A clear strategy needs to be easily applied every day in your organisation as you run towards fulfilling your God-given mission. The more complicated the strategy, the harder it is to apply. The following five practical principles will equip your ministry to put your strategy to work, to stay focused on what matters most and avoid getting distracted by everything else.
Reflection: Could a new team member explain your strategy after five minutes?
Here are five practices that you can use to apply into your organisation:
The page is not a 1-person job – designed and then sent to the team. Include your team in the process. Get your Board to sign off if appropriate.
Aim for every strategic priority to have one accountable leader. Several people may contribute and be involved in the application, but accountability is more effective when it rests with one person.
3. Connect it to individual plans
It is impactful when every team member can connect their work to the one-page plan, and specifically into a strategic priority. Give each team member time to review the plan, make the link and then ask them the talk about the link.
For a larger organisation: The one-page strategy provides the shared direction. It may be necessary for each department to have a plan explaining how that direction will be implemented.
4. Use it to make decisions
When you are making decisions encourage your team to ask: “How does this opportunity help us advance one of our strategic priorities?”
The strategy guides decisions about:
- New opportunities
- Funding proposals
- Recruitment
- Budgets
- Programmes
- Partnerships
- What to stop doing
Keep your one-page strategy visible during team conversations. Have it printed and on your workspaces, not stored in a folder.
A practical rhythm of review could be:
- Monthly leadership review of annual milestones
- Quarterly Board or governance review of strategic progress
- Annual refresh of targets and milestones
- Full strategic review at the end of the agreed period or after a major contextual change