Executing your strategic plan is as important as — or even more important than — your strategy. The majority of organizations that have strategic plans fail to implement them (the most common reason being that resources aren’t shared between departments).
Don’t be one of those organizations that spends hours preparing a strategic plan only to let it sit on a shelf. Guiding your work in this phase is a 12-month schedule that spells out the details necessary for a successful plan execution.
You remain in this phase of the strategic management process until you embark on the next formal planning sessions where you start back at Phase 1. Remember that successful execution of your plan relies on appointing a strategic plan manager, effectively driving accountability, and gaining organizational commitment to the process.
The duration of this phase lasts until you need to formally update your plan, starting again at Phase 1. During this time, you answer these business questions:
What is on and off target — what do we need to adapt in our plan?
What emerging strategic topics do we need to identify and solve?
What can we do to be more effective as a team?