How to Make Strategic Planning Implementation Work

How to Make Strategic Planning Implementation WorkHow to Make Strategic Planning Implementation WorkIn an earlier, popular article, you were given a strategic planning framework, samples, and examples for creating your organizations missionanschauung, vision statement, values, and goals. Want to know more about strategic planning implementation now that you have created your strategic planning framework? Strategic planning implementation is at the heart of how to make a change of any kind happen in your organization. Start by answering why your organization might want to embark on a strategic planning process and implementation. Want to be one of the organizations, in which employees understand the mission and goals? They enjoy a 29% greater return than other firms. It seems like a good reason to start strategic planning implementation to me. How about you? Keys to Strategic Planning Implementation Success These are the keys to effective strategic planning implementation for your business. Full and active executive untersttzungEffective communicationEmployee involvementThorough organizational planning and competitive analysisThe widespread perceived need for strategic planning If you are implementing your strategic planning in an organizational environment that is already employee-oriented, with a high level of trust, you start the strategic planning implementation with a huge plus. An additional plus is an organization that already thinks strategically. Unfortunately, the implementation of strategic planning most frequently occurs as an organization moves from being traditionally reactionary to strategic. So, often, learning to think strategically is parte of the strategic planning implementation learning curve. Full and Active Executive Support for Successful Strategic Planning Successful strategic planning implementation requires a large commitment from executives and senior managers, whether strategic planning is occurring in a department or a compl ete organization. Executives must lead, support, follow-up, and live the results of the strategic planning implementation process. Or, the strategic planning implementation process will fail. Its as simple as that. Without the full commitment of the organizations senior executives, dont even start strategic planning. Participants will feel fooled and misled. A vision statement and a mission statement, along with this years goals, filed, unimplemented in a cabinet or computer, is a serious source of ?negativity and poor employee morale. Creating a Strategic Planning Implementation Process Senior leaders can do the following to create a successful strategic planning implementation process. Establish a clear vision for the strategic planning implementation process. Paint a picture of where the organization will end up and the anticipated outcomes. Make certain the picture is one of reality and not what people wish would occur. Make sure key employees know why the organization is ch anging.Appoint an executive champion or leader who owns the strategic planning implementation process and makes certain other senior managers, as well as other appropriate people in the organization, are involved. Executive support in strategic planning implementation is critical to its success. Executives must lead, support, follow-up, and live the results of the strategic planning implementation process. These are additional ways executive leaders can support the strategic planning implementation process. Pay attention to the planning occurring. Ask how things are going. Focus on progress and barriers tochange management. One of the worst possible scenarios is to have the leaders ignore the strategic planning implementation.Sponsor portions of the planning or the strategic planning process, as an involved participant, to increase active involvement and interaction with other organization members.If personal or managerial actions or behaviors require change for the vision statemen t, mission statement, values, and goals to take hold in the organization, model the new behaviors and actions. (Senior managers mustwalk the talk.) Establish a structure which will support the move to a morestrategicthinking and acting organization. It may take the form of a Steering Committee, Leadership Group, Core Planning Team or Guiding Coalition.Change themeasurement systems,reward, and recognition systemsto measure and reward the accomplishment of the new expectations established through the strategic planning process.Develop aperformance development planning processwithin yourperformance management systemto communicate, reinforce, and provide a structure that supports the articulation and accomplishment of the strategic planning goals. While every person cannot make their voices heard on every issue within the strategic planning, you must solicit and act upon feedback from other members of the organization. Integral to the strategic planning process must be the commitment of each executive to discuss the process and the plans with staff members. Too often, experienced executives hold information closely and consolidating their dysfunctional power within the organization at the expense of other company employees feeling and acting excluded. (And then they ask how can I get my staff to buy-in to these new expectations?) Recognize the human element inherent in any change the change from reactionary to strategic thinking is a huge leap. People have different needs and different ways of reacting to change. They needtime to deal with and adjust to change.If training is part of the strategic plan, senior leaders must participate in the training that other organization members attend, but, even more importantly, they must exhibit their learning from the sessions, readings, interactions, tapes, books or research. Lastly, and of immense significance, be honest andworthy of trust. Throughout the strategic planning process, treat people with the same respect yo u expect from them. And you will enjoy the 29% greater return than non-strategic planning companies, predicted earlier. With your vision statement, mission statement, values, strategies, goals, and action plans developed and shared, youll all win, both personally and professionally.