The strategic plan is the starting point for the other four types of plans and the heart of your story. Get this wrong and the rest of your plan and your story is suspect. Get it right and the power of your people will be unleashed because they want to know where the company is headed. Employees want to believe that something exists in the future. The strategic plan is a single-page document that defines where and how you want to position your company. It examines a list of factors that might influence your future. Topics you must address in your strategic plan are:
- Assumptions
- Guidance
- Vision Statement
- Mission Statement
- Strategic Goals
- Objectives
- Strategies
- Strategic Intent
- Philosophy
- Focus
- Values
- Principles
The strategic plan sets the direction of your company. But, besides that, you should set your operational plan. The operational plan is the dynamic component that brings the strategic plan to life. It defines how the company accomplishes its strategic intent on a daily or annual basis. It breaks down the strategic goals into objectives and tasks to make them more understandable and manageable. The operational plan also provides information to executives on how well the staff carries out its functional activities.
Work cannot be effective unless it is closely coordinated across staffs or functions. The operational plan also helps management teams implement actions. Because it identifies the persons held accountable, the operational plan becomes a good benchmark for reporting processes of key programs and projects. The operational plan sets the strategic plan into motion on a practical level.