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.
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.
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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