If you have been away for a leadership planning ‘event’ – it’s probably been largely successful and not too painful. However six months later the strategic plan remains out of sight on a shelf somewhere, contributing little to where the organisation is supposed to be heading!
Sound familiar?
While some organisations are effective at planning, the above situation is one that is not at all uncommon. A Fortune magazine article commenting on the ineffectiveness of planning efforts made this comment:
“In the majority of cases – we estimate 70% – the real problem isn’t bad strategy but … bad execution.”
What is it then that undermines the success of many strategic planning efforts? Here are a few of the common flaws that I have observed, in no particular order…
Lack of ownership
In many cases leaders go away and do their planning and then come back to lead the troops to implement the plan. But as the saying goes…’No one ever washes a rental car!’ If there has been little or no input from those doing the implementing, getting buy-in for implementation is a struggle.
“It’s just something they make us do!”
Planning that is undertaken just because it seems like it should be done, because it is a requirement or because your vision demands it will hardly ever be sustained. If the plan does not drive the journey and determine direction and goals it will end up as a file on someone’s computer and ignored. As soon as the exercise is over everyone will just get back to their immediate every day tasks until the next time. If we accept that the average attention span in organisations is around 6 months, people will grit their teeth, pretend to support the program and wait it out till it goes away.
The 5-year time span is often not relevant
For many years the 5-year time span has been the typical planning time period but today this is often not appropriate. With the rapid changes we are facing 5 years is often way too long. While I was working with one group recently to develop a 12-month plan I was asked if we could make it a 6 month plan. Things were happening so fast in this organisation that 12 months was too long.
Poor communication within the organisation
Not many organisations score 100% when it comes to internal communication. If a strategic plan is to be successfully implemented it must be communicated purposefully, cleanly and repeatedly so that everyone understands what it means and how it impacts on what happens differently.
Inability to practice Investment Time
Time investment involves spending time on Important/Not Urgent activities. Moving the strategic plan forward is a ‘Time Investment’ activity but is often at the mercy of urgent tasks and crises that just have to be done now! When this happens on a regular basis, slippage occurs, momentum is lost and the overall plan is in danger of being forgotten and lost among the clutter and noise of everyday tasks demanding attention.
As the well known saying goes …’If you fail to plan – you plan to fail’ but it seems there is planning… and there is planning.
Paying attention to some of these key lessons will help your next planning effort stay on track.
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