Write a Long Range Strategic Plan
Companies that hope to be successful and survive need to develop a long-term strategic plan with specific goals and objectives that relate to the customers' needs and the company's competitors. In today's difficult economic climate, organizations do not have the resources to function aimlessly without direction.
Instructions
1. Form a long-range strategic planning committee made up of representatives of all the company's shareholders and from all departments. All areas of the organization need to be represented. Choose a chair with leadership qualities and who commands respect.
2. Set dates for monthly meetings of the committee. The chair should establish an agenda by calling each of the members prior to the meeting. A time line needs to be established at the first meeting for completing a draft of the plan. Each meeting should be followed up with a summary of what took place that can be placed in a company newsletter or on the Internet.
3. Develop the mission statement, which defines what you are going to be doing, and the vision, which details the actions involved for the organization. Establish a value statement, which becomes the list of main priorities for the organization's culture.
4. Set goals and objectives for each of the departments that fit into the mission and vision and are based on a critical analysis of past performance and a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis.
5. Set specific benchmarks for each of the goals, so that there is a way to measure performance for the short and long-term and future planning efforts. It is very difficult to follow a strategic plan without knowing if the actions taken are bringing desired results.
6. Communicate the long-range strategic plan to all employees in the organization through several different channels. Give them the opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions. If employees do not support the long-range plan, it will be very difficult to achieve.
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