Modeling our Strategic Planning

Three quick question to answer please..... Please take two minutes to write out the answers to these three questions: How do you define “Strategic Plan?” Why do we use strategic plans in your business processes? How do you engage your employees to “model your strategic plan?”

Strategic Planning.... Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy. 1

When we think of strategic planning...... Mission statement: a formal summary of the aims and values of a company, organization, or individual. 2 Vision statement: An aspirational description of what an organization would like to achieve or accomplish in the mid-term or long-term future. 3 Value statements: are declarations about how the organization wants to value their customers, suppliers and be valued within their own internal community. 4

The value of using our strategic plan on the floor and in the field..... Communicate clarity of direction throughout the organization. Provide clear direction and thereby restore integrity of leadership. Align the management team on a strategic agenda to move the organization forward. Develop a path forward that will attract outside funding Improve execution on change processes. Create agreement on core beliefs and principles Develop a tool to manage and create the organization’s future

On the floor and in the field.... KEEP EMPLOYEES ENGAGED AROUND THE STRATEGY AND ANY CHANGES AHEAD. BUILD COMPREHENSIVE PLANS THAT CONNECT THE DOTS. ARTICULATE THE PEOPLE STRATEGY FOCUS ON CULTURE. SET A SOLID FOUNDATION OF VISION AND VALUES.

Every Day – Every way.... Micro meetings on what we do/did today that makes a difference with our customers (internal/external) Connect our employees on the floor-and-in-the-field with our Customers. Intra and inter - department meetings to act Boundaryless.

10 Tips for communications 5 Be clear and concise. Overwriting and using technical jargon will lead to confusion and misunderstanding.  Set the tone at the top. Leaders need to set the tone.  They need to be visible and accessible, and they need to understand that there’s a correlation between strategic employee communication and the achievement of organizational goals. 

10 Tips for communications - continued 5 Understand our employees. You may need to communicate differently with different audiences.  Consider surveying them regularly and ask whether they are getting the information they need.  Use many channels. Most people need to hear or see a message multiple times, in multiple ways, to understand it completely.  Distribute your messages electronically, in writing, face-to-face, and at meetings.  Your message should be consistent across all these channels. 

10 Tips for communications - continued 5 Notify employees first. When you prioritize your communications, always think of your internal people first.  Your employees should hear it from you before they hear it from anyone else.  They shouldn’t be surprised by a media report.  Match actions with words. Do what you say you’re going to do.  Otherwise, you undermine your credibility, and employees are less likely to believe or take seriously future communications. 

10 Tips for communications - continued 5 Emphasize face-to-face communication. Although today’s employees may be more tech-savvy than ever, nothing beats human interaction.  Most employees want to hear news and information from their supervisors.  Train managers in how to communicate, and provide them with the necessary tools.  If managers are expected to help explain a complicated change to the organization’s pension plan, you need to provide them with talking points and handouts. 

10 Tips for communications - continued 5 Communicate regularly. Be systematic and strategic.  Create an editorial calendar with regular dates for communicating with your employees, whether it’s by newsletter, email or a scheduled meeting.  Measure effectiveness. Set objectives and assess whether you have met them.  Ask employees whether the organization has communicated its strategy well.  Do they understand how their daily work helps the organization meet its goals? 

10 Tips for communications - continued 5 Facilitate conversation. One-way communication is a thing of the past.  Employees who feel “listened to” have enhanced feelings of trust.  There are many ways to facilitate two-way communication including face-to-face meetings, interactive video interviews, employee surveys, Q&A features on the employee intranet, etc. Employees significantly influence the outcome of any work project.  If you communicate strategically and with purpose, you’re more likely to see all of your employees working with a common purpose toward shared organizational goals.

Wrapping up..... Our next webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, January 8 and then January 29, 2019. Our WITC spring term begins January 21st, 2019. Consider a Leadership Development or HRM Your Choice course (YC) Our webinar will be posted on our WITC homepage within 24 hours. Be the leader that we are meant to be and enjoy the processes of Leadership! Happy Holidays

November 27, 2018 Webinar – Modeling our strategic planning on the floor and in the field references https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_planning https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS819US819&ei=AUH7W53yIOWXtgXMk6nYBA&q=mis sion+statement&oq=mission+statement&gs_l=psy- ab.3..0l10.95590.100467..100813...1.0..0.83.1215.18......0....1..gws- wiz.....0..0i71j0i131j0i67j0i131i67.HLvETgIv6xg https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS819US819&ei=AUH7W53yIOWXtgXMk6nYBA&q=defi ne+vision+statement&oq=define+vision+statement&gs_l=psy- ab.3..0l3j0i22i30l7.4758.12220..12470...0.0..0.81.1616.23......0....1..gws- wiz.....0..0i71j0i131j0i67j0i10.DJWJzWhIuTE https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS819US819&ei=AUH7W53yIOWXtgXMk6nYBA&q=defi ne+value+statement&oq=define+value+statement&gs_l=psy- ab.3..0l2j0i22i30l8.4594.12332..13126...6.0..0.102.1838.27j1......0....1..gws- wiz.....0..0i71j0i131j0i67j0i10.Jl1aWhAgzJs https://primepay.com/blog/10-tips-effective-employee-communication