By: Tom Okarma

15 WAYS TO GO FROMSTRATEGY TO ACTION

The best nonprofits — those that make the biggest impact — create

and follow their strategic plan.

Many nonprofits have spent significant dollars over the last few months refreshing the existing, or developing a new, strategic plan.

But research has shown, much of this planning time and money each year end up wasted. Nicely-printed and bound documents are produced, only to gather dust. The plans weren’t bad; but they’ve been hit with a challenge. Chances are, there was no

Implementation Plan to carry out this new strategy.

First, plans are often crafted with lofty words and phrases which may be difficult for staff and volunteers to grasp.

The challenge is really two-fold:

Second, strategic plans are often short on details about how they will get done. What steps need to be taken, and in what order they will be implemented.

This leaves many people confused and unsure how to proceed.

Breaking down bold and comprehensive

strategies into coordinated,

specific steps is hard to do and

sometimes even harder to monitor.

Planning is good,

but doing is what really

matters.

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

First, get off to a clean fast start with your new Strategic plan and goals by identifying

your Critical List.

This includes three key areas: what your agency should start doing immediately, stop

doing immediately, and identifying what things you need to protect at all costs as you

begin the new year.

1

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

Break down each key strategy into smaller steps and be sure someone is responsible for each — clearly identifying one individual to

carry out each step.

Have each person responsible for a strategy (call them strategy champions , or owners) develop a list of

action steps under their strategy and be sure they include deadlines for each critical step. Gather and

assemble all of these steps into one master document and call it your Implementation Plan.

2

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

Challenge your leaders to think of their key initiative as a huge gala event with a hard

and fast deadline.

This may create a sense of priority today so the initiative is not allowed to languish and sit

delayed, when other distractions that are “urgent but not important” surface.

3

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

Publish a progress chart somewhere very public for all to see, and be sure to update it regularly.4

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

Look for, verify, and reward real progress and completion steps.5

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

Get updates on a regular basis from your team both individually and as a group at staff meetings.6

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

Hold quarterly meetings with your team that only cover progress on the key

strategies—nothing else.

How are they doing, what is getting in their way, what do they need, what challenges are

they facing and how you can help them (without doing their job, of course).

7

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

Use a quick and simple dashboard system to get updates from everyone on how they are progressing—

perhaps a red/yellow/green lights system, or a thumbs up/thumbs down approach. This allows your leadership team to focus on the critical matters threatening your implementation.

8

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

Be available to your leaders between meetings but don’t suffocate them by

hovering.

Give them space to execute and grow professionally.

9

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

I have found Managing By Walking Around (MNWA) to be highly effective, especially if you are periodically out of the office at meetings, etc.

As you walk around and engage with staff and volunteers you will get a good sense of how work is proceeding on the goals. I believe leaders can often learn more using their gut and heart instead of their head.

10

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

Get confirmation from various, independent sources if you hear things that are cause for concern.

Unless several separate sources all say the same or similar thing, it may not be true.

11

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

Be sure all resources (people, budget, etc) are in complete alignment with the action steps.

Otherwise you may be wasting time, money and effort.

12

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

Plan to hold periodic “all hands on deck meetings” with staff and volunteers to reinforce the importance of the new strategic plan, answer their questions, and to provide updates on “wins”.

13

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

To help stay on top of your everyday responsibilities, you may want to develop a spreadsheet listing the critical items (periodic donor and other stakeholder contact, etc.).

Periodically check it to make sure they are actually getting proper attention and focus.

14

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action

Try delegating more of your routine work to subordinates you wish to develop into leaders down the road.

They’d love to help out and take on some new, interesting assignments.

15

If you are launching a new strategic plan this year, your agency will have a lot of moving

parts in motion, even if everything goes smoothly (which it likely won’t).

You will be well-served by developing a system for yourself to keep track of the most important things going on, and avoid letting all the busywork, “urgent

situations”and minor distractions undermine your leadership.

If you haven’t yet developed your strategic plan, or believe the plan you have may need a little work,

you can download these two tools to help you.

This presentation isbrought to you by

To read the full article aboutputting your plan into action, and to get free resources, visit

TomOkarma.com

15 Ways to Move From Strategy to Action