Strategic Planning Season

Welcome to November, or, as I like to call this time of year, the strategic planning season. Strategic plans can start as early as September or October and should be in full swing during November. Please try to complete them by December so you can go into 2025 with a fully realized Strategic Plan, Tactical Plan, and Team Plan.

First and foremost, think strategically for the long term: take a moment to think about your vision. What do you want your business to look like in 3 years, 5 years, or 10 years?  Let’s put a year on it and consider what you want to celebrate in 2030 for your business. What will you have accomplished? When you focus on the future like this, you’ll think about the steps you must take in 2025 to build toward that vision.

I always suggest starting the process by blocking the time needed to develop your strategic plan. Think about bringing together a group of the right people from inside and outside your team for input to help facilitate the process and purposefully plan it.

Strategic Planning

Work from a sense of positivity: from a place of implementing improvement through what is possible. I have firmly believed for a long time that much more is accomplished when you show up with a “What Can I Do” attitude.

Reflect on what has happened in your business during 2024. What’s working? What hasn’t been working? Keep it positive – how can we take what is working and move it into other business areas? It’s counterproductive to come from a place of self-criticism and getting down on ourselves. Be open to embracing what you can learn and grow from here.

Now, break it down more granularly. Start with “What is Working?” What is working in your finances? What is working productivity-wise? What is working in your team? How about marketing and sales? (Remember that marketing and sales are two sides of the same coin! When they both work well, you see success.)

Take these thoughts and ideas and ask, “How can I expand to achieve the maximum in other areas that will help scale and grow our company? Break down the areas that require support, such as your financial plan, marketing, and sales. Don’t forget to assess the consistency of your brand image and evaluate your sales performance.

Once you have your strategic plan in place, think about how you will implement it. Create a tactical plan to achieve your goals for 2025. In your tactical plan, look at the people or departments needed to execute these areas for your most significant long-term growth, and make sure they are on board and understand what is expected of them. 

• What actionable steps support the strategy and are necessary for success?

• How are you going to hold the organization practically accountable?

The Team Plan

Teams can specify objectives that need to be reached and then create the actions that put these objectives in sequence. This process allows key team members, such as department heads, to accomplish what needs to be done one step at a time, fostering a productive work environment. Importantly, individual goals are aligned with the goals of the organization.

Some helpful thoughts on how to get started with your team plan:

• What is planned for team growth?

• What is working on your team? What's not? 

• Who are you developing? Who are you not developing?

• What’s your motivation for developing the individuals earmarked for growth?

Taking the time now to plan your 2025 goals and strategies will pay off handsomely. You’ll have given your vision a manuscript, thought through each critical dimension needing action plans, and sought feedback and consensus from your key players. Enjoy putting your 2025 strategic plan into effect!

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Ready to Transform Your Business Strategy? 

Get connected with Slater Success today to learn more about developing your Strategic Plan for 2025. Together, we'll harvest the power of creative ideas and inspiration for your business's success. 

No matter what industry you are in, our expertise can guide you towards expanding your business by year-end and for every year to come. Let's collaborate to cultivate innovation, foster customer connections, and set your business to continuous success.