Pitfalls to avoid in making a strategic plan

For businesses, having a strategic plan in place is vital for the long-term success and sustainability of the business. It serves as a roadmap for your business that gives you a clear direction, sets out the priorities, and helps you to make sure that you are using your resources effectively to reach your goals.

There are some potential drawbacks though and we will discuss a few so that you can avoid them.

Rigidity

A strategic plan can sometimes lead to rigidity. The business becomes too focused on the plan and resists adapting to new opportunities or changes in the market.

It’s important then to strike a balance between sticking to the plan and being flexible. This can be more difficult when a plan is very detailed. Therefore, concentrate on broader concepts rather than nailing down every detail so that flexibility can be built into the plan.

Time-consuming

Developing a strategic plan can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. It needs thorough research and analysis and will likely also involve consulting with other parties. This can all divert attention away from day-to-day activities if you’re not careful.

You need to allocate sufficient time but be careful not to aim for a ‘perfect’ strategic plan. If daily activities are being compromised, then you may be going too far.

Overemphasis on long-term goals

Focusing too much on long-term goals can sometimes lead to neglecting short-term needs and opportunities.

By including short-term objectives and milestones into the strategic plan, you’ll be able to work at things that contribute to the overall vision but give room for finding success and accomplishment in the short term rather than delaying this to a distant future.

Implementation challenges

Even the best strategic plans can fail if they are not implemented effectively.

It is important that you take a strong lead in the business and clearly communicate the plans and objectives to your employees. It is also important to keep monitoring as this will highlight where an objective may not actually be realistic, or it may provide opportunity to readjust so that the business can continue to press forwards.

While creating a strategic plan can be challenging, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. We have useful tools and checklists that can help you to put your strategic plan together. Why not ask us for a copy, we would love to help you in making your business grow and be successful.