glossy and colorful. People look at it and say, “Hey, that is nice,” put it away, and no one ever looks at it again. It is critical that the leaders in your organization carry the strategic plan with them in a printed document. They should bring out a copy of the plan and say, “This is how what we are doing fits our strategic plan.” All reporting on performance goals should refer back to the plan. “This action supports our strategic goal of people management.” “This activity supports our strategic goal of production.” The point is that people clearly and repeatedly see the link to the strategic plan.
If you are working with your personal strategic plan it is even more important that you keep it before you because it is so easy to become distracted and get off track if you do not have a performance plan or an accountability partner. In fact, I would encourage everyone working with a personal strategic plan to find an accountability partner.
