You’ve completed the needs assessment, the environmental scanning, the targeted surveys, the interviews. The board of directors has assembled, debated, discussed, dived deep into data, and has finally emerged with a set of clear strategic priorities to guide the organization’s direction for a set amount of time. Now all that remains is putting it into action – sounds easy, right? It can be!
The successful implementation of a strategic plan is achieved when the organization can fully embrace the plan at all levels – from membership, to committees, task forces, staff and the board. To make the most of your plan, it also must be inherent in the routine functions of your organization – included in timelines, represented in agendas, recorded in minutes.
Here are five questions to consider when putting your plan into action:
What are the potential threats to your plan’s success?
Often, this question is considered only after the plan has gotten off track. Proactively identify barriers and ways to address them. Are the objectives realistic within the context of other priorities? Is there enough flexibility and bandwidth to maintain the plan if an unanticipated legislative initiative arises that diverts efforts? Are there parts of the plan that board members have differing opinions about? Thinking through the threats at the beginning will ensure you’re prepared to navigate them if they do arise.
Do your policies and procedures support the vision?
Ensure the viability of your plan by holding the organization accountable to itself. Consider incorporating the function of monitoring progress and checkpoints into the organization’s procedures. If allocating time to review the plan on a quarterly basis is an organizational procedure, it will be included in board orientation materials, position descriptions and staff expectations.
Who is accountable?
The answer is found within the implementation schedule, of course – the Membership Committee handles the membership goals, the Communications Committee oversees the goals related to social media and the website, and so on. By going a step further and assigning the responsibility of overseeing the plan to a specific position, the chances of success are improved. This could be a dedicated position on the board, or it could be incorporated into an existing position, for example, the immediate past president. This ensures continuity over time and during leadership transitions.
How is success conveyed and celebrated?
Motivation is crucial, so think of ways to maintain momentum from your leaders. Report your successes during the membership business meeting, highlight them in your annual report, blast them in emails, newsletters, and on social media. Show your members you are listening to them, that you are working for them, and you are doing what you said you would do. Not only does this bolster motivation among the leaders, it can also build trust with members and potential members.
When do you shift strategy – and how do you know when to do so?
Whether your plan’s timeframe is one year, three years, or five years, do you have time allocated and scheduled to assess not only progress, but the plan itself? Include in your governance calendar a time for leaders to scrutinize priorities to ensure they are still relevant, or whether the current action strategy is still the best one. Was a goal achieved earlier than anticipated? If so, can the group overseeing that charge take charge of an area that is lagging? Is energy being expended on an issue that the group no longer considers worthwhile? You won’t know unless you assess and reassess, and reassess after that.
If you think of strategic planning as a separate function, or an annual retreat, or a one-pager that is reviewed sporadically or not at all, chances are that it will remain stagnant. The most successful strategic plans are reflective of the overall organization and engrained in its overall function and structure.