A Strategic Plan serves as a road map to provide direction and focus as well
as to align the organizational team from board of directors and senior
management to front-line leadership and employees.
A good plan establishes the specific results that are to be achieved. It includes
shared core strategies as a way to achieve the intended results and establishes
a course of action for realizing them. A strategic plan helps the various
departments/work units within an organization to align their work activities
with the shared Core Strategies and strategic goals.
Many organizations develop plans but fail to realize the benefits of their
plans. They focus only on planning and do not have an implementation and change
management process. A yearly Strategic Management System and Cycle integrates
both planning and implementation. It provides a comprehensive system to lead,
manage, and change one’s total organization in a conscious, well-planned,
integrated fashion based on its strategies and a proven process that works to
develop and achieve one’s Ideal Future Vision.
However, most leaders and CEOs kept wondering why strategic planning, all
too often, falls short of the mark. My advice to them has always been: identify
your organization’s strategic planning shortcomings and then take appropriate
actions to correct each before the entire process becomes a waste of time and
resources. So, let us look at some shortcomings that urgently need to be
corrected for strategic planning to yield desired results.
INEFFECTIVE PRE-PLANNING
In all areas of life, success is best planned for in advance. This is
especially true for strategic planning. One common mistake is a failure to
educate and organize the leadership team properly prior to planning. It
typically results in an unstructured approach, reducing the effectiveness of
the planning process and, ultimately, the plan. Action-oriented firms often
make this mistake, only to pay for it later.
Solution: Your organization needs to lay the foundation for success
The goals of the pre-planning phase include educating the senior management
team in order to develop a common understanding and terms regarding planning
and change; determining the key issues to be addressed; organizing a successful
planning process or series of sessions; tailoring the planning for the best
implementation of the plan; and assessing organizational and leadership
readiness for planning as well as implementation. In addition, a plan is put in
place to address issues arising from the environmental assessment to support
successful planning and implementation.
PASSIVE TOP MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT
More than half of Strategic Plans fail because commitment from the top is
half-hearted or sporadic, when leaders do not actively participate in the
planning process, delegating it to others. Without CEO and senior leadership,
the plan lacks support to take it forward and it dies an early death.
Solution: Planning and Change are the primary job of every
organization leaders
If you desire a strategic planning and change process that is successful,
you will need a firm consensus and active commitment from your top management.
Senior leaders must play an active, visible role—not only in initiating the
Strategic Plan, but also in following through.
VIOLATING THE “PEOPLE SUPPORT WHAT THEY HELP CREATE” PRINCIPLE
Another problem arises when leaders do not engage key stakeholders,
resulting in a plan where there is limited ownership and no real understanding
of it. Inadequate involvement of employees and other key stakeholders create a
closed and secretive environment, causing resistance to change and results
failure to engage stakeholders has serious implications for the actualization
of the plan.
Solution: Engage key Stakeholders to create Ownership for the Plan
and Results
Because people are the ones who will implement plans, their commitment to
the plan is essential. During the pre-planning step, leaders need to determine
who will participate in the planning process and how to engage other key
stakeholders throughout the planning and implementation process. Knowing that
people support that which they help to create, it is essential to determine how
you will engage your stakeholders in the Plan-to-Plan phase, throughout the
creation of the plan, and its implementation.
By ‘Uju Onwuzulike
March
13th 2015 
