Having a strategic plan is necessary in today's global market place where at every chamber or networking event another competitor has joined what many business owners already perceive to be a tight marketplace. Yet, before you, as the small business owner or the chief executive officer, begin crafting or writing that essential strategic plan, these 7 tips may ensure that your efforts are executable.

1. Identify Your Purpose Personally

   Knowing your purpose is the foundation for your future business actions. As the chief executive officer or small business owner, your purpose along with the creation of vision, values and mission statements will expedite the decision making process and ensure alignment and consistency of those decisions.

2. Define why you are in business

   This may sound simple and it is. However, this question does create a top of mind awareness that is invaluable when working through a strategic planning process.

3. Use a Qualitative/Subjective Evaluation for the Executive Management Team

   Have the key management decision makers take the time to independently review:

   • Quality
   • Production
   • Cost effectiveness
   • Turnover
   • Strategy
   • Safety
   • Waste & scrap
   • New products or services
   • People development
   • Time management

   Then through a facilitated and collaborative debriefing, those same executives will begin to identify some of the gaps within the executive team including leadership. This preliminary action may reveal that the top decision maker may require some business development or executive leadership coaching.

4. Compare Last Years Wins and Losses

   Reviewing last years total revenue the wins to the missed opportunities the losses illustrates the importance of creating an . This tip builds motivation or WIIFM for the executive management team to follow through with the decision to take this proven business building action.

5. Use a Quantitative Organizational Survey or Assessment

   Data is critical to when building an executable strategic plan. However, the real essence is finding honest data and not what management wants to hear. The evaluation tool should be representative of all levels of employees within the organization from the executive team to the support staff. Also, the data should be organized to align with known predictors for organizational success such as the Baldrige criteria. This assessment, evaluation or survey tool should:

   • Be Internet accessible
   • Have a proven historical track record
   • Work with any industry including education, healthcare, manufacturing, not for profits and professional services
   • Include face to face interviews with a sampling of all employees
   • Provide for a variety of reports
   • Be affordable
   • Deliver quick results within 2 to 3 weeks depending upon the size of the organization
   • Focus on strength as well as weaknesses
   • Furnish a mini-action plan

6. Consistent Goal Setting and Goal Achievement Process

   An executable strategic plan revolves around the ability to consistently set and achieve goals. Given that goal setting and goal achievement is not currently part of the K-16 curriculum, those responsible for executing the strategic plan should all be using the same goal setting and goal achievement process to ensure that the measurable results are achieved.

7. Assess Your Commitment Level

   Why are you taking the action to create a strategic plan? Is it because of an excellent sales presentation from a business consultant? For a variety of reasons, some executives have been convinced to write a strategic plan. Yet, the finished plan may lie in a desk drawer or on a bookshelf unopened. Additionally, during the strategic planning process, the consultant, executive business coach or facilitator may be asked to assume greater responsibility than appropriate because the client's commitment level is weak. For a strategic plan to be truly executable requires a 110% commitment from the top decision maker along with the executive leadership or business development skills necessary to pull it off.

Strategic planning does not differ from any other organizational change management project in that taking predetermined preliminary steps will greatly improve the success of this critical decision to build the business by taking it to the next level of success. After all, if you are going to invest your resources of people, time and money, doesnt it make sense that you prepare the ground before digging the foundation?

Leanne Hoagland-Smith

Good Day. Thanks for visiting. I hope that you have enjoyed my articles. In 1999, I founded ADVANCED SYSTEMS because I saw that performance could and should be doubled in warp time. Individuals, small and large businesses could not afford expensive solutions that may or may not deliver improved results in 12 months.

From my corporate, small business and education experiences, I recognized the individuals must have opportunities for connecting their passion to their purpose to secure the desired performance results, but many lacked the necessary skills, strategies and tools.

With over 20 years in sales management and 10 years in education, I understand how to unite productivity with profitability by developing a proactive working culture. My previous experiences resulted in cost savings through one of the first implementations of a computer software in a wholesaler distributor to the creation of a vendor performance assessment.

Since facilitating over 500 sessions, developing and editing over 25 training programs and writing numerous articles focusing on performance improvement, I bring a results focused approach to my clients. Also, I am proud to be one of the first five nationally certified facilitators of America?s Rising Stars (a Student Leadership developmental curriculum).

My passion is to help others connect their passion to their purpose to double performance. As The small business coach in Chicago, my clients have easily doubled their performance. Since our greatest resource is our young people, I am now working with large urban schools to generate the same results.

Education Background

• Graduated with honors from Purdue University with a B.A. in Education
• Earned M.S. from Purdue University in Instructional Design and Curriculum
• Published in the national trade journal, The Supply House Times, and numerous national newsletters
• Developed seminars and training on diversity, communication, leadership, sales, effective trade show behavior, networking, knowledge management, goal setting and improved educational outcomes
• Co-authored M.A.G.I.C.A.L. Potential: 7 Capicities for Living an Amazing Life Beyond Purpose to Achievement, to be available in 2006
• Working a another book focusing on performance in public education
• Speaker in a national bureau - Resource Associates Corporation