Keep on Top of Your Plan
Strategic planning is not a one-time event. The goal isn't to create the plan but to follow the plan. Your strategic plan is an ongoing process that is the foundation of how you work. All too often, a plan is created, saved in a folder, and never looked at again until someone has an "uh oh" moment when they realize their board of directors expects to see a new plan and evaluate how you did on the old one.
So, how do we prevent that from happening? How can we make sure you and the rest of your organization breathe life into your plan? Here are six simple tips that'll go a long way in ensuring your strategic plan stays relevant.
Lead by example. When you're creating work plans, make a note about what strategic pillar your work supports. Perhaps one of your pillars is volunteer recruitment, and you're presenting your recruitment campaign strategy to your team - simply saying, "This strategy supports our volunteer recruitment strategic pillar" will help keep your plan relevant in everyone's mind.
Don't leave your staff in the dark. If your board of directors and senior leadership team develop the plan, that's all fine and dandy, but they're not solely responsible for carrying out all of the deliverables. So first, make sure your staff knows the plan, and second, make sure you have buy-in! They need to know how important your plan is to the success of your organization. Don't just tell them the plan - give the rationale. So recruiting volunteers is a focus. Why? The strategic plan should feel like theirs as much as yours. Want bonus points here? Include your staff in the development of the plan either through stakeholder engagement or feedback on a draft plan or during the content development itself!
Put someone in charge of the plan. If no one is assigned to keep an eye on your plan and track progress, how do you expect it to get done? It could be the CEO or ED, the Board, the executive assistant, or an admin assistant - each organization will have “the right person” to help keep it on track.
Create a one-page version. We've already established that communicating the plan is important, but the communication shouldn't be challenging to understand. A one-page version makes for quick reference and easy understanding. Once you've communicated the plan and rationale, a simple reference sheet to remind staff will do the trick. You may even print copies and encourage staff to pin them at their desks.
Hold strategy meetings. And no, annual meetings aren't enough. Have the person in charge of the plan hold quarterly - or monthly - check-in meetings to see how you're doing. Are your outcomes still within reach? Are there any outside factors delaying progress? Maybe staffing changes have caused an action step to come to a grinding halt. Your strategic plan is a living document. We don't live - nor work - in a vacuum. Change happens, so sometimes, we need to pivot. Or, sometimes, we lose sight of our true priorities and need to take a moment to realign. A hot tip from one steller non-profit: “We have built-in 15 minutes during every board meeting for an update, a very high-level update, on the goals of the plan. We don’t ask for a detailed list of everything that’s been accomplished, simply pausing to check if each goal is on track and any barriers in the way. Helps to keep us informed and helps our fantastic staff to celebrate the progress they’ve made.”
Oh right…Don't forget to celebrate. Achieving big goals should make for big celebrations! Whether you've tackled all the action steps for one pillar or accomplished all of your plan's outcomes, celebrate! Acknowledging your wins helps with team buy-in, gives everyone a nice pat on the back, and reinforces why you're doing the work in the first place. Be sure to honour the wins.
Follow these tips, and you'll be well on your way to carrying out your strategic plan - keeping it off the shelf and in the action. Happy planning!
Need support developing your strategic plan? We can help with that. Get in touch.