Strategic Planning - Not Just for the Shower!

How often does your organization perform strategic planning? How much of it happens in the shower in the morning? If you run a small or even medium sized business, you are probably in a constant state of strategic planning, at least in your head. I am here to plug making time to formalize this process.

At least annually, I have connected with a marketing professional that has helped me think through several areas of running a business. He assists me in writing a plan and a calendar for the next period for the growth and expansion of my business and my thought leadership aspirations. In addition to the written plan, I also take time to budget my projected revenues and expenses and to put my dreams into numbers. I am pretty good with the numbers part and my consultant is pretty good at framing my numbers into words.

I usually start by telling him where I think things are going. I tell him about the previous year's successes and failures and what my thoughts are on how to either repeat or avoid them going forward. Then we separate as he starts writing his piece and interestingly enough, that is when my real thinking begins. And before you know it, I am calling him back and saying, "Well, I thought about it and what I REALLY want to do is this." It is that second call that sets me off in the next/right direction. But I never would have crystallized my thought process if I hadn't talked to him in the first place.

Now for the follow-up: much like my original business plan, my annual marketing plan gathers dust on the server; but I truly believe that the value of writing things down absolutely translates into action. Each year when I come back to last year's plan, I find that I accomplished 80-90% of it. In fact, this process happens annually because each year around November or so, I find myself feeling restless, disjointed in my efforts in the community and downright hectic. Then I make a new plan and I am off and running again.

My advice for what it's worth: Figure out what you are good at, find someone who is good at another piece and who can talk you through the crazy jumble in your head and invest the time and money to formalize your strategic plan... It doesn't have to be a lot of either, but without it, what are you doing? Trying to run a business? Or just trying to avoid working for someone else?