Learn what strategic planning is, why it is important and how it can help you achieve your goals. Get an overview of the basic principles that make up the model.
This is part 1 of the course ‘Green card in strategic planning and implementation’
Introduction to Strategic Planning and Implementation
In this first module we go through the central concepts of the GoalEnvision model for strategic planning. You will gain a deeper understanding of how vision, mission statement, growth targets, strategic goals, conditions and activities are connected and build on each other. By understanding these basic concepts, it becomes easier to form a clear strategy and create a sustainable action plan that leads to success.
Here is an overview of the model's elements and how they relate to each other:
1. Vision
Your organization's vision is the long-term, inspiring direction that guides everything you do. It acts as a north star that motivates both individuals and teams to work towards bigger and more meaningful goals. A well-crafted vision not only drives internal alignment, but also serves as a powerful communication tool for the market, signaling your values and offerings to customers.
Example of a vision: A greener planet through sustainable renewable energy technology.
Why is the vision important?
A strong vision provides answers to "why" your organization exists. It provides a framework for decision-making, inspires employees and communicates the company's purpose to the outside world. A clear vision helps to ensure that everyone is moving in the same direction, making it easier to coordinate the efforts of all teams and departments.
More examples of visions:
Sustainable energy: A greener planet through sustainable renewable energy technology.
Health and healthcare: To improve people's lives through advanced medical technology.
IT and technology: To create a more connected world through innovative digital solutions.
Education: To inspire and educate the next generation of leaders and innovators.
Retail: Giving customers a unique and memorable shopping experience.
Finance and banking: Enabling financial security and growth for all.
Environment and sustainability: To protect and preserve our planet for future generations.
Transport and logistics: To deliver goods quickly, safely and reliably worldwide.
Food and drink: To offer healthy and sustainable food for everyone.
Culture and entertainment: Uniting people through powerful stories and creativity.
Real life example:
When we created our vision, we realized that the most important thing was to really understand what we wanted to achieve in the long term. We asked ourselves, what drives us? What do we want our customers and employees to feel? The answer to these questions became our guiding principle when formulating our vision. We focused on not only inspiring our team, but also communicating clearly with our customers about the values we stand for. The result was a vision that everyone in the organization could agree on and work towards with passion and commitment.
Good advice when creating a vision:
Keep your vision simple and easy to understand.
Make sure the vision is inspiring for both employees and customers.
Involve your team in the process to get their commitment.
Update the vision as needed to keep it relevant.
Best practices for creating a vision
Keep it simple and clear: A vision should be easy to understand and remember.
Inspire both employees and customers: Make the vision meaningful to internal and external stakeholders.
Involve your team: Involve your team in the process of creating the vision for greater buy-in and alignment.
Review and update as needed: Make sure your vision remains relevant as your organization evolves.
Self-reflection questions
Take a moment and think about your current or potential vision:
Does your vision agree with your organization's long-term goals? Think about whether your current vision really reflects where you want to be in 5-10 years.
How does your vision inspire your team? Consider whether your vision engages your employees and motivates them to work towards common goals.
Is your vision customer-focused? Ask yourself if your vision clearly communicates to customers what you offer and what values you stand for.
Discussion questions for the team
Bring these questions to your next team meeting to engage your colleagues in refining or creating a vision:
What do we want to achieve as a team in the long term? Discuss the overall direction your team or company should take. This will help define a coherent vision.
How can we make our vision more inspiring and actionable? Explore ways to make your vision more relevant, motivating and concrete for both employees and customers.
How well does our current vision align with our daily work? Evaluate whether the team's daily activities reflect the organization's vision. If not, discuss what changes could be made to improve compliance.
Which values do we want to communicate to the market? Think about what message you want to send to customers through your vision and how this can affect your brand's reputation and position in the market.
2. Mission statement
Your mission statement describes how your organization creates value for its customers. It translates the vision into actionable terms and describes what you do, for whom and how. A strong mission statement clarifies your purpose and guides your business, ensuring it is aligned with both your vision and market demands.
Example of a mission description: Develop and deliver innovative and sustainable solutions in solar and wind energy that create long-term value for homeowners.
Why is the mission statement important?
A well-defined mission statement is essential for operational success and strategic clarity. It helps ensure that everyone in the organization understands their roles and how they contribute to the larger goals. A clear mission statement also facilitates effective communication with stakeholders, which increases trust and commitment.
More examples of mission statements:
Sustainable energy: Develop and deliver innovative and sustainable solutions in solar and wind energy that create long-term value for home owners.
Health and healthcare: Provide accessible and high-quality healthcare through digital platforms and advanced medical technology.
IT and Technology: Design and develop cutting-edge software solutions that improve business efficiency and security.
Education: Deliver engaging and interactive educational programs that prepare students for the job market of the future.
Retail: Create a personalized online shopping experience through the use of data analytics and customer-focused solutions.
Finance and banking: Offer innovative financial services that simplify personal finance and promote financial security.
Environment and sustainability: Develop products and services that minimize environmental impact and promote a sustainable future.
Transportation and logistics: Deliver reliable and efficient transportation solutions that support global trade and growth.
Food and Beverage: Create healthy and nutritious products that meet consumer expectations for sustainability.
Culture and Entertainment: Produce and distribute culturally relevant and engaging media that reaches a global audience.
This is how it can be done:
When we designed our mission statement, we realized that the most important thing was to understand our market and our customers in depth. We analyzed their needs and wishes, and focused on developing a mission statement that not only met these, but also exceeded their expectations. By being clear about what we offer, how we do it, and for whom, we were able to create a strong mission statement that guided our work and our communication, both internally and externally.
Best practices for creating a mission statement
Conduct a thorough market analysis: Understand customer needs and market trends.
Keep it clear and concrete: Make sure everyone in the organization understands what you do, for whom, and how.
Link it to your vision: Make sure your mission aligns with and supports your long-term goals.
Communicate internally and externally: Create understanding and commitment by sharing your mission with all stakeholders.
Keep it flexible: Be ready to adapt your mission as market conditions change.
Self-reflection questions
Reflect on your current mission statement:
How well does your mission match the customers' needs? Consider whether your mission meets the current requirements and pain points of your target group.
Is your mission clear and understandable to your team? Consider whether everyone on the team can articulate your mission and understand its meaning.
How does your mission support the overall vision of your organization? Evaluate whether your mission contributes to achieving your long-term goals.
Discussion questions for the team
Bring these questions to your next team meeting to facilitate discussions about your mission:
What are our customers' current needs, and how well are we meeting them? Explore how effectively your mission meets the needs of your target market and identify any gaps.
How can we refine our mission statement to better align with our vision? Discuss potential adjustments or improvements to ensure your mission supports long-term goals.
What changes in the market can affect our mission, and how can we adapt? Identify trends or shifts in your industry and brainstorm ways to change or develop your mission.
How can we effectively communicate our mission to our customers and stakeholders? Explore strategies for sharing your mission both internally and externally to build engagement.
Additional activity for teams
Mission Workshop: Organize a creative session where team members present new ideas for your mission or improvements to the existing one. Use a structured format where each participant presents their idea, followed by group feedback and discussions around feasibility and how it aligns with the organization's vision.
3. Growth target
Growth targets focus on expanding the size or scope of your organization. It could be about increasing sales, attracting more customers or expanding into new markets. Setting clear and measurable growth targets is crucial for guiding the organization's development and measuring success.
Example of a growth target: Achieve a market share of at least 25% for products in solar and wind energy.
Why are growth targets important?
Growth targets are important for several reasons:
Direction: They provide a clear direction for the organization's efforts.
Motivation: Ambitious yet achievable, they inspire teams to strive for success.
Measurement: They enable organizations to track progress and adjust strategies as needed.
More examples of growth targets:
Sustainable energy: Increase installed renewable energy capacity by 50% within three years.
Health and healthcare: Expand our telemedicine service to include at least 100,000 new patients annually.
IT and technology: Increase the market share of our security software to 30% within two years.
Education: Open five new campuses in metropolitan areas within the next five years.
Retail: Double the number of active users in our e-commerce platform within two years.
Finance and banking: Increase the customer base by 20% by offering new digital banking services.
Environment and sustainability: Expand the product range by 25% by introducing new environmentally friendly products every year.
Transport and logistics: Increase transport capacity by 40% by investing in a new fleet of trucks.
Food and Beverage: Expand distribution to five new international markets within three years.
Culture and entertainment: Increase audience base by 50% by launching a new global streaming service.
A real example:
When we set our growth targets, we understood that it was crucial to link these goals to our overall business strategy. We focused on identifying key markets and customer segments where we saw the greatest growth potential. By setting ambitious but achievable targets, we were able to mobilize the entire organization to work towards common success. Our growth targets became a clear direction that guided our decisions and priorities, and inspired the team to strive for continuous improvement.
Best practices for setting growth targets
Make goals measurable: Make sure your growth targets are quantifiable and clearly defined.
Align with the vision: Link your growth targets to your overall vision and mission statement to ensure they support long-term goals.
Identify key markets: Focus on key markets and segments where growth is most realistic and sustainable.
Communicate clearly: Share your growth targets with the entire organization to engage and focus all employees.
Stay adaptable: Be ready to adjust your growth targets as market conditions or organizational resources change.
Learning activity
Market research
Research an industry of your choice and identify potential growth opportunities. Think about how you would present your findings to the team and how you would connect your insights to these opportunities to shape growth targets.
Self-reflection questions
Think about your growth targets:
What specific growth targets would you set for an organization you admire or work for? Consider how these targets would align with the company's vision and market position.
How can you measure the success of these growth targets? Consider what metrics or indicators would show progress.
What challenges might arise in achieving these growth targets? Reflect on potential obstacles and how they can be overcome.
Discussion questions for the team
Use these questions to facilitate discussions around growth targets:
What growth opportunities do you see in today's market? Encourage team members to share insights and brainstorm ideas.
How can organizations effectively communicate their growth targets to inspire their teams? How can your organization do it? Discuss strategies to promote engagement and commitment.
What role does adaptability play in achieving growth targets? Explore how organizations can remain flexible in the face of changing circumstances.
4. Strategic perspectives
Strategic perspectives are different points of view or areas that you use to look at and evaluate the strategic goals. These perspectives are central to creating a coherent and credible strategy. By placing strategic goals in perspective, you can ensure a comprehensive understanding and effective implementation of the strategy. In this way, it becomes clear how the goals relate to each other and how they contribute to achieving the organization's overall aims and vision.
Example of strategic perspective: The market perspective focuses on understanding trends and customer needs to develop competitive offerings.
The strategic perspectives:
Market: Focus on understanding the outside world, trends, competitors and the society that affects our offer.
Sales: Focus on sales strategies, marketing, sales goals and growing the customer base.
Operations: Focus on internal processes, streamlining and quality improvements.
People: Focus on employees' skill development, well-being and commitment.
Finance: Focus on financial goals, budget management and financial sustainability.
Application of strategic perspectives:
When determining your strategic perspectives, you should consider the importance of aligning them with your overall business strategy. Focus on identifying key markets and customer segments with the greatest growth potential. By setting ambitious yet achievable goals, you can mobilize the entire organization to work towards common success. Your strategic perspectives should be clear guidelines that guide your decisions and priorities, and that inspire the team to strive for continuous improvement. .
Examples of strategic perspectives in different industries:
Sustainable energy:
The market perspective: We have continuously analyzed global trends in renewable energy and adapted our offerings to meet the increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions.
The sales perspective: We have implemented a targeted sales strategy to reach new markets and increase our market share in solar installations.
Health and healthcare:
The people perspective: We have ensured high competence and satisfaction among healthcare staff through regular training and improved working conditions, which has led to improved patient care.
The operations perspective: We have optimized our internal processes to reduce waiting times and improve the patient experience at our clinics.
IT and technology:
The operations perspective: We have continuously improved our internal processes to develop new technologies faster and more efficiently, which has helped us meet changing customer needs.
The sales perspective: We have successfully implemented a sales strategy targeting enterprise customers, which has increased our sales of cloud services.
Education:
The market perspective: We have carefully analyzed the demands of the labor market and developed training programs that are tailored to meet the needs of both students and companies.
The sales perspective: We have implemented campaigns aimed at employers to increase the enrollment of students in our certification programs.
Retail:
The operations perspective: We have streamlined our supply chain and improved the customer experience by implementing faster and more reliable delivery processes.
The sales perspective: We have launched a loyalty program that has increased customer retention and sales in our physical and online stores.
Finance and banking:
The financial perspective: We have strengthened our financial stability by streamlining our cost structures and carefully managing risks.
The people perspective: We have implemented training programs to improve our employees' skills in financial advice and customer service, which has led to increased customer satisfaction.
Environment and sustainability:
The operational perspective: We have integrated sustainability goals into all our operational processes to reduce our environmental impact and increase energy efficiency.
The sales perspective: We have developed a sales strategy that emphasizes our environmentally friendly products and have successfully increased our market share.
Transport and logistics:
The operations perspective: We have optimized our logistics by implementing advanced route planning tools, which has reduced our transportation costs and improved delivery times.
The financial perspective: We have increased our profitability by streamlining our transport processes and reducing fuel costs.
Food and drink:
The financial perspective: We have ensured high profitability by optimizing cost efficiency in the production of high-quality food and beverages.
The sales perspective: We have successfully increased our market share by launching new products that appeal to health-conscious consumers.
Culture and entertainment:
The market perspective: We have carefully studied cultural trends and consumer behaviors to create content that engages a broad audience.
The sales perspective: We have increased the sales of our digital media through targeted marketing campaigns that reach our target group effectively.
Best practices for working with the strategic perspectives
Working with the strategic perspectives requires both a holistic view and a focused methodology to ensure that each area receives sufficient attention. Here are some best practices for successfully working with the five strategic perspectives: Market, Sales, Operations, People and Finance.
Define clear goals for each perspective: Each perspective requires clear, specific goals that can be broken down into measurable results. Use SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound) to ensure that each goal is realistic and linked to the organization's overall strategy.
Use data to understand the current situation: Data and analytics are essential to get a clear picture of the current situation from every perspective. Use market analysis, customer feedback, employee surveys, and financial reports to create a foundation to build on.
Ensure a balance between the perspectives: All perspectives are important to create a long-term and sustainable strategy. Avoid over-focusing on one perspective (e.g. finances) at the expense of others (e.g. employees). A balanced strategy ensures that all parts of the business support each other.
Create cross-functional teams: Involving different departments and competencies in working on the strategic perspectives helps create a broader understanding and better solutions. Assemble teams with representatives from sales, marketing, finance and operational functions to bring in different perspectives.
Follow-up and adaptation: Regular follow-up is the key to success. Use key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress in each perspective, and be prepared to adjust strategy based on new data and insights. Adaptability is crucial in today's fast-moving business climate.
Self-reflective questions
As you work through the strategic perspectives, reflect on the following questions to ensure you cover all key areas and understand their impact on the overall strategy.
How well do I know the current status of each strategic perspective in our organization? Are there any areas where we need more information or better understanding?
Which perspectives do I tend to focus on the most? Am I spending enough time on all perspectives, or are there perspectives that risk being overlooked?
How does each perspective contribute to the overall success of our company? Reflect on how, for example, employee engagement or process improvements affect the customer experience and financial sustainability.
What can I do to ensure that we maintain a balanced view of the strategic perspectives? Are our strategic goals within each perspective aligned with each other, or is there a risk that they work against each other?< /li>
How often do we follow up on our goals and KPIs within each perspective? Do we have effective systems in place to regularly monitor and adjust our strategy?
Discussion questions for the team
Use these questions to facilitate a team discussion around the strategic perspectives and how you can improve your joint work in each area.
Which strategic perspective do we see as our greatest strength today? What have we done well within this perspective, and how can we build on this success?
Are there any of the strategic perspectives where we see potential for improvement? How can we work together to strengthen this area and ensure it supports our overall goals?
How can we better integrate the different strategic perspectives in our daily work? What can we do to ensure that each perspective is taken into account when we make decisions and set goals?
How can we ensure that each department or team feels responsible for the goals within its perspective? How can we create participation and commitment to achieve our strategic goals?
Which key indicators should we monitor more frequently to ensure we are making progress across all perspectives? What data sources or analysis tools can help us better understand our progress?
5. Strategic goals and conditions
Strategic goals describe how the growth targets are to be achieved and are anchored in the mission statement and vision. They are linked to strategic perspectives and aim to strengthen competitiveness. The goals require specific conditions, and ambition levels are set to measure progress.
Example of strategic goal from the People perspective: Employees' skills have increased through extensive training programs and certifications in renewable energy and sustainability.
The level of ambition is the standard or level of success that a strategic goal aspires to achieve. It indicates how high you set the bar for the desired result within a specific time frame, usually per month ahead.
Conditions are the basic resources, competences and circumstances needed to reach the set strategic goals. Each condition is linked to one or more strategic goals. We use a traffic light method to show their status:
Green: The condition is met and no action is needed.
Yellow: The condition is partially fulfilled and may require some attention.
Red: The condition is not met and requires action.
Examples of conditions: Regular training, sufficient certifications, leaders who develop their teams, routines, the right equipment in place.
Examples of strategic goals and conditions from different industries:
Sustainable energy: Strategic goal: We are the market leader in solar energy installations. Condition: Access to advanced technology and well-trained technicians.
Health and healthcare: Strategic goal: Our patient satisfaction has increased by 20%. Condition: Sufficient staffing and continuous training of healthcare personnel.
IT and technology: Strategic goal: Our development platform for cloud services meets the requirements of users. Condition: High competence in cloud technology and sufficient funding.
Education: Strategic goal: The number of graduated students has increased by 15%. Condition: Implementation of innovative learning methods and digital tools.
Retail: Strategic goal: Customer loyalty has increased by 30%. Condition: Strong CRM platform and customer insights through data analysis.
Finance and banking: Strategic goal: Our transaction costs have been reduced by 10%. Condition: Effective internal processes and modern technology.
Environment and sustainability: Strategic goal: Our carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced by 40% in production. Condition: Investments in sustainable technology and processes.
Transport and logistics: Strategic goal: Our delivery times have been reduced by 25%. Condition: Optimization of delivery routines and investments in new means of transport.
Food and Beverage: Strategic goal: We have launched a new product line for organic beverages. Condition: Access to certified organic raw materials and efficient production capacity.
Culture and entertainment: Strategic goal: We have expanded our media library by 50% in one year. Condition: Partnership with production company and creative team.
A leader tells:
When we set our strategic goals, we identified all the necessary conditions. By analyzing each goal, we were able to identify what resources and competencies were needed, and ensured that these were available or that we began to make them available. This method gave us a clear picture of what was required to achieve our strategic goals and allowed us to act quickly if any condition was not met.
Good advice when setting strategic goals and identifying conditions:
Make sure your strategic goals are measurable and linked to clear business results.
Identify and ensure that all necessary conditions, such as structure, competence and energy are in place.
Use a method like the traffic light model to regularly assess the status of your conditions.
Be flexible and prepared to adjust your goals or conditions if circumstances change.
Communicate clearly with your team about which conditions need to be met and how they can contribute to achieving the goals.
Best practices for working with strategic goals and their conditions
Working with strategic goals and their conditions requires a well-thought-out process to ensure that the organization not only sets ambitious goals, but also creates the right conditions to achieve them. Here are some best practices for how to work effectively with strategic goals and ensure that they are achievable through the right conditions.
Formulate strategic goals as already achieved: A powerful way to work with strategic goals is to formulate them as if they have already been achieved. This helps create a clearer vision of what success means and drives the organization's behavior towards the desired outcome. An example could be: "We have increased our market share by 15% within two years" instead of "We will try to increase our market share."
Analyze the conditions thoroughly: In order to successfully reach strategic goals, the organization must understand which conditions need to be in place. It is about both internal and external factors such as resources, capacity, market dynamics and competition. Each goal must be matched with an analysis of what conditions are missing and how they can be created or strengthened.
Break the goals down into concrete sub-goals: Big strategic goals can sometimes feel overwhelming, so it's important to break them down into manageable sub-goals. This creates clear steps for each department or team to follow and makes it easier to track progress over time. The milestones can also help identify specific conditions that need to be addressed in each phase.
Ensure that the conditions are flexible and adaptable: The conditions for achieving strategic goals are not static. Market conditions may change, resources may become scarcer or new technologies may emerge. It is important that the organization works with conditions that can be adjusted as needed and does not lock itself into a rigid plan.
Create a continuous follow-up of goals and conditions: A successful strategy requires regular follow-up, both of how close the organization is to reaching its goals and whether the necessary conditions are still valid or need to be adjusted. By continuously monitoring key indicators and environmental factors, the organization can act proactively on any changes.
Self-reflective questions
As you work to set strategic goals and understand their conditions, reflect on the following questions to gain deeper insight into how well you and your team are equipped to achieve the goals you set.
How clear and inspiring are our strategic goals? Are the goals formulated in a way that drives the organization forward and gives a clear picture of what we want to achieve?
What conditions do we lack today to reach our goals? Reflect on which internal or external factors may prevent us from reaching our strategic goals and what we can do to overcome these obstacles.< /li>
Are our strategic goals realistic based on today's conditions? Is there a balance between ambition and reality, or do we need to create better conditions to be able to reach our goals?
How adaptable are our conditions? How well equipped are we to handle changes that may affect our goals, such as new market trends, technological changes or changing customer behaviors?
How often do we follow up and adjust our goals and conditions? Reflect on whether you have a structured process to regularly review both the goals and the conditions needed to reach them.
Discussion questions for the team
Use these questions as a basis for a team discussion around strategic goals and conditions. The discussion can help identify gaps in today's strategic work and set a common direction for the future.
Which of our strategic goals do we feel we are most on track to achieve? What has contributed to our progress, and what conditions have been crucial to achieving this progress?
Is there a strategic goal where we have faced setbacks? What conditions have been lacking, and what can we do to remedy these shortcomings and get back on track?
How can we as a team ensure that we continuously work to improve our conditions? What can we do differently in our daily work to strengthen the organization's ability to achieve its goals?
Which external factors do we think can affect our strategic goals going forward? How can we prepare for these factors and create the right conditions to deal with them?
How can we ensure that everyone in the organization is aware of both the goals and the conditions required to reach them? Discuss how communication around goals and conditions can be improved and how you can create greater commitment to reach them.
6. Activiteter
Activities are actions that need to be performed to turn red and yellow conditions into green.
Examples of activities: Holding meetings to plan, conduct market research or train staff.
Examples of activities from different industries:
Sustainable Energy: Conduct training programs to certify solar energy technicians.
Healthcare: Implement regular patient feedback meetings to improve the standard of care.
IT and technology: Conduct market research to identify customer needs for cloud services.
Education: Adapt the curriculum to current labor market requirements through regular reviews.
Retail: Implement new logistics processes to speed up delivery times.
Finance and banking: Organize workshops to improve financial reporting standards.
Environment and sustainability: Implement projects to reduce energy consumption in our production facilities.
Transport and logistics: Invest in optimized route planning tools to streamline transport.
Food and drink: Launch an educational campaign to improve hygiene standards in production.
Culture and entertainment: Develop new marketing strategies to increase audience engagement.
An example:
After we identified the critical conditions for our strategic goals, the next step was to plan and implement specific activities to ensure that all conditions were met. We set up clear areas of responsibility for each activity and closely monitored progress. By regularly holding meetings and reporting on status, we were able to quickly address issues and adjust our activities as needed. This systematic method allowed us to move our conditions from red to green, thereby achieving our strategic goals.
Good advice when planning and carrying out activities:
Clearly define who is responsible for carrying out each activity.
Create a schedule and follow up on progress regularly.
Be flexible and ready to adjust activities based on the results and feedback.
Continuously communicate with the team to ensure everyone is informed and engaged.
Best practices for planning, prioritizing, implementing and following up activities
Activities are the concrete actions that help the organization fulfill its conditions and thus reach its strategic goals. In a well-functioning strategy, each activity is clearly linked to the conditions, and the purpose of the activities is to move the conditions from a challenging state (red or yellow) to a more stable and favorable state (yellow or green). Since the conditions are linked to strategic goals, which in turn aim to achieve growth targets and ultimately the mission statement and vision, a common thread is created through the entire strategy. Below are some best practices for how you can plan, prioritize, implement and follow up activities effectively.
Link activities to conditions: The first step is to ensure that all activities are directly linked to specific conditions. Each activity must aim to improve a condition that is critical to achieving a strategic goal. For each red or yellow condition, identify what activities can be taken to strengthen it and move it closer to an optimal position (green).
Prioritize activities based on critical conditions: Not all conditions are equally important at any given time. Identify which conditions are the most critical to achieving strategic goals and prioritize the activities that have the greatest impact on them. Activities that solve a red or yellow condition should be prioritized, as they are crucial for the business to be able to achieve its strategic goals and growth targets.
Plan activities with clear areas of responsibility and time frames: Each activity should have a clear owner, division of responsibilities and time frame for when it should be carried out. This makes it possible to track progress and ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them. Use specific and measurable goals to ensure that the activities are carried out effectively and produce the desired results.
Ensure that the activities are feasible in terms of resources: Before starting activities, it is important to ensure that they have the right resources to succeed. This includes time, staff, budget and tools. If an activity is under-resourced from the beginning, it risks failure or delay, which can affect the fulfillment of critical conditions and strategic goals.
Implement activities with continuous follow-up: It is not enough to plan activities – follow-up during implementation is crucial. Regular reconciliations ensure that activities are progressing according to plan, and any problems or obstacles can be quickly addressed. This can be done through weekly or monthly meetings where those responsible report on the status of the activities they are responsible for.
Evaluate and adjust activities as needed: After the implementation of an activity, it is important to evaluate its effect on the associated condition. If the activity does not achieve its goal, it needs to be adjusted or supplemented with additional efforts. Flexibility is the key here – strategic conditions can change over time, and activities must be able to adapt to meet new challenges.
Self-reflective questions
When planning and implementing activities, reflect on these questions to ensure that the activities are linked to the conditions and that they have the best possible effect on the organization's strategic goals.
How well are our activities linked to the conditions? Is each activity clearly defined and linked to improving a specific condition critical to our strategic goals?
Have we prioritized the most critical activities? Are we focusing on the activities that will have the greatest impact on the conditions most important to achieving our strategic goals?
Do we have sufficient resources to successfully carry out our activities? Do we have sufficient time, budget, personnel and tools for the activities to be carried out according to plan?
How do we ensure that the activities proceed according to plan? What follow-up mechanisms do we have in place to ensure that the activities are carried out as planned and that any problems are addressed in a timely manner?
How do we evaluate the effect of our activities on the conditions? Do we have a system to evaluate whether our activities actually lead to improvements in the conditions they aim to influence?
Discussion questions for the team
Use these questions as a basis for leading a team discussion about how you plan, prioritize and follow up on activities. The discussion can help clarify roles and identify possible areas of improvement.
Which activities do we see as most critical to improving our current conditions? How do we ensure that we focus our resources and efforts on the right activities?
Are there activities we have planned that are no longer relevant to our current conditions? How can we adjust our activity plan to better adapt to the conditions that are most critical today?
How can we improve our way of working to carry out activities more efficiently? Is there anything we can do differently to improve our use of resources and follow up our activities in a better way?
What challenges have we faced during the implementation of activities, and how can we overcome them? Are there specific problems that have prevented the implementation of certain activities, and what can we do to solve them?< /li>
How can we get better at following up and evaluating the impact of our activities? Are there tools or processes we can implement to improve follow-up and ensure that our activities lead to concrete improvements in conditions ?
Overview of the relationship of the various elements to each other
Vision: The long-term direction that inspires and motivates.
Mission statement: Specify the business that supports the vision.
Growth targets: Targets to expand and grow the organization.
Strategic perspectives: Different angles to ensure a balanced strategy.
Strategic goals and conditions: Qualitative goals for long-term competitiveness and the necessary resources and circumstances to achieve the goals, with traffic light method to show their status.
Activities: The actual implementation of the strategy.
