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What if your strategic plan has actually caused more harm than good?
Perhaps the board and administration got together for a few days or even spent some months hammering out a long-term plan.
But is it really making a difference? Did the process used to create the plan strengthen relationships, build leadership capacity, and improve the culture?
Strategic plans can become landmines for school administrators because of the stresses caused from trying to maintain engagement and trust throughout a process that can undermine both.
Too often the damage caused by strategic planning leaves the organization ill-prepared to achieve the desired goals.
What are some signs that your plan may have missed the mark?
Your strategic plan may be killing your school if …
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It doesn’t even exist.
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It’s just a list of resolutions that are vague and unmeasurable.
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It ignores or misunderstands the data.
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It was created through an unfortunate process that disrupted the leadership and forced unhealthy changes.
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It was based on the wrong questions.
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The journey to create the plan caused more harm than good.
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The planning team looked to the successes of other schools in an attempt to "cut and paste" success.
(I shared this list of unintended consequences of strategic planning with a school board last week, and the board chair said, "Wow, we hit 50% of them--not good!")
Another major issue with your strategic plan may be that it fails to identify and build on your strengths. A growth plan should define the steps to create a desirable and sustainable future that leverages your specific individual and organizational genius.
Clarity is a key discipline of organizational health and should be one of the primary outcomes of an effective plan. This is more likely to occur when the planning leadership is well structured, and a communication protocol and plan are created and executed in a manner that sustains cohesiveness.
Our unique data-driven process for Strategic Growth Planning advances leadership capacity, organizational health, and continuous improvement. It is designed to achieve short-term, tactical success while also casting a vision for the future that will impact quality, enrollment, and funding.
If your strategic plan has expired or is irrelevant, let's schedule a call to explore the options to create a Growth Plan that will enable greater joy and success.
To view a video on How Your Strategic Plan is Killing You and How to Fix it CLICK HERE.
