Finding the Goldilocks of Strategic Planning by Combining Blueprints and Game Plans
Different organizations have different expectations of strategic planning.
Some want a plan for the next few years with all the details so that it's just a matter of working to the specific design, kind of like a blueprint. A challenge if the plan functions more like a blueprint is that the work becomes very prescriptive and doesn't leave a ton of room for flexibility when things change or something doesn't go according to plan. (If you have ever been part of a building project, you know that things rarely go according to the plan.)
Other organizations want over-arching strategies to guide work, and they want maximum flexibility for how to call the plays as the game evolves. Sometimes they fear the details or anything too concrete because that might limit possibilities. They want something like a game plan – a flexible approach to winning the game. While this is very adaptable, sometimes it's so broad it makes anything possible and cannot help focus efforts for maximum impact, so efforts become spread thin.
The Goldilocks Plan
Ultimately, we want to help teams get the "Goldilocks" of plans – not too restrictive and not too open, but just right. We want teams to have the upsides of both types of planning while, at the same time, avoiding the downsides of both.
In our change management and strategic planning work, here are some principles that guide getting the best of both:
Clear Strategic Direction. Your plan sets you on a specific trajectory for your organization. And in conjunction with your mission, it's a guide to decision-making on what you will do and what you won't do as you move forward.
Room for Creativity & Innovation. At the same time, the plans should also have enough room to move so you have space to develop creative and innovative ways of living out the goals and strategies.
Actionable Next Steps. So often, teams struggle to translate their plan into actionable next steps. It's not that they can't do it – they just need a nudge to help them apply the plan to their day-to-day work. Part of our planning process is to come alongside teams and give tools and time to identify clear next steps to live out the strategic plan.
After working with hundreds of teams of different sizes, sectors, and locations, we have found that when their plans have a clear strategic direction, room for creative execution, and clear next steps, it allows them to build a better future and play a better game.