Make sure your strategic plan has an implementation plan to go with it

Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.

-- Alexander Graham Bell

I have helped a myriad of firms with their strategic planning. These firms know the importance of this process and are willing to pay to have professionals take firms through this critical aspect of their business. The importance of strategic planning just cannot be overstated.

Strategic planning is one of those things that is not a necessary element in every organization; rather, it should be thought of as a mandatory element to being an operating entity. However, I have seen so many businesses fail in their ability to follow their own strategic plan for numerous reasons. Some of these reasons are that situations change, people change positions, and staff get too busy with other things.

In my opinion, the No. 1 reason that strategic plans do not get implemented is that while management sets up the strategic plans, it fails to develop a plan for implementation of the strategic plan with accountability measures included. Just having a plan is OK. But to be effective, it has to be implemented and each and every plan needs to have an implementation plan. With any implementation plan, staff has to be

held accountable to ensure the plan's execution.

I was working with a firm that spent so much time in developing ways to turn their business around, because they were treading water in terms of sales and just could not develop a viable plan.

After spending a great deal of time and effort, they were able to develop some great ways to get sales moving again and were so excited with prospects to making their firm viable again. But when I asked them what their plan for implementation was and how were they going to measure their progress, they didn't have any good answers.

Without an implementation plan and way to ensure progress of the goals, the strategic plan is just a pile of papers.

Most successful businesses have plans, but they look at these plans every month to ensure they are following them. They also have a process to check each month on how they are progressing on the plan.

To have a successful strategic plan, you need the strategic plan, an implementation plan and a way to measure progress of the implementation plan. All three steps are so important in strategic planning.

Now, occasionally, plans hit a wall or some other problem and have to be tweaked; this is just to be expected and not a problem with the original plan.

The economy might change or customers' expectations might change, but the plan must just be adjusted to account for this.

Now go out and make sure you have a not only a great strategic plan, but an implementation plan and an effective way to measure the progress of the implementation plan.

You can do this!

Jerry Osteryoung, a business consultant and Jim Moran professor of entrepreneurship (emeritus) and professor of finance (emeritus) at Florida State University, can be reached by e-mail at jerry.osteryoung@gmail.com.

This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 11:55 PM with the headline "Make sure your strategic plan has an implementation plan to go with it ."