Don’t let your team get bogged down while planning
5.11.2012
Have you ever been in a strategic planning meeting that got stuck on terminology or steps in the planning process? I hear way too many stories like these:
* A governing board has a long discussion struggling to define the difference between mission and vision.
* An ad hoc planning team spends their entire first meeting arguing whether goals are higher than objectives or objectives higher than goals.
* An executive team endlessly refines their strategic planning documents but the organization continues to slide downhill
Here is how to avoid getting bogged down when planning together with your leadership team or board.
1. Keep it simple
Don’t get tied up in knots when you meet together. Don’t agonize over definitions. Your brand is who you are. Your mission is what you do. Your vision is where you are going. Your strategy is how you will get there.
2. Execute on your plan
Ultimately, your plan has to degenerate into work for somebody. What has to change? What initiatives will you launch to effect that change? Who is in charge of each initiative? What has to happen in the next 90 days?
3. Review progress regularly
You need a regular, offsite strategic meeting with your team. Timing will vary depending on your context. For many ministry leaders, a quarterly meeting works well. If your schedule is tied to an academic calendar, a fall, spring, and summer meeting works better. Some ministries and churches get by with an annual strategic meeting. What is ideal for you?
