What happens when you create the best strategic plan in the world but don’t have a plan to implement it?

Lots of wheel spinning and very little progress.

What happens when you have a great implementation plan for a poor strategy?

Lots of wheel spinning and very little progress.

There are tons of consulting companies out there selling strategic consulting services and there are also just as many sell implementation services. In reality, many of these companies and consultants are only selling a portion of the equation.

Many times, a consulting company will deliver an organizaitonal strategy but no clear path to implementation.  Other times, you’ll get an organization trying to sell you ‘change management’, but no clear direction on what type of change is needed.

Before paying millions of dollars for a strategic plan, how about thinking about what you’ll do with that plan?  How will you implement it?

Let’s assume you have a strategy and you’ve developed a tactical plan to implement it.  Now what. Do you have your organization engaged in the strategy and tactical plan?

We’ve all heard the quote that “Hope isn’t a strategy”.  Very very true.  But I’d argue just having a strategy and tactical plan isn’t good enough either.  You’ve got to have the people engaged and have hope that the strategy will work and that the implementation plan is properly executed.

Hope can help employees engage in the future of the organization, but without strategy and a plan to realize that strategy, hope isn’t much help.

Now…what happens if you add a good strategy, tactical plan and hope together? You get buy-in from your teams.  You get excitement.  You get hope for the future.

Now…the question is:  How?

One way?  Stop developing your strategic plan in a vacuum…let your team be involved. Let the organization own the strategy.  Let your teams develop the tactical plan.

If you can combine a good strategic plan, tactical plan and add a sprinkle of hope, you’ll be unstoppable.

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