Please secure your strategic plan underneath the seat in front of you before take-off!
A few years ago I took a course that walked me through a very detailed process for putting together a business plan.
I got a lot out of it and put together a plan that I was proud of.
Like so many others, it filled a whole three ring binder. It had all of the sections that my textbook said were necessary. It included some incorrect assumptions that I was blissfully ignorant of, contained well-thought out goals supported by modest numbers… and it ended up sitting idle on my shelf.
I fully understand the importance of the exercise, how good strategic planning helps with organizational vision, alignment, and execution. So I was good about dusting it off and revising it every year, but in between revisions it wasn’t much use to me. Since then I have learned a lot more from operating my own business, taught MBA strategy courses, and facilitated strategic planning for several boards of directors.
However this revision of mine was different and didn’t follow the rules or anyone else’s formula!
It was about what I needed for my own, unique business to flourish.
Last week, armed with a simplified mission statement that came together in my head during a yoga class, I gave that strategic plan a haircut! I lopped off entire sections that I never use, that would be needed for a lender but matter little in the day-to-day operation of my business. I simplified the strategic guidance drastically, even narrowing down my guiding principles to a few key points. I made the vision more specific and redid my numbers to reflect more appropriate pricing. In the end, it ended up being just a few crystal clear, USEFUL pages!
It was liberating!
Simplifying my business plan felt like cleaning out my closet, although I suspect that GoodWill probably doesn’t want the “too big” verbiage that once cluttered up my document until it was the business-planning equivalent of an overstuffed suitcase …so colossally heavy that carrying it takes all the fun out of travel as you drag it through airports and train stations sweating profusely and trying to figure out how to find the bathroom and order a sandwich in a foreign language.
Been there? Me too!
My plan is now more of an executive summary, except that it includes sales figures, pricing, and strategic goals broken down by month for the next year. It’s morphed from being a cumbersome steamer trunk without wheels into a sleek carry-on that I can take anywhere with ease. What I must have to stay on target is nestled neatly inside, beautifully folded and organized so that I can find what I need at a glance. Oh and it even fits underneath the seat in front of me so that I can open it up during the voyage!
Time to fly— both figuratively and literally!
After all, isn’t that what a good strategic plan helps us to do? It gives us direction, tied to our sense of purpose and sets forth goals that point us in the direction of a vision we believe in.
It’s like the flight itinerary that lists our destination and tells us how we’ll get there, particularly if we have scribbled a few notes in the margin about why we are going in the first place or attached meeting notes for use upon arrival.
Of course there can be weather delays, lost luggage, airport lounge breakfasts, travel companions, and unpredictable seatmates ranging from new business contacts to colicky babies, but we tend to stick with the itinerary we have set as best we can, regardless of what may ensue— good or bad.
I chose formidable face pose for this post because you simply can’t do it if you are feeling bogged down by extra baggage. Like so many things we do in business and in life, it’s a matter of strength and balance, but most of all concentration. This posture is still a stretch for me. I have to completely rid my mind of any thoughts not tied to executing the posture— focusing 100% on getting and staying UP! Carrying excess baggage in the form of misdirected thoughts or worries simply gets in the way and prevents me from getting myself to where I want to be.
I have to have both direction and focus— exactly what a good strategic plan supports for my business!
How about you?
Are you able to get and stay UP or is there baggage weighing you down? If so, what does that look and feel like?
Can you simplify your documentation and lighten your load?
Copyright Gly Solutions, LLC 2015
