Strategic
planning is an important business tool. It is impossible nowadays to make
plans, set goals and objectives for a particular business or execute a certain
project, without first making a strategic plan.
It
doesn't matter if the company is small, medium or large. If you are not
planning the next steps and executing your actions well, you may be missing
great chances of creating a competitive advantage in your line of business. See
what strategic plan template is and what are its benefits or objectives?
What
is a strategic plan template?
You
may have heard this phrase: a company that does not plan does not know what it
wants to achieve and does not direct its actions towards it.
Well,
a company’s strategic plan template is an analytical process in which the
company defines which strategies it will adopt to achieve the goals set. These,
in turn, are prepared according to the resources available to make this happen.
Planning
is based on the analysis of the company and how it relates to the market in
which it operates. Thus, it seeks to focus its actions on generating long-term
results and business growth.
In
summary, we can say that a strategic plan template seeks to answer three main
questions:
- Where
am I?
- Where
do I want to go?
- How to
get there?
In
a strategic plan template, it is possible to identify some steps. See here what
are the strategic plan template steps :
1
- Analysis of the scenario
In
this first stage, it is time for you to analyze the scenario in which your company
is inserted or that you want to be part of - which is valid in the case of new
organizations.
In
other words, the essence of this initial phase is to make a diagnosis of the
market, both internally and externally.
Also,
identify how they can influence your company.
Internally,
you need to assess what are the strengths that can be achieved and capitalized
on by your company.
And
one cannot forget also the weaknesses, that is, the limitations that must be
overcome in any environment, be it technical, financial or human resources,
among others.
In
the external environment, it is necessary to understand how opportunities and
threats can impact the progress of your business both now and in the future.
Here,
it is time to take political, social and economic aspects into account during
the analysis.
To
plan it is necessary to understand the context through the analysis of the
internal and external environment. This analysis allows the organization to
perceive its situation about the competition or to the objectives, so that it
can establish strategies of impact and changes, for correction or improvement.
In
this phase, it is possible to use the data collected by Business Intelligence
to assist managers and executives in the elaboration of an informed strategic
plan.
Find Out: How to manage them and get the company to succeed
Find Out: How to manage them and get the company to succeed
2
- Definition of objectives
The
second stage of strategic business planning is to define the company's
objectives. That is, where your company wants to go.
For
that, the starting point should be an analysis of historical data of the business,
referring to profitability, billing, expenses, and positioning.
Based
on this information, you can project goals for the future and work in the long
term.
Ideally,
objectives should be quantifiable, or at least verifiable. Otherwise, how will
you know if you are going the right way?
Without
measuring, there is nothing to manage, correct or improve.
3
- Definition of strategies
This
is the most challenging and creative step in the process. This is because the
time has come to plan how the defined objectives will be achieved. That is, how
your company will get where it wants to go.
Remembering
that each strategy must be closely linked to one or more of these previously
established objectives. Also, don't forget that it can be changed whenever the scenario
changes.
Planning
is a guide, but it is not cast. If something does not go as desired, it needs
to be reviewed.
4
- Elaboration of an action program
The
fourth stage involves the materialization of the previous ones. In general,
this is the time to sit down with your team, define a program of actions and
create a schedule with a forecast of when they will be implemented.
This
level of organization is what will allow actions to be carried out in a
rational and orderly manner, allowing for possible adjustments in planning.
How
to do a strategic plan template?
Well,
now that you know the steps of the strategic plan template, it's time to get
your hands dirty. See in practice how to do a strategic plan template.
The
strategic plan template process must be collaborative, so make sure that your
business departments participate in this process. This care, in addition to
encouraging employee engagement, ensures the development of a common goal and
the management of a realistic strategic plan template.
1
- Determine the goal
Whether
micro or large company, first of all, you need to know where you want to go
with your business:
-
Do you want to gain brand recognition?
-
Increase sales and become a market leader?
Whatever
the main goal, it must reflect the results you need to achieve for the
company's dream to become real.
2
- Analyze the organization
For
your planning to occupy a strategic position, you must make an internal and
external diagnosis of your business.
The
SWOT analysis is one of the methods most used by companies to assess
environments and have important insights into the company.
The
term comes from English and can be applied to identify the strengths
(strengths) and weaknesses (weaknesses) of your business, thus composing the
analysis of the internal environment.
To
complete the diagnosis, it is possible to identify possible opportunities and
avoid threats that may impact the growth of your business.
In
other words, the approach here also includes the external environment.
Define
very well what these characteristics are within your company and, from there,
continue your planning, because the more structured your SWOT analysis is, the
more ideas you will have to structure your company within the business plan.
3
- Determine the mission, vision, and values
It
is important to know the main guidelines of a company: mission, vision, and
values.
Mission:
defines
the company's responsibility to its customers. What you must deliver to them;
Vision: definition of what the company intends
to be in the long term from the product or service it has;
Values:
defines
the principles on which the company is based, such as credibility, efficiency,
quality. They can be seen as the basic rules that guide employees.
The
principles serve as guides for the company and all employees. If you already
have an identity in your company, check if it is not time to rethink the
strategy, depending on the time it was created, and in that the business plan
can help a lot.
4
- Identify your target audience (persona)
There
is no point in creating strategies that will not relate and interact with the
audience. Therefore, the creation of the buyer's personas of your business is
essential for the communication to be assertive.
And
when we talk about personas, we are referring to the ideal customer profile for
your company.
A
good way to identify one or more profiles is to conduct research with your
contact base and try to get to know it better. Look for demographic
information, your consumption habits, your goals, challenges, and needs.
Thus,
you can align your strategy with the expectations of your audience.
5
- Define objectives, strategies, and goals
Definition
of objectives and goals, that is, what the company intends to achieve. Where
and when you want to arrive. It is important to know how to identify the target
audience for each action and each objective.
Goals
The
goals go hand in hand with the objectives, they are tasks to be carried out in
a determined period so that the objective is reached. Goals must be measurable
as well as realistic.
Strategy
formulation and implementation, where the plan is chosen to achieve the goals
and objectives previously defined. In formulating strategies, it is important
to check the resources available for the implementation of the strategy, and to
define which resources are most appropriately applied to the chosen strategy;
Obtaining
feedback and control, where those responsible verify the results of the
strategic plan template.
6
- Plan the action
It's
time to materialize your goals and objectives. To ensure that they are carried
out, you need to define the paths you will take to get where you want.
That
is, plan the execution of the strategies, your game plan. Whether one or more,
the important thing is that the actions of this plan positively influence the
achievement of the goals and that they have well defined which action, how, who
and how it will be carried out.
7
- Monitor and evaluate the results
With
the plan in place and the strategies at stake, you must always be monitoring
and evaluating the results obtained. That is why it is so important that the
goal is easily measurable.
This
makes it possible to identify what is working, as well as failures in the
action, allowing adjustment and optimizations to avoid losses.
Were
you able to understand the importance of a strategic plan template? Did you
understand that trying to manage a business without a strategy offers a
shortcut to failure?
The
high competitiveness of the current market demands more from the manager. It is
not possible to put out unexpected fires, as they could be avoided. It is
necessary to have goals, focus and strive for better results.
If
you understand, tactical and operational strategic plan template needs to be on
the agenda.
The
strategic plan template is an important tool to ensure healthy and sustainable
growth for your company!
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