Can you believe we’re already in the final quarter of 2019?
That means it’s time to start planning for 2020. And as the familiar saying goes, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail” but you won’t because I’m here to help you plan!
Strategic planning is vital to Janice M. Haynes Consulting and it should be vital to your organization as well.
Strategic planning is defined as “A systematic process of envisioning a desired future, and translating this vision into broadly defined goals or objectives and a sequence of steps to achieve them.”
Without clear goals, strategies and tactics in place, team members may be moving in different directions trying to achieve what they believe to be in the best interests of the organization.
That’s just not productive.
Take the time to create a Strategic Plan.
Your Strategic Plan will be the tool that provides direction in meeting your mission and goals with maximum productivity. Having a Strategic Plan will also help allocate resources appropriately--that could be time, people or money.
At JMH Consulting, we review our Strategic Plan quarterly to see:
Where we are
If we're on track
Where we should make adjustments
We also revamp yearly by taking a look at what we accomplished in the current year and begin planning for the next.
You might ask, why do I need a strategy? Is it worth taking the time to establish goals and create the tactics to obtain them?
Having a Strategic Plan allows your organization to:
Create your direction and priorities. A strategic plan is a clear view of your organization's goals and the tactics needed to make your goals a reality. When there is no clearly defined strategy, you may find that you have no priorities or plan to obtain highest.
Get everyone on the same page, moving in the same direction.Your strategic plan allows each team member to have a clear understanding of their responsibility and role to achieve organizational goals and make the best use of everyone’s talents.
Make concise decisions focusing on the goals at hand. Having a Strategic Plan keeps your focus on the priorities outlined, making it easier to not be pulled to focus on new ideas or initiatives. You’ll find it easier to say no to things that will take your focus, time and resources away from the goals at hand.
Create goals, strategies and tactics. Goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Bound. SMART goals are comprehensive and answer the question “where do we want to go?” while strategies and tactics outlines exactly what you’ll do to get there.
Follow the JMH Consulting Facebook page this month for the steps needed to create SMART goals.
Creating your Strategic Plan can be overwhelming but if you break it down one step at a time, you’ll find it easier and more manageable.
Here’s our process:
Review where you are as well as current goals.
Identify what’s important.
Identify your strategies, tactics and implementation plan.
Determine who is accountable.
Review. Review. Review.
Your Strategic Plan will be your map for growth. It’ll give you the ability to identify your strengths as well as weaknesses. Embrace your strengths and hire/contract against your weaknesses.
If you haven’t already done so, take the time to map out your strategy for 2020.
Need assistance creating your 2020 Strategic Plan? Schedule your consultation with me today!