Erika's Blog - Northern Connections

I am sure most business owners know what a strategic plan is, but I wonder how many actually have one and use it to plan their growth. A strategic plan should be a living document that gets revised regularly as demands change. It is not a document that gets prepared once and then sits in a file to be looked at again in a couple of years. I am currently a part of a team developing their strat plan for the first time and it is quite a learning experience for the group. If you haven't had experience in this before, it takes a bit of time looking at indicators and establishing milestones to ensure the results accurately reflect progress being made. Projects need to be planned and tasks assigned to staff. To get all staff to buy-in to the strategic planning process, it's a good idea to involve them in the decision making and also encourage their ideas and input. Our group has indicated they have gained from seeing other's programs and the benefit of working together as a team to move in one direction. There is lots of information available in preparing your Strategic Plan. If your are planning growth, you will need one so you don't veer off course.

Labels: business, strategic planning