In a previous post, I wrote about planning for startup organizations. Without a plan, leaders and teams flounder and compromise the success of the enterprise. The planning system works for an ongoing organization, as well as a startup.
If an organization has a plan, then creating a plan for regular updates to migrate the plan over time is optimum. Ending one plan and creating another one is what most leaders have been taught. That’s not very effective. If the plan is good, then revise it on a regular basis. If you have a 5-year plan and revise it every 6 months, then you always have a current 5-year plan.
The long-term objectives typically stay consistent with some tweaking. The short-term goals for each year are fresh. The milestones are a benchmark for evaluation of process. Allot resources to each item including the ongoing evaluation and revision process.
Adopt a regular planning cycle in this pattern:
Plan – This is the foundation. The musical conductor and orchestra need a musical score to guide their rehearsal and performance. The leader and team need a plan for engagement. There are many templates for a strategic plan. Find one that fits your needs and adopt it. The integration of strategy and performance begins with the planning. Shaping the culture starts with developing a New Architecture of Engagement in the planning process itself. Make a plan, define milestones, and develop an action plan with each member opting in as a champion for certain initiatives. The leader guides the process, and coaches and mentors the members.
Evaluate – Set up a schedule for evaluation of the effectiveness of the plan and the team’s performance. We do our best job of defining the targets and timelines, however we learn things in the process as the mark changes. It’s extremely important to renegotiate the targets and timelines, especially when they aren’t working as perceived.
Revise – Based on the evaluation (what’s working, what needs changing, what to add), revise the plan accordingly. Change assignments or timelines as necessary. Evaluate the plan, evaluate the team’s performance, evaluate the skills and systems, and then make the necessary changes. The same dynamic is true in the evaluation and revision process – the planners and the doers are the same. We get team buy-in in the process.
Recommit – Reset the targets, champion assignments, and timelines based on the evaluation and review. This step is the critical one – commit to the plan as a team and create the accountability metrics for the next phase of the process. Create a communication strategy as a system for mutually agreed-upon accountabilities, as well.
Those using an excuse that there’s not enough time to integrate this process into the team’s routine are compromising the success of the organization. Careful, intentional planning actually saves time, money, and energy.
Hugh Ballou
The Transformational Leadership Strategist TM
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