Strategic plans are developed to align organizational resources to common goals after a specific period of time. Many organizations draw up the plans annually but unfortunately, in most cases, they end up in disappointments because of unfulfilled goals. So, what exactly is the reason behind failed strategic plans? Are the plans drawn up with unrealistic goals? Or could it be that the employees are not motivated enough to meet their respective goals?
To improve the outcome, all associated parties need to first understand that the strategic plan is just a plan. It is nothing more than a document with an outline of the priorities, resources, operations and prospective goals. Of course the only way you can effectively meet the goals is paying more attention to the implementation process. This is where most organizations fall out. Without a proper implementation process, even the best strategic plan will not be realized. Therefore, you need to invest more in the execution process if you want to realize your organizational goals.
Begin by educating all the employees about your strategic plan. After being approved by the executive members, it should be distributed to individual employees. In fact, regular employees should be more knowledgeable on the plan than their executive colleagues because they play a larger role in executing it. You should further break down the plan into specific roles for each position in your organization. This helps each employee should understand his/her role in fulfilling the organizational goals. It is only by doing this will the overall goals be collectively achieved.
A serious organization should also have a measurement system included in the implementation framework. The results should be measured occasionally and individual employees held accountable for them. This helps you keep track of the implementation process and understand who is doing his/her job and who is not. Accountability also keeps employees motivated and focused on the results instead of the repetitive tasks. Employees who only focus on the repetitive tasks lose sight of the expected results and gradually get worn out. This results in a less productive workforce that consequently fails to meet the organization strategic plan.
Sultan A. Alshaali, PhD. 