1. A succinct and compelling statement of our reason for existence.
2. A statement of our core work, products and services.
3. Who we serve and how they benefit.
4. A basis for daily decisions about the work I do and we do.
5. We create the statement and are mobilized by it.
   
   

1. Guiding principles for how we do business.
2. Underlying beliefs about what is important to us as an organization.
3. Critical to success of our organization and support achievement of our mission.
4. Drive the behaviors we want to model with ourselves and our customers.
5. We create them and commonly embrace them.
   
   

1. A compelling picture of our future.
2. A statement of what our organization will be like as we achieve our mission.
3. Describes our optimum achievements and results.
4. Draws us to create the culture we need/want.
5. We visualize it together and mutually aspire to its fulfillment.
   
   

1. A broad statement, describing a desired outcome.
2. A clear and compelling challenge to the organization (perhaps a stretch).
3. A driving force which creates momentum and helps to make a difference.
4. Arises from and consistent with the Values, Mission and Vision.
5. We create the goals together and all commit to their fulfilment.
   
   

1. The method by which a goal will be achieved.
2. Defines objective measures of success (how we know a goal is accomplished).
3. Incorporates scope of work for each step: deliverables, human and financial resources required, person responsible for oversight, date of start and completion.
4. For each participant, answers the question "What will I do tomorrow to accomplish my part of the plan?"
5. Created with participation of the people involved, who commit to their fulfilment.

Development of an action plan is the last step in strategic planning. The process is quite simple, but requires discipline and perseverance to work through it. With the pressure of other daily tasks and agenda items, well-meaning staff members and work groups tend to let action planning slip. That's why organizations often bring in a facilitator and schedule a dedicated block of time to wrap up their action planning. In my experience, it takes about 90 minutes to two hours for a small group to complete an action plan. Don't try to do more than two in a day. (Here are instructions and a downloadable Action Planning Form.)

For each strategic goal, have the group brainstorm possible steps (sometimes referred to as strategies or tactics) that might need to be taken for the goal to be achieved. (Don't worry about the order at this stage, just generate options.) For example:

Goal: Demonstrate inefficiency of child labor.

Possible Steps:
Break crown
Fall down
Go up the hill
Fetch a pail of water

Ask the group to organize the steps in order of earliest to latest. You may delete, consolidate, or add steps as you do this. For example:

1. By what measurable outcome will we know the step is complete? For example:

2. By what date (time in this example) should that outcome be achieved?

3. By what date (time in this example) would the step need to start in order for the completion date to be achieved?

4. Who (i.e. human resources) needs to be involved to complete this step?

5. Who will take the lead in ensuring that this step begins and ends on time? (It is essential that a particular individual be designated the lead human resource for each step. If you list multiple names or a department or a committee there will be no accountability, deadlines will slip, and it will be much more difficult to monitor status of the plan.)

6. What other resources are necessary to ensure that this step can be completed (e.g. budget, equipment, contract)? (Don't bother listing other resources if they are already available to the organization.)

7. Designate a "champion" for the action plan. This is someone who agrees to keep track of the status of the action plan, report that status to the board or executive staff group.

Champion: Mother Goose

Action Plan
Organization: Nursery Rhymes, Inc.
Goal: Demonstrate inefficiency of child labor.
Champion: Mother Goose

Periodically – I recommend quarterly, but not less than twice a year – document and report progress of the plan to the board or executive staff group. Celebrate successes, trouble-shoot obstacles, modify the plan to reflect changed conditions. The champion takes the lead in preparing and delivering the report.

Here's an expansion of the action planning form which is easy to complete and to review. (In this example, I use a time for the update. Most action plans would use a date.)

Action Plan
Organization: Nursery Rhymes, Inc.
Goal: Demonstrate inefficiency of child labor.
Champion: Mother Goose
Date of Draft or Update: 11:55 am

Download these instructions and an Action Plan Template (the last page of the document) in Microsoft Word here.