How can you move a strategic plan forward without the mundane review of each KPI and action step? What fresh approaches exist to review strategy implementation progress and potential revisions as we proceed?
A Brainzooming blog subscriber posed these questions. We talked live and shared background and ideas. She originally found her way to the Brainzooming website on a search to make their original strategy planning process fun, lively, and productive.
Her organization, four months into its current strategic plan, needs to step up progress monitoring. So far, they’ve been distracted and haven’t spent much time formally tracking the strategy plan’s implementation. She wants to bring productivity and a breath of fresh air to the leadership team’s upcoming strategy review.
I spelled out a framework built around four different types of meetings that address strategy implementation progress. For each meeting, I suggested varied approaches to guide and enliven the meetings.
1) Project Management
Objective: Track important tasks and implementation progress.
Run by: Project Manager or the Strategy Office
Ideas to Improve These Meetings:
2) Exception Management
Objective: Focus on variances from expectations, addressing the reasons and next steps.
Run by: Strategy Office, Executive Sponsors
Ideas to Improve These Meetings:
3) Strategic Direction Check-ins
Objective: Gauging strategy implementation relative to progress on major initiatives that will determine plan success.
Run by: Strategic Planning Leader, Executive Team
Ideas to Improve these Meetings:
4) Engagement-building for the Plan
Objective: Focus on successes, challenges that have been overcome, and motivating to stay engaged in the plan.
Run by: Top Leadership, Strategy Leader, Communications
Ideas to Improve these Meetings:
Yes, it’s possible to bring fun and productivity to strategy implementation reporting. That’s why it’s a big part of the Brainzooming Simple Strategy online course. A strategy is only as successful as its results! - Mike Brown