(Picture: $4M Strategies™ with author of The 4 Disciplines of Execution, Jim Huling)
Strategy 4 Saturday Blog (<4 minute read)
Execute your next strategic plan in 3 steps!
To beat the odds, do these three things to make sure that your next strategic plan actually gets done
1. You have to start. Our surveys show that 80% do not put a start date in their strategic plan, they only put an end.
Why is this so important?
Most strategic initiatives tend to be the extra project on top of their “normal work.” When teams get back from their Strategic Retreat, they go back to working in their business, not on their business. They wait until the first report or quarterly milestone, they’ll procrastinate because it’s not the biggest priority. Then they work on it a couple of days, or the night before, it’s due. Or they won’t do it, often they’re just checking the box to make sure that everyone is happy.
The best practice is to work on it now and make you sure you have developed the process to work on it.
2. Develop 10 weekly sprints during a specific quarter to get your strategic initiative completed.
It is very important to do this upfront. Don’t just create each weekly task for the following week. Come up with all the critical tasks you are going to have to do to complete (or reach a milestone) the strategic initiative in one quarter. Assign the weekly sprints with the help of your project supervisor or the person that you’re working with.
3. Check on these activities every week to make sure they’re actually getting done.
This is the real key, accountability. You have to create accountability and the expectation that these weekly tasks are getting done. Once again, people go back to, “this is not my job.” I have to work on my things. You have to make sure because it’s such an important task. You need to help your team understand, “there’s an increased value in the business and you’re not getting it done. What are you gonna do the following week?”
Make sure next week’s task is done, but we also have to catch up and do the task we missed from the past week. When you establish this type of accountability and expectation, especially when it’s done with other peers, there will be clarity. It’s important to emphasize that the sprint, is a part of their job now and critical for the company moving forward.
Why 10 weeks versus 13 weeks?
Ten weeks strike the perfect balance—it’s enough time to see significant progress but short enough to maintain urgency and adaptability, which is crucial in accommodating unforeseen events, external engagements, such as trade shows, or holiday periods.
In summary, the three key things you’re going to do to help your strategic plan get done:
1- Have a start date
2- Break it down into 10 weekly tasks & accomplish them.
3- Establish clear accountability. It is not OK to miss these weekly accomplishments.
This week, we are going to have 4 experts in strategic execution talking to you about the best ways to make sure your strategic plan gets done to increase the value of your business.
Next week, listen in to hear: Paul Menig, Divya Parekh, Jim Huling, & Norman Wolfe.
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