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It’s one thing to have an idea or vision, however strategically carrying out the steps required to bring the vision to life can quite often be challenging. We discuss why planning is the key to success, and how you can create and implement a simple plan to help you on your way!
If you’re already ready to get started on your OPP , download our FREE template to get planning now…
Is There a Need to Plan?
As the old saying goes failing to plan is planning to fail.
Planning is the process of stepping out actions required today to bring your plans to reality.
In business, resources are often stretched extremely thin. Therefore, having a written plan plays a greater role in achieving your goals and, when done right, they enable the best use of your resources and keep you accountable in achieving the required outcomes.
What is a One Page Plan [OPP]?
A One Page Plan is a simple tool that allows you to set goals for your business and note down actions you will need to take to achieve these goals. The plan is simple to use – once you have completed it, post it up somewhere you and your staff can see it regularly (the fridge in the kitchen or on the notice board). For a successful plan, the goals and actions should be front of mind for everyone involved in the business.
The goals of a OPP are to:
- Analyse and prioritise goals;
- Communicate business goals with staff;
- Identify smart key performance measurements;
- Set time frames and responsibilities for the competition of the actions, and;
- Review outcomes and adjust plans.
While a OPP can have many variations however we offer a template in which we directly focus on WHERE you want to be, where you are NOW and HOW you will get from NOW to WHERE.
1. WHERE do we want/need to be?
Who are your target customers?
Where do you want be positioned in your market?
What are your short-term goals?
2. Where are we NOW?
What are the key challenges that you currently have in achieving your goals? Develop a list and prioritise the key challenges that your business is facing.
3. HOW are we going to move from where we are now to where we want/need to be?
Focusing on a short list of key challenges [3-4], develop smart objectives targeted at overcoming these challenges. I.e. Items which need to be completed in the short term which focus on our long term goals.
How to Evaluate the OPP
We find that a OPP works best in 90-day cycles – short enough to trigger immediate actions and long enough to allow for some results. We would typically recommend that plans are reviewed and monitored monthly, with a detailed quarterly review.
Monthly Reviews – Serve to monitor and evaluate the progress and the status of the planned actions, and to review and discuss issues and roadblocks which may come to light.
Quarterly Reviews – Are a review of our WHERE & NOW, have our plans changed in light of new achievements or changing goals, can we work down the list of key challenges originally set and assign new actions and responsibilities to be achieved over the next 90 days.
So Where Do I Begin?
Often the where is the easiest place to start by setting realistic goals no longer than 5 years out, and these could include sales targets, profitability, client/customer satisfaction, office/factory relocation, work/life balance, business size, new markets/products etc.
Once you have your WHERE agreed on, review your NOW and, lastly, develop your HOW.
HOW is often the most difficult section and there is no one-size-fits-all solution, as the HOW is dependant on your WHERE and NOW.
At Mead Partners, we use an array of tools to help drive the decision-making process (some of which we will provide more information on in future blogs, so please stay tuned!) In the meantime, we’ve provided a FREE copy of our OPP template to help you get started.
If you require further assistance feel free to contact our office for more information. Good luck!
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