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A PROGRAM OF THE U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOUNDATION
 

IOM Blog

May 22, 2017

Implementing the Strategic Plan

The planning retreat is an important activity for reviewing and developing strategy and direction. During the retreat, enthusiasm builds for new programs and growth schemes. After the retreat, everyone returns to their daily priorities and the retreat is just a memory.

Follow this checklist to deploy and sustain progress on the new strategic plan.

  • DRAFT: Circulate the final draft of the strategic plan to board and staff decision makers to check for accuracy.
  • ADOPTION: Official adoption of the plan by a motion of the board at the next meeting; within 90 days.
  • AWARENESS: Announce the plan’s major goals by posting on website, press release, newsletter, and presentation at an annual meeting (consider PowerPoint format and printed handouts – the most well-read and membered plan will fit on a business card).
  • ACTION PLAN: Translate the strategic plan into a business or action plan detailing the assignments to committees and staff; adding deadlines.
  • METRICS: Identify performance measures so progress can be measured and success recognized.
  • RESOURCE ALLOCATION: Adapt or revise the budget to reflect the recommended programs in the new plan.
  • CHAMPIONS: Consider appointing a strategic plan champion, or goals’ champions, to monitor and report on progress of the plan.
  • COMMITTEES: Align committees and task forces with the goals to ensure volunteer workforce supports each goal. Merge or eliminate unnecessary committees.
  • CONSULTANTS: Outsource work that needs to be delegated beyond staff or volunteer capabilities.
  • REPORTING: Allocate time to report on progress (or delays) in the strategic plan.  Consider a color-coded system such as green: underway; amber: needs attention; red:
  • UPDATE: Annually review the plan in-depth. In three years develop an updated plan.

The plan is a roadmap to guide leadership and staff and should be integrated into all aspects of the organization.

Bob Harris
Bob Harris, CAE
President
NonProfitCenter.com

There are more than one million nonprofit organizations in the USA. Bob has studied thousands of them to develop best practices. He started his career in Washington D.C. working with Presidential Classroom. He went on to build an association management company in Tallahassee, FL. He is on the faculty for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. He has worked in Amman, Jordan, Tokyo, Japan and Minsk, Belarus to help organizations. He received “Association Partner of the Year” award from Association Trends Magazine in 2012. He has authored books on association management. To improve management he created the Association Self-Auditing Process, used by more than 20,000 organizations. He believes that nonprofit organizations should be as efficient as any commercial business. He’s been dubbed the “Martha Stewart of association management” for providing tips and templates for making management easier. These are available free on his website at www.nonprofitcenter.com.

Note:  Bob Harris, CAE, provides free association and governance tips, articles and templates at www.nonprofitcenter.com

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