5 Common Reasons a Strategic Plan Never Gets Executed

It happens to all organizations from for-profit to nonprofit and from small to large, a significant portion of strategic plans look great on paper, but that is where they stay. Plans get created and then sit on the shelf or a folder on the hard drive and collect dust (or virtual dust). What causes this? It’s usually not for lack of effort. Typically there is a reason that the plan never comes to fruition. The following blog explores five common reasons why strategic plans are never executed specifically from the point of view of a nonprofit.

Change in Leadership/Direction

We’ve all seen it before, a new Board Chair or Executive Director comes in with their own ideas that differ greatly from the plans of the prior regime.  New leaders need to believe in their own direction, but it can feel deflating to staff or team that went through a Strategic Planning process only to have it scrapped when it comes time to operationalize it.  A plan is only as good as those who can execute it.  A strategic plan needs to be flexible and nimble enough to accommodate a potential change in leadership or direction. 

One thing to keep in mind when onboarding new leadership during a period of change in an organization is that staff understand the new direction. To avoid turnover, ensure the new leadership is actively listening to staff to ensure they become well educated and informed. The same advice holds water when making major changes as it relates to the direction of the organization. This does not preclude an organization from making necessary changes, but it is important to be cognizant of the history of the organization’s strategic planning process.

Not Operational

Unfortunately, many consultants focus more on the “touchy-feely” portion of the Strategic Plan and not enough on operations. These plans focus primarily on what has been heard and does not give enough actionable ways to resolve issues or set a new direction.  It is essential to set a strong foundation from the outset, and it is why a well-conceived planning section is absolutely necessary from the very beginning of the process.  However, far too many strategic plans fail to actually incorporate adequate planning. This section is essential to outlining how to operationalize the plan in the future.  In addition, it ensures that each group’s voice within the organization is heard and can help drive a more cohesive mission and vision.

For further information on this topic, take a look at our blog on The Purpose of a Planning Section in a Strategic Plan for more helpful takeaways on the intent and value of a well-crafted planning section. After all, it is a plan

Too High Level

There are a variety of reasons plans remain too high level.  Sometimes groups settle for just redeveloping the mission and vision (which is not in itself a Strategic Plan, but rather, just a portion of the plan).  In other cases, the plan is trying to be “one size fits all” for much too far in the future and the assumption is the organization will just copy and paste the details and structures from the old, recycled plan.  However, in reality, a Strategic Plan should be optimized in a three to five-year window, which allows enough time for goals to be met, but not too far out into the unknown of the future.  An organization might elect to do a new Strategic Plan every three to five years, but the core mission and vision do not necessarily need to change in the three to five-year timeframe.  Instead, look at the input from internal and external groups, assess strengths and weaknesses, understand how the environment has changed and evolved, and develop new plans from there.  This allows an organization to continue on a high-level path without diluting the plan.

Incomplete

The most common reason Strategic Plans are incomplete is usually a function of hiring the wrong consultant from the outset.  In many cases, the wrong consulting partner only focuses on a piece of the plan.  For example, perhaps their strength is construction and so the focus of the plan is new development but fails to cover other critical areas like fundraising or financial strategy.  In other cases, the plan is incomplete, because they are utilizing templates instead of truly developing a unique plan.  The other area that often gets overlooked and creates an unfinished plan is only seeking internal insights from just the Board or just the staff.  Without customer, partner, and donor information to inform the plan, there are critical components missing that are essential for developing the organization’s trajectory.  External inputs are also often missed because they tend to be more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to collect; however, a good strategic plan needs to factor in all stakeholders.  To that end, check out our blog on What is the Purpose of a Stakeholder Analysis in Strategic Planning.

Wrong Plan

Unfortunately, many strategic plans are ill conceived from the start.  Making sure the right foundation is in place when creating a plan is essential from day one.  The strategic planning process can feel long and overwhelming, but an organization never wants to finish and feel that it has been a waste of precious time, money and energy.  Take a look at what needs to be included in your plan with our Free Strategic Planning Prep Kit which includes links to break down every section of the strategic plan to provide a blueprint of what should be expected from a quality strategic plan. 

NMBL Strategies is proud to offer a team of experienced doers, who have lived through the roles they provide. We offer established credibility to help ensure the success of their clients. For more information regarding our Strategic Planning services, please contact us today.