Fact: Even the best laid plans need to be reviewed from time to time.
It doesn’t matter how much thought, time, or effort you put into creating your plans, without regular reflection and (as needed) revision, your strategy will inevitably become less effective over time.
Why?
Things change. Simple as that.
Here’s a metaphor for you:
Imagine that you buy a brand new car. You obviously know it’s in great condition when you drive it off the lot. A year or two go by, and during that time you didn’t take your car in for any scheduled maintenance. There were no oil changes or new brake pads. Your wiper fluid levels haven’t even been checked. Can you reasonably expect your car to be in the same perfect condition it was the day you bought it?
No. Of course not!
Why? Because if you want your car to remain in tip-top shape, maintenance is required.
The same is true when it comes to your strategic plans. Without regular maintenance and review, they will become less relevant and applicable over time.
In my recent blog post, Your Plan Needs Attention: How Doing A Quarterly Review Will Help You Succeed, I outlined the importance of taking time regularly (at minimum, a few times per year) to review your organization’s strategic plan.
Today, let’s talk tangibles! That’s what we’re all really looking for, after all.
Here are X practical tips for conducting your quarterly review:
- Include Your Team:
Your team was a part of the creation of your strategic plan and therefore should also be a part of the quarterly review. Let me explain why:
The work that you are doing and the goals you’ve set as an organization will not be accomplished by a single person. Therefore, the insights, ideas, and perspectives of the whole group are incredibly beneficial in shaping and reviewing the direction of the organization.
Additionally, including your team in the quarterly review process is a great way to encourage your team members to take initiative and ownership over their work.
(Important Note: If for some reason your team did not participate in the original planning process, it can still be extremely helpful to include them in the review process.) - Prepare Ahead Of Time
While some people can handle working under pressure better than others, no one does their best work without any preparation. With this reality in mind, it’s important to give your team time to reflect and prepare for the review process at least a few days before you meet.
I suggest providing reflection questions that will serve as a framework for the discussion and review. Make sure each individual has these questions in plenty of time to come ready to address each one.
If your quarterly review requires individual members to bring materials or data to the meetings, don’t forget to communicate what supplies and resources are needed.
- Customize Your Review to Your Organization
There are many ways to conduct a quarterly review. It’s important to take into account the structure, size, and distribution of your team when making decisions regarding your review meetings.
For example, smaller organizations may involve every employee in the quarterly review process. Larger organizations may select representatives of different divisions to speak on behalf of their peers.
Likewise, some organizations may opt to conduct their quarterly reviews via in-person meetings while others will require a virtual meeting. Set expectations based on what works best for your specific team.
Organizations that prioritize strategic planning and conduct regular reviews are far more effective and successful than those who don’t.
If you’re looking for some extra tools as you navigate your quarterly review, check out my Stress-Free Strategic Planning Jump Start Package. This five-day “do it yourself” program will give you tools and strategies for starting or refining your strategic planning process in as little as 15 minutes a day!
Looking for more?
My 4-Month Strategic Planning Course will reopen soon. This program offers the lessons, coaching, working sessions and support to guide you and your team through the strategic planning process. Click here to join the waitlist!
Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
