Tips to Developing an Effective Plan

Aug. 17, 2009 - PRLog -- Tips to Developing an Effective Plan

Every year (or two) organisations usually go through the laborious and time consuming process of developing a strategic plan to drive their organisation into the future.  This is usually a Board requirement and driven by the CEO……….and everyone just feels they have to have one!!!

The Benefits of Planning
Planning has many benefits, including:
•   Provides a formal opportunity to think strategically and take time out from day to day operations;
•   Enables review and assessment of your previous successes and failures (so you know what you should / should not repeat);
•   Enables your organisation to clearly articulate it’s objectives (what you really want to achieve);
•   Enables your organisation to map out how it will achieve those objectives, including the time and resources required;
•   Provides an opportunity to review resource needs;
•   Provides direction and clarity to staff, Board/Executive and key stakeholders.

The most common problem that we find is that organisations go through the PAIN of developing a plan (because it is a requirement) yet make it so complicated or theoretical that it cannot achieve its objectives.

The Risks of a Developing an Unachievable Plan
Developing a plan that is not achievable is a problem on a number of fronts:
1.   It is a waste of time and resources - and we are all too time and resource poor to waste them;
2.   Reduces morale;
3.   Can be seen as poor leadership;
4.   Disincentives the organisation from planning (and thinking strategically) in the future…….thus reducing the long term success of the organisation.

Keep it Simple
In our experience the most successful plans are those that start out relatively simply and do not over complicate things. Our philosophy is start simply in year one-two and then work up the level of complication as you start achieving.

When to Involve Your Board / Executive
Your Executive / Board should be involved at a “strategic level” to set the direction of your organisation.  This is the “high level stuff” - it is important to keep them as far away from operational issues as possible (even though they may long to get involved in them).  
When Board’s get involved in operational issues it reduces their value and undermines the positions and responsibilities of staff. Good governance and a strong President should manage this.

If your Board is keen to be involved in the planning process, we suggest that you develop a process that provides an opportunity to include their strategic input.  A good way to do this is to run a strategic planning workshop / meeting.

Tips to Facilitating a Successful Workshop:
1.   Have a tight agenda that requires outcomes;
2.   Ensure the facilitator knows the purpose of the session;
3.   Control the time;
4.   Set rules of etiquette at the beginning of the session to manage behaviours;
5.   Provide follow up at the conclusion of the session to show what has been agreed and achieved;

Developing an Activity Plan
Once your strategic direction has been set it is usually up to divisional managers and staff to determine how the strategies will be achieved.  This means working out what needs to be done, by who, when and how much it will cost.  We call this the Activity Planning stage.
Being as prescriptive as possible at the Activity Planning stage is important because it will ensure that you have thought about what “really” needs to be done to achieve the Board’s strategic direction.  And make sure you clearly set out who is responsible and when things need to be done by (be strict with your dates).

During this phase you should be able to determine whether the plan is achievable.  If it’s not achievable, the reasons why should be clear by now (such as a lack of resources, lack of budget, insufficient time to roll out program, too ambitious) and reported back to the Board for amendment.

Ongoing Monitoring Vital
Finally, the magical key to a successful plan is making it a working document that is continually reviewed and amended.  A plan is NOT a “once a year activity”.  Your plan should be implemented daily, reviewed monthly (at minimum) and modified to reflect what has been achieved / changed.  

Plans that are written and kept in drawers are a waste of time.  
Make reviewing your Activity Plan an agenda item at meetings – amazingly you will find that if you review activities they will get done!

In Summary
1.   Plans are beneficial if they are realistic and achievable but detrimental if they are not.
2.   Involve your Board / Executive at the strategic planning stage – limit their involvement to strategic issues (as opposed to operational issues).
3.   Make sure that you have a detailed Activity Plan that outlines, in detail, what you will do, by who and when (set time frames).
4.   At the end of the planning process undertake an assessment to ensure that your plan is achievable.  If it’s not, make revisions to ensure that it can be achieved.
5.   Monitor and review your plan regularly – make it a working document that becomes integral to your organisation.
Happy Planning!  And make it achievable.

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At StrategyCo we provide a full spectrum research, planning and marketing & communication service, working with organisations of all sizes from a broad range of industry sectors.