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#criticalthinking #strategicthinking #strategicplan #actionplan #goals #vision #coach #help #success
by Roger Huston, PhD, MPA
INTRODUCTION
Should I consider a strategic plan for myself? I get this question a lot from potential clients and the answer is—Yes! You should consider a strategic plan to help you achieve your personal and professional goals! If you are in an organization—no matter, if it’s a single-member LLC or a large multinational corporation—creating a strategic plan or updating your current strategic plan should always be on your horizon. It is highly recommended that your organization is either actively engaged in the planning process or reviewing your strategic plan for current applicability.
PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL PLAN
Likewise, as an individual or family, you should consider a personal and professional strategic plan. An organizational strategic plan has a few essential elements, such as a well-crafted mission statement, an explanation of your organization’s values, visions for achieving its goals, a review of financial considerations, and an action plan with benchmarks. As an individual or family, you can consider the same elements. What is my purpose, what do I value most, where do I want to be in the next year, three years, five years, or ten years, and how do I go about achieving my aspirations?
GOALS & VISION
Perhaps your goal is to be promoted in your current workplace or are looking to achieve the best version of yourself through fitness, education, volunteering, or some other self-improvement. A strategic plan can help you get there! Maybe as a family, you are struggling to manage your current finances, or as a parent, you are wondering how you are going to pay for your kids to go to college. Again, a strategic plan can help you address all these issues with an actionable vision.
HELP COACH
I have worked with organizations with every type of strategic plan that you can imagine…from two-page nibble summaries and robust action plans to book-length detailed restatements of all parts of the organization. However, any strategic plan can sit on the shelf, no matter its length and content, if it does not actually represent who you are, what you do, where you want to go, and how you plan to get there. And in order to have a plan that helps you know those things, you need a coach, consultant, or some other person with an objective perspective. A person with an objective perspective can be a spouse, friend, or mentor. Regardless of whom you choose to help you with your strategic plan, the reason you need an objective perspective is to help you ask critical questions, and most importantly, to help you engage in your “blindsides”— which are those areas of weaknesses or threats that you may not recognize. After all, what good is it to have a plan if you have “eyes that do not see or ears that do not hear”?
PIVOT & BENCHMARKS
Finally, remember that any plan must be agile and able to pivot or change direction when necessary. A strategic plan is not a blueprint! And incorporating possibilities or scenarios can be helpful if your plan is not coming to fruition. Please include in your plan benchmarks, such as dates or timelines, and be sure to revisit the plan often as it is meant to be a living document that is fully representative of your past, present, and future.
SUMMARY
So, consider a strategic plan to help you realize your personal and professional vision. A strategic plan can help you take your talents, gifts, and goals to the next level.
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Are you looking to take your individual or organizational goals to the next level? Browse the Faith Works Consulting services and then schedule a free initial consultation!
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