Strat Plan Woes

Last week, my inbox included the subject line: “Hello, and Strat Plan Woes.” Two thoughts: 1) Yikes! and 2) Been there. Nothing like cutting right to the chase.

This is not a post arguing against strategic planning. Actually, I love talking strategy. But talking strategy and living strategy are different beasts. The message in my inbox was more about how to live strategy. The team was restless. The team was frustrated. The team was busy.

For this colleague, the organization’s strategic plan was published earlier this year - freshly minted (after months of consultation). The struggle wasn’t with the strategy it was with the implementation. What’s a team to do when it is already doing so much?

Do you force-fit the work you want to do into the strategic plan buckets? Do you invent a few shiny strategic projects to keep the boss off your back (while sticking with the core work you’re known for)? Do you make promises so that you can leverage the plan for more operational resources?

Before you scoff, I will assure you I have had some version of this conversation many times in my career (as an employee and as a facilitator). A strategic plan helps us feel safe. We order, organize, and align our work. We even itemize the inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impact for every initiative (I see you logic models).

A place for everything and everything in its place.

Again, I’m not hating on strat plans. But I am concerned that we focus on completing the documentation and miss pursuing the directions. In my experience, it is easy for people to get lost in translation. If you want to make a difference when living out a strategic plan, spend more time with the people doing the work.

If you want buy-in (and you do!), then make sure the purpose, roadmap, and expectations are clear.

The rest will take care of itself.

Inspiration

Simons, R. (2010). Seven Strategy Questions. Cambridge: Harvard Business Review Press