I just read another article by a very successful business person who was complaining that strategic planning was not necessary. This person claimed that plans were an impediment and a more agile approach was more valuable.

He is not the first to say this and in considering his comments I realized that most of the people who says things like this are one person businesses – solopreneurs they are often called.

Because they don’t have much in the way of teams who have to accomplish specific missions, they miss one of the most important aspects of good planning. Although I don’t recommend anyone just charge forward without carefully considering where they want to go and how they mean to get there, it is easier to do that if you are only answerable to yourself.

Teams require a different approach.

Your team needs to know where the company wants to go, their part in that journey, and their specific requirements.

Your plan for the team does not have to be complicated. In fact, simple is usually better. What the team needs to know is:

  • The mission of the team. Mission statements have fallen out of favor with some experts but they are still important. Call them something else if you want, but the team needs to know why they are there. The best mission statements are short one to three line phrases that define what the team is chartered to do and why they need to do it.
  • The team’s key stakeholders. Who is vested in the team’s success.
  • Issues and problems that can derail the team’s efforts. I call these Bumps and Roadblocks and they identify issues that can stop or delay the team’s ability to accomplish the mission.
  • Specific goals the team needs to accomplish in order to accomplish their stated mission. Each goal should have objectives that break it into manageable pieces. Each objective should have a due date and an assigned champion who is responsible for its accomplishment.

There is one other requirement that falls squarely on the leader. What isn’t tracked is usually forgotten. If the team leader does not demonstrate continuing interest in accomplishing the plan’s goals, the team won’t be either. So, the leader needs to have a method for tracking goal progress. This doesn’t have to be complex. Don’t paper the walls with histograms and control charts if a simple stoplight chart will work. The point is to keep track of how the team is doing on the goals that are important.

 

Bob Mason is dedicated to leadership development. He works with companies to solve problems by helping supervisors and managers become more effective leaders leading more productive teams. He is a professional speaker and author of Don’t Worry, You Can Do This: What New Supervisors and Managers Need to Know About Leadership; The Art of Not Motivating: How Leaders Can Succeed by Understanding the True Nature of Motivation; Balancing the Generations: A Leader’s Guide to the Complex, Multi-Generational, 21st Century Workplace; and Planning to Excel: Strategic Planning That Works.

A 30-year career in the U.S. Air Force exposed him to great leaders and leadership opportunities such as command of four squadrons, including the Air Force’s largest munitions squadron. He has studied leadership extensively, but more importantly has been there, working with real people, making hard decisions, and experiencing the results.

Contact Bob at Bob@BobMasonSpeaker.com or 505-453-5266