Guidelines For Implementing Strategic Plans

The following guidelines will help ensure that the plan is implemented.

When conducting the planning process, involve the people who will be responsible for implementing the plan. Use a cross-functional team (representatives from each of the major organisation’s products or services) to ensure the plan is realistic and collaborative.

Ensure the plan is realistic. Continue asking planning participants “Is this realistic? Can you do this?”

Organize the overall strategic plan into smaller action plans, often including an action plan (or work plan) for each committee on the board.

In the overall planning document, specify who is doing what and by when (action plans are often referenced in the implementation section of the overall plan). Some organisations may elect to include the action plans in a separate document from the strategic plan, which would include only the mission, vision, values, key issues and goals and strategies. This approach carries some risk that the board will lose focus on the action plans.

In an implementation section in the plan, specify and clarify the plan’s implementation roles and responsibilities. Be sure to detail particularly the first 90 days of the implementation of the plan. Build in regular reviews of the status of the implementation of the plan.

Translate the strategic plan’s actions into job descriptions and personnel performance reviews.

Translate the strategic plan’s actions into job descriptions. If people know the action plans will be regularly reviewed, implementers tend to do their jobs before they’re checked on.

Be sure to document and distribute the plan; including inviting review input from all.

Be sure that one internal person has ultimate responsibility and that the plan is enacted in a timely fashion.

The chief executive’s support of the plan is a major driver of the plan’s implementation. Integrate the plan’s goals and objectives into the chief executive’s performance reviews.

Place huge emphasis on feedback to the board’s executive committee from the planning participants.

Consider all or some of the following to ensure the plan is implemented:

• Have designated rotating “checkers’ to verify, e.g., every quarter, if each implementer completed their assigned tasks.
• Have pairs of people be responsible for tasks. Have each partner commit to helping the other to finish the other’s tasks on time.

Click here to view a video that explains eight tips for strategic plan implementation.