When You Begin The Strategic Planning Process, Ensure That You Have The Correct Tools You know your organization requires a strategic plan to successfully accomplish its mission and reach its goals as the leader of the company of non-profit group, however it can be difficult to translate that knowledge into action. Outlining a path for your organization’s future doesn’t have to be if you have the right strategic planning tools. The Power of People Your most basic tool is your leadership team. A vision of the future and a guide for other employees and volunteers to help reach that vision is provided to your organization by the members of this team. From the start of the strategic planning process, it is essential to have their engagement and buy-in. Let them know beforehand what information they need to bring to the planning meeting so they can come prepared. So that it's foremost in their minds as they prepare for the planning sessions, supply a refresher copy of the company’s mission statement. It Helps to Get an Outside Perspective Adding an outside facilitator to your strategic planning toolbox is something to take into consideration. Numerous advantages come from having a neutral, professional facilitator. As a leader, you'll need to be able to give your full attention to the planning process. If you are also acting as the facilitator, that splits your focus away from planning. An outside facilitator can also help the leadership team to speak more frankly. A good facilitator helps keep the conversation productive and on agenda; they do not control the process. Creating an Agenda Before the planning meeting even begins, distribute the agenda to all the participants. The agenda is the tool that lets participants know what’s going to take place, what will be expected of them and what the group should stay focused on during the meeting. You'll have hours of conversation with nothing concrete to show for the time spent without a clear agenda. If it works for your organization, you can ask participants for suggestions about what they think should be on the agenda. If areas receive multiple nominations as agenda items, make sure to pay close attention to them. Accountability Is Key Accountability is one other important tool that must be in your planning toolbox. You want all the team members to be accountable for giving original thoughts and ideas during the planning session. You want them to speak directly, even if the topic is potentially hard. The planning participants will contribute truthfully to a meaningful conversation and process when there is accountability. Accountability needs to be built into the plan itself. The strategic plan won’t be worth the paper it’s
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When You Begin The Strategic Planning Process, Ensure That You Have The Correct Tools printed on if there is no mechanism to follow progress on stated goals and initiatives. A strong, enforceable process to check progress is a crucial part of a dynamic strategic plan. Make a Record Another critical tool is documentation. Before the meeting starts, be prepared to make a record of planning notes, final goals, items tabled for another venue and more. A mixture of old school methods, like white boards and sticky notes, combined with technology solutions must be used. Ideally you'll appoint a staff member to take notes and prepare a final strategic plan document once the session has ended. Your organization will not reach its goals if it hasn’t defined them in a strategic plan. The very often overwhelming thought of planning keeps many organizations from doing it. With the proper strategic planning tools, you can help your company create a plan to grow and be successful. Implementing strategic planning tools helps to ensure your success if you're a small business operator. For more information on Business Planning Bootcamp, take a look at their web page at http://www.planningbootcamp.com/.
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