There are at least five reasons your enterprise needs a strategic plan. If you are a small business, a large conglomerate, a solo entrepreneur, a social enterprise, an association or charity, having a strategic plan will ensure your team, committee, volunteers are on all the same page with what you want to achieve.
A strategy defines your organisation’s view of success and prioritises the activities that will make this view come to life.
Your strategic plan includes your vision, mission and values, your core objectives and the activities you have identified to help you achieve your goals and objectives
1) To have the conversation
The strategic planning preparation and conversation are just as important as the end result. By talking through all of the possibilities you are ensure people are vested in the final outcome.
2) To get everyone on the same page
Once you define your strategic direction, you can get everyone involved in your organisation on the same page. You should be able to condense your ideas on a page at a glance with more details on the proposed activities attached in a more detailed document
3) To simplify decision-making
Your vision, mission and values creates the perfect vend diagram for a decisions making matrix. When ideas are out through the strategic planning filter you will ensure you remain focussed. Priorities make it easier to say no to distracting initiatives. Your vision, mission and values are non-negotiable.
4) To drive alignment:
Your strategy serves as the vehicle for answering the question, “How can we better align all our resources to maximise our strategic success?” “How do we get the biggest outcome for the least amount of resources?
5) To communicate the message:
When your staff, suppliers, and even customers know where you’re going, you allow even greater opportunities for people to help you maximise your success in getting there.
These are the five most compelling reasons to develop a Strategic Plan. If you need help facilitating a strategic plan, please get in touch.
