The following was from an article I wrote at the end of 2015:

“One thing that is always last on the list to address as we moe into the end of the year is the plan for next year. If we wait until next year to think about our strategic plan, it will usually be January, February or even March before anything is in place; and then we need to communicate it, embed it within each team, link it to individual objectives, etc. – this could take another month, at least.  So, we have lost ¼ of the year – time that should be used to accomplish our goals.”

As we have written over and over again, successful organizations don’t happen by chance.  It takes a comprehensive, focused and collaborative effort across all within an organization to drive success.  Increased growth and improved profitability are for those that manage their business; not for those that let their business manage them.

If you are in the camp that vision and mission are just fancy consulting speak that have no real purpose in business, you are not alone.   Quite honestly, during years in private industry, managing large global teams, I had to create the direction for my teams for the future.  Did I call it a vision?  A mission?  No.  I thought these terms were just consulting mumbo jumbo that no one really understood! 

As we move into year-end, there are the usual litany of things that have to get done, including budgets for next year, year-end performance reviews, compensation analyses, etc. The revenue team is trying to close out the current year strong.  You may be thinking about next year in the back of your mind, but it is really not getting the attention it deserves!

A clearly defined strategy is the foundation of any great organization.  Supporting this strategy with prioritized objectives and related action steps provides the stepping-stones to accomplish the organization’s strategy. Further, an engaged workforce, empowered to execute based on the objectives and action steps will not only drive financial results, but will solidify a culture of communication, collaboration and accountability.

Behind closed doors, executive management continually (hopefully) discusses the vision and strategy for their organization.  Whether it is during a specific strategy session, or during ongoing team discussions regarding the business, executive management has a clear plan for their organization.  They also take the time to review progress and adjust the strategy based on market conditions, competitors, company performance, etc.

Unfortunately, what does not happen enough are the next steps required to really embed the vision and strategy in the organization, to every employee, so that executive management can truly execute effectively and efficiently on their strategy.  So once the vision and strategy are set, what are the next steps?