Preparation is Key Before Starting Your Strategic Plan
Ten Tips to Help you Prepare.
Embarking on a strategic plan can be a very daunting process as the scope of the project can be extremely complex. Now that you know you want to build a roadmap for your organization where do you start. Many plans prematurely get stalled and even stuck at the early stages due to a lack of preparation. I have mapped out several tips in the below article that will hopefully help your organization get off the right foot before you begin your exciting strategic planning journey.
1. Start the Process by Asking Key Stakeholders if your Organization should Engage in a Strategic Plan. Chances are if you get people involved early on, they will feel valued and be excited about the process.
2. Seek a Senior Level Individual to help Champion the Project. Executive Director/President is key. Chances are if a leader is excited about the process, then stakeholders will be.
3. Set a Timeline to Finish the Project – Most strategic plans will take between 3-6 months to complete. Don’t let the process drag on to eternity - do your organization a favour by setting dates and commit to them.
4. Select a Diverse Group of People to be on your Strategic Planning Committee. It’s very important to have representation from all levels of your organization from the highest to the lowest. Think volunteers, senior managers, donors, directors and mid and low-level positions. Ideal size from my experience is 5-7 representatives.
5. Make your Strategic Plan a Top Priority. By making your strategic plan a top priority everyone involved will know the importance of the project.
6. Consider conducting Feedback Loopbacks Prior to Launching the Process- Loopbacks are fancy term for surveys and questionnaires that will extrapolate valuable feedback from things like programs, staff, donors, volunteers and boards.
7. Open Book Policy - Everything is on the table. Everybody’s opinion counts and all should have a voice at the table.
8. Have Fun – Make the entire process fun and engaging.
9. Nominate or Hire a Facilitator - It’s very important to keep everyone on track. A good facilitator will ask you pointed questions that will get everyone thinking and point you in the right direction.
10. It’s Extremely Beneficial to have an Administrative Person on Your Committee – A strong administrative person on your committee will be able to take good notes and keeping everyone organized.
Creating a strategic plan is no easy feat. It’s like putting a difficult crossword puzzle together. Proper preparation before launching your project is key and will put your organization in a good position to have success. It’s very common to get stuck during the process – so if you do, take a half-step back, and look outside the box for solutions that will point you in the right direction. With the right attitude, your strategic planning process should be a memorable experience that will set your business up for future success.