The first important thing to do when starting any project is to determine the “NOW” position. Reviewing all facets of the business allows you to drive a peg in the ground to establish our starting point. The review includes looking at business
Interviews are conducted with key staff to get a feel for morale and an understanding of the culture of the business. Through observation areas of waste are identified as well as any inefficient systems within the business. The traditions of the business are respected but put to one side to ensure they don’t corrupt the review process.
Once a complete understanding of where the business is positioned a workshop is conducted to summarise and agree on the outcomes of the review. The summary becomes the starting point for the next phase of the process – developing your “WHERE” position and developing strategies.
The simple strategy development process we use is Now – Where – How.
What is the position of the business currently – Now, then Where do you want the business to be at some point in the future (1 year, 3 years, 5 years?) and then develop plans to close the gap between the two positions – How…
Understanding the business owner’s vision for the business is key. Many may never have thought about their vision for the business so at this point we work hard using various tools to draw those thoughts out and document them. Once their vision is understood we can commence developing milestones that need to be covered over time to achieve the ultimate vision.
Once the Where position is established, we work on ideas that can be implemented in the business to get it there. Focussing on the ideas that will have the most impact we then develop action plans to implement those ideas in the business. We allocate responsibility and deadlines for each action to ensure accountability for their completion. Plans are set on yearly and 90-day timeframes and reviewed at the end of each period.
This is the critical stage that most strategic plans fail in.
Implementation is simply holding those responsible for actions in the plan accountable for completing them in full and within the time allocated. Leadership is critical in this stage as it’s up to the leader of the organisation to be fully engaged and supportive of the plans to be implemented. Developing the business culture so that accountability is accepted and desired is dependent on strong, enlightened leadership.
Mentoring is about reviewing performance, suggesting adjustments and prodding leaders to maintain their enthusiasm for the process to ensure those they are leading stay engaged. Help with problem solving and acting as a sounding board for new ideas are important features of mentoring which can provide reassurance and confidence to the leaders of an organisation.
Regular, honest assessments are conducted to evaluate what’s working and what’s not and adjusting strategies and plans accordingly.
