I often carry a GPS and a map when I'm hiking, even if the trail is easy and well marked. Why do I like these tools? For one thing, my kids like to ask "how far have we gone?" "When will we get there?" With my tools, I can usually give them a pretty accurate answer. In addition, the map helps me plan my route and allows me to improvise if I have more time than I thought or less time than I thought I would.
A strategic plan is a map. It's great to have with you on your journey. You don't just create the plan, then put it on the shelf. So what do you do with it? How do you use it?
If your strategic plan is done well, then you have set up measurable goals and outlined steps to meet those goals. The first thing you need to do in following it is to set up a schedule to ask "how far have we gone and when will we get there?" One easy way to do this is to set up a set of indicators that you can report on periodically. I'd suggest at least once every quarter. The key to this set of indicators is that it shouldn't be difficult to report on. Don't make the document something that requires a lot of extra work.
Another key is to not get too stressed about the details, and don't spend a lot of time discussing the indicators, unless there is a problem. If you are on plan, then enjoy the journey. If you have serious issues with the plan itself and want to make mid-plan course changes, then that should probably be a separate meeting.
If there are major hiccups in meeting the plan, then that probably warrants a separate meeting as well. In other words, if there are big issues, don't try to solve them in a regular staff meeting or board meeting unless you have the time to resolve them. If you need a facilitator, get one. Big issues warrant big discussions.
So, the first steps in carrying our your plan are to: 1. set a schedule for reviewing progress and 2. set up an easy to read, easy to produce report that identifies where you are on the map. Then you can take other actions from there.
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