一个伟大的计划只是, 好吧, 伟大的, if it’s backed by a 伟大的 strategy – the more you plan and forecast for the future, especially when it comes to business endeavors, 你就越有可能成功. Success doesn’t happen without some blood, sweat and tears, and neither does a solid strategic plan. 这需要大量的研究, discovery and participation to bring such a plan to fruition … but it’s 好吧 worth the effort.
意图 just went through the strategic planning process, and it was so eye-opening that we wanted to share the wealth. Before we tell you about our key takeaways, you really need to understand how important this type of plan is to your business’s future.
Want to learn more about the strategic planning process, and get a behind-the-scenes look at our plan? 看看 episode 4: how to run with the big dogs on 不合适的 在意图电台. 你也可以查看我们的 2015年度报告 为了更深入地了解 意图的优势我们未来的战略计划.
为什么?
任何企业主都知道, it’s easy to get caught up in your day-to-day operations and lose sight of the long-term goal. And if you aren’t focusing on your longterm goals, how can you expect the rest of your team to have a clear vision of your company’s future? That’s where a strategic plan comes in – it provides you and your employees with a sense of direction, which helps you when you make decisions and prioritize work.
Your strategic plan may seem like a moving target (and, 事实上, 应该是), 但是要有明确的, constant goals in mind while running the operations of your business will add purpose to your daily grind. In other words: either you can run your day or you can let your day run you. 不要选择后者. Vocalizing your strategic plan will help you maintain control over your company and will align everyone under shared objectives.
如何?
1)聘请顾问
Before rolling up your sleeves and getting to work, consider hiring a seasoned consultant to guide you through the process. It’s so important to have the voice of experience (along with an objective mind) to help manage the process and keep you on track.
2)组建委员会
The 伟大的 adage that two minds are better than one rings true in this scenario. And three, four, five or six minds are even better. When you’re considering future goals for your company, seek diverse viewpoints and opinions from your employees, as 好吧 as thought leaders in your industry. When selecting your committee members, be sure to choose strong leaders. Your committee will be the cheerleaders of the plan when it’s time to share it with the rest of your company.
3)制定计划
There are many resources available to guide you as you build and implement your strategic plan. 做好调查 《安全的赌博软件》 has helpful tools, and don’t forget about our good friend, Google. There are also countless books about strategic planning. 我们从 吉姆·柯林斯的《从优秀到卓越. Start the strategic planning process with a SWOT (strengths, 弱点, 机会, 威胁)分析. Think about where you are, where you’d like to go and how you believe you can get there. 你擅长什么? 你的激情在哪里? Do some research on industry standards to start; then, 考虑趋势, the overall market environment and the growth strategies you may be able to implement to build your business.
Identify a peer or competitor in your industry – someone you admire – and investigate their secrets to success. In short, identify what you want to do better, and set a plan in place to achieve it.
Remember, the plan doesn’t have to be complicated to be impactful. Be sure you include measurable markers for success, and assign timeframes to achieve them … you need to be able to constantly evaluate progress.
4 ) Communicate, implement and measure success
Once you’ve built a plan that you’re satisfied with, share it with all of your employees – after all, that’s one of the main purposes of creating it in the first place. 每个人都需要达成共识, 朝着同一个方向, for you to achieve the goals you’ve set forth. 分享 benchmarks with all employees, and provide regular progress reports.
One of the most important things to remember is that a strategic plan should never become stagnant … you need to constantly evaluate it, 衡量进展, reassess goals or timeframes if necessary, and continually keep the plan in line with the company’s objectives. Refer to it regularly, and update it often to keep your company moving confidently forward. And don’t forget to have some fun with it – this is an exciting time for your business. 享受旅程.
By Lesley Mast，注册会计师 (伍斯特办公室) & 查德·比斯，注册会计师 (赞斯维尔办公室)
Want to learn more ways to drive results? 这些文章将会有所帮助:
Strategic Planning: The Road Map To Success
5 Best Practices For Taking Your Business To The Next Leve
This article originally appeared in the 2015秋季版 《报告》. 点击这里订阅 and have your copy of this quarterly newsletter delivered to your mailbox.