How can you ensure that your strategic plan is relevant to the current business environment?

1 Scan the environment

The first step to keeping your strategic plan relevant is to scan the external and internal environment for changes, opportunities, and threats. The external environment includes factors such as market trends, customer needs, competitors, regulations, and technology. The internal environment includes factors such as your strengths, weaknesses, resources, culture, and values. You can use tools such as SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis, or Porter's five forces analysis to conduct a comprehensive and systematic scan of the environment.

2 Review your vision and mission

The next step is to review your vision and mission statements to see if they still reflect your purpose, direction, and values. Your vision statement describes your desired future state, while your mission statement describes your core function and value proposition. Your vision and mission should be clear, concise, and inspiring. They should also be aligned with your organization's vision and mission. If you find that your vision and mission are outdated, vague, or inconsistent, you need to revise them to make them more relevant and compelling.

3 Update your goals and actions

The third step is to update your goals and actions based on the results of your environmental scan and your revised vision and mission. Your goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Your actions should be concrete, realistic, and aligned with your goals. You should also assign responsibilities, resources, and deadlines for each action. You should also identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will help you measure your progress and outcomes.

4 Communicate and engage

The fourth step is to communicate and engage your stakeholders about your updated strategic plan. Your stakeholders include your staff, customers, partners, suppliers, and anyone else who is affected by or interested in your administrative unit. You should communicate your vision, mission, goals, and actions clearly and consistently. You should also solicit feedback, input, and suggestions from your stakeholders. You should also involve them in the implementation and evaluation of your plan. By communicating and engaging your stakeholders, you can increase their awareness, understanding, and commitment to your plan.

5 Monitor and evaluate

The final step is to monitor and evaluate your strategic plan regularly and systematically. You should track your KPIs, collect data, analyze results, and report on your performance. You should also compare your actual performance with your expected performance and identify any gaps, challenges, or risks. You should also celebrate your achievements and recognize your contributions. You should also use the feedback and data you collect to make adjustments and improvements to your plan as needed.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your strategic plan is relevant to the current business environment. You can also improve your administrative unit's effectiveness, efficiency, and impact.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?