This will begin the discussion of creating a strategic plan. The most important thing here is that there are many ways to create a strategic plan. Before anything else, I’ll say this – use what works for you. A strategic plan can be as detailed or general as you need it to be. So let’s jump in.
To create the plan, we need to have information, information about the market, various stakeholders and suppliers, advancements in technology, etc. With this information we can better understand what our goals need to be. With the right information we can answer questions such as:
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What improvements do we need to make internally (processes, new equipment, new/different tools)?
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Do we expand in existing markets or pursue new ones?
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What is our competition doing? What direction does it look like they are moving in?
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What improvements can we make with our products or services?
As humans, what we focus on gets bigger and what we measure is what we focus on. Our brains naturally focus on all the things that are “wrong”. This is largely due to the “wrong” things being viewed as threats. It takes some work to focus on the “right” things. Practically speaking, this means whatever measures or metrics that are put in place, people will naturally focus on those metrics.
If, as a project manager, I am required to spend 35 hours per week on projects, you better believe I am going to find 35 hours per week for project work. If the metric is to build x number of widgets per day or week, I am going to find a way to meet or exceed that number. Because another part of being human is to be successful at whatever it is we choose to do.
We also want to be careful that what we are measuring is applicable. I have seen metrics applied to an individual that really relate to a team and vice versa. In fact, in many cases metrics that apply to a whole team versus individuals have the opportunity to lead to better outcomes as a whole. More on that later.
So, what are the right measures, what should we be measuring within an organization? I can’t give you an exact answer because every organization is different in what is important and what tools are in place to capture the relevant data. A service desk may measure the amount of time it takes to close tickets. A manufacturer may measure the number of defects or time from delivery of raw materials to shipping the end product. A software development shop may measure the number of bugs. A retailer will measure the amount of sales, number of unique sales, repeat customers, etc.
The point is to have accurate information on what is happening within the organization and having the ability to act on that information by setting appropriate goals. The other piece of this is being able to track progress against the strategic plan.
At an organizational level, we need to make sure we are measuring and tracking the correct metrics. To do so, we need to set metrics that relate to the goals of the organizational strategic plan. This allows for tracking progress against the plan.
Let’s rework how you work.
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From the SmartWork Bulletin