So, you have a great strategic plan. You’ve carefully crafted mission and vision statements, set forth the organization’s values, identified things that can get in your way, and developed a dynamite set of goals. Trouble is though; your strategic plan isn’t getting a lot of traction within the organization. Why? You told everyone about the plan and showed them slides of the mission, and goals and you’ve posted the mission statement.
In the next two articles, I’ll discuss two essential parts of the strategic planning process; communication and follow-up. No matter how great your plan is, without these two steps, it will most likely fail.
First, let’s discuss communication. A plan is worthless if those who are to implement it don’t know what the plan is. I am constantly amazed at the fact that more companies don’t use the internet to tell the world about their mission, vision, and goals. As a final step in strategic planning, you must develop a communication plan. Lay out how you are going to inform people, in and out of the organization, of the plan. This is essential!
So, who is responsible for implementing the plan and making it a success? Everyone! I’m sure you don’t keep people around who don’t have some responsibility for success, and this is a key point, if they are in the organization they have a part in its success or failure. Too often leaders think that only the leadership tier needs to have any more than a cursory knowledge of the plan. Subordinates just need to do what they’re told. Without going in to a long discussion about worker psychology, your subordinates will be more productive and effective if they understand the plan and what part they play in its success.
So don’t just tell them you have a plan and post the mission statement on the wall. Tell them about it. The most effective way to do this is in two steps. First, the senior leader should present the plan, in moderate detail, to the entire organization. This is essential as it’s your opportunity to demonstrate you belief in and commitment to the plan. Then your subordinate leaders, the members of your leadership team, can educate their particular areas in more detail. They can concentrate on their particular part of the plan, but don’t let them exclude the rest.
Next, live the plan! This is vital to success. It doesn’t do any good for a leader to espouse the benefits of a strategic plan, then set it aside because something else comes up that is more urgent. Leaders must constantly show they take the plan seriously. One of the best ways to do this is to hold those responsible for goals accountable for their goals and publicly recognize them for success. I required all my subordinate leaders to always be prepared to discuss their progress and each month they had to present a status report to the leadership team. When you visit the various areas of your organization, ask questions about the plan and what part a particular individual plays in its success. This not only shows your interest but gives you an opportunity to evaluate how well your communication plan is working.
Just like you need to keep your subordinates informed, don’t keep the plan secret from your customers and suppliers. I know that’s a controversial statement and I’m not suggesting posting proprietary information on the internet, but I do believe it’s important to make your plan as public as possible. For instance, your suppliers and customers should know the key points of your plan. Tell them to hold you accountable; tell you if you aren’t living up to your values, or meeting your goals and objectives. Especially in larger organizations, they may be the first to know. Besides, when your plan is well known, you’re less likely to ignore it.
Have you developed a communication plan for your strategic plan?
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