Strategic Plan Template
By Majlinda Priku
A Simple and Effective Strategic
Plan Template
There
are a lot of strategic planning templates
out there, some are ok, and some are very confusing. This section will
simplify
your strategic planning process by providing you with a template that
is
effective and easy to use.
The
template includes the main generic elements
of every strategic plan; however, each element is broken down into a
few questions
in order to facilitate your way to crafting a great plan.
Take
the time needed to discuss with your employees
and answer each question through a facilitative, participatory
approach. By
engaging your employees and getting their contribution, you are giving
them ownership
of the plan. This
way, later on you
don’t have to sell the plan to them, as it belongs to everyone.
All
strategic plan templates include the follwing elements:
- A general
description of the company
- A mission
and a vision statement
- A
narrative of goals and objectives
- Enteral/External
analysis
- Strategy
and action plan on how to implement the described goals and objectives.
Overview
The overview provides background and historic information about your
company.
When was your company founded?
Why do you exist? This includes your mission and vision statement.
Internal/External
Analysis
The
analysis component determines your unique expertise, your excellence,
your outstanding strengths, your core competences that set you apart
from your competitors. It helps determine how to enhance and maintain
your competitive strengths.
Internal
The internal analysis process answers the following
questions:
What are your goals and objectives (long/short –term)?
What is your target group, your clientele and how do you meet their
needs?
What are your strengths, your core competences? What makes you unique?
What is you organizational culture? Does it have a top down approach or
a bottom up approach? Who makes the decisions? Do employees feel
engaged and motivated?
Do you have established policies and procedures?
How do you increase expertise? How do you develop
your staff?
What are your financial resources? Are they sustainable?
How do you market yourself?
External
The external analysis process answers the following
questions:
Who are your competitors? What do they do best?
How do you pursue partnerships and networking with companies similar to
yours?
What are some financial and economic risks that your company may face
in the future?
The final and the vital elements of a strategic plan template are the
Strategy and
the Action Plan.
Process wise, before identifying the strategy and the action plan, I
would recommend a visioning process with your employees. Help them see
big and far. Encourage them to dream big, to see beyond reality and
create an ideal image of your company. How is it going to look like in
5 years? After this exercises it will be easier to strategize.
Strategy is about how do you get there? The process shapes-up an action
plan with specific goals, objectives, activities, timelines,
responsibilities, expected outcomes and required resources.
Contact me to get a
Strategic Plan Template and an Action Plan Template
(PDF/Word Version).
Tips:
Use SWOT analyses to
structure the internal/external analysis process.
Use visual tools to faciliate the strategic planning process.
Apply a facilitative, participatory approach by engaging your emplyees
to contribute.
Do not rush the process!
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What
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Strategic
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