The strategy revolves around creating a departmental strategy template to streamline strategic delivery plans. Initially, successful templates from organizations are researched and analyzed to understand common goals and components. This step involves consulting strategic planning professionals to gather insights that could be beneficial in a departmental setting. For example, this could involve identifying effective ways to set strategic objectives or metrics for measuring success.
In the development phase, a comprehensive template is created with sections dedicated to mission alignment, SWOT analysis, and KPI definitions. It also includes a timeline for goals, a risk management section, and budgeting templates. A pilot test with a department helps refine these elements. For instance, the pilot could reveal the need for clearer KPIs or budget sections.
Finally, the implementation phase includes training sessions to ensure effective use of the template. Feedback is collected from departments to enhance usability, and a regular review cycle is established to keep the template up-to-date. For example, showcasing successful plans can motivate departments to adopt best practices, ensuring the strategy's ongoing relevance and impact.
The strategies
⛳️ Strategy 1: Research successful templates
- Identify successful organisations with effective strategic delivery plans
- Collect and review their departmental strategy templates
- Analyse key components and structure common among the templates
- Identify common goals and metrics used in these templates
- Consult with professionals in strategic planning for additional insights
- Determine which elements could be adapted for a departmental context
- Summarise key findings and best practices
- Compile a list of essential features for your template
- Draft a basic outline based on research findings
- Seek feedback from experienced strategists on the draft outline
⛳️ Strategy 2: Develop a comprehensive template
- Create a detailed section for mission and vision alignment
- Include a section for setting specific strategic objectives
- Design templates for conducting SWOT analysis
- Incorporate a section for defining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Provide a timeline template for achieving strategic goals
- Draft an action plan layout with milestones
- Develop a risk management section with potential mitigation strategies
- Include a budgeting template for resource allocation
- Create space for feedback and review checkpoints
- Pilot the draft template with a department to gather initial feedback
⛳️ Strategy 3: Implement and refine the template
- Conduct training sessions on using the template effectively
- Distribute the template to all departments and request initial drafts
- Collect completed drafts and review for consistency and clarity
- Provide feedback to departments to improve their strategic plans
- Gather feedback on the template's usability and comprehensiveness
- Revise the template based on feedback and make necessary improvements
- Establish a regular review cycle for template updates
- Create a support system for departments needing assistance
- Showcase successful departmental plans to encourage best practices
- Document successful outcomes and testimonials to demonstrate impact
Bringing accountability to your strategy
It's one thing to have a plan, it's another to stick to it. We hope that the examples above will help you get started with your own strategy, but we also know that it's easy to get lost in the day-to-day effort.
That's why we built Tability: to help you track your progress, keep your team aligned, and make sure you're always moving in the right direction.
Give it a try and see how it can help you bring accountability to your strategy.
