As I’ve discussed often around this time of year, exploring the use of a One Page Strategy (OPS) can be helpful as you create a vision for the year(s) and need to communicate “how we’re actually going to get there.”
The One Page Strategy (OPS) has helped many pull together strategic and yearly plans and goals all on one sheet. The idea is that by putting it on one sheet you can look at it throughout the year to make progress on those goals.
Not only are all your goals and projects on one sheet, it also holds you and your team accountable as you look at it from time to time throughout the year to measure your effectiveness in achieving your goals.
The OPS starts with your Mission. Your mission answers for customers, community and stakeholders: who you are, what you do or produce, why you do it and for whom you do it for. A TED talk with Simon Sinek helps with finding and defining mission: Start With Why
This section also includes the Vision. Imagine yourself in a hot air balloon looking down at your next 3-5 years. What do you hope to see by the end? That’s your vision. Or, if you had a million dollars, what/how would your organization look different/better? Freeing ourselves of immediate financial burden, can sometimes help us think and dream about what we "really" want out of our organization, team or personal life. Your vision should be lofty, but attainable. An example is “One day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.” (Teach for America) Or, “To entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds and innovative technologies that make ours the world’s premier entertainment company.” (Disney)
After the mission and the vision, there are 5-6 Strategies you need to plan to implement to help you achieve your Mission and Vision. The most common ones are operations, mission/vision/values, finances, customers/members, marketing & communication, infrastructure/storefront, innovation/technology... You can choose what you think are the 6 "buckets" you need to constantly focus on in your organization to make your vision work!
Underneath the Strategies are your SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented, Time-bound). “Lose x amount of weight by y,” “Get x license and complete y projects by z” are all good examples of goals you could set. Make them action-oriented. Ask after each goal, is it Specific, is it Measurable, is it Attainable, is it Results-oriented (can I measure our results and how/when), and is it Time-Bound (by when)?
Finally, put the key initiatives/tasks you plan to do over the next year(s) to accomplish your goals. “Set up a Point of Sales system,” "Find and prepare vendor space/building" "Get a loan from the bank."
You will be amazed what you write down and what you accomplish even in a year.
Tips:
Find some quiet, thoughtful time to brainstorm. Get a box of post its and sharpies and walk through each Strategy bucket, write all the ideas that come down. Put them on a wall and see where/if the fit into buckets: for example, while focusing on marketing, all of these have to do with social media... all of these have to do with customer database management...
While you’re filling this out ask yourself these important questions: What is important to me? What does success look like to me?
I tend to hang those draft goals and initiatives above my desk for about a month. As ideas come up, I write them down. If I rethink a strategy or initiative, I might edit it.
Keep it handy, like your work portfolio or tacked above your desk either at work or home. You don’t have to look at it every week, but it's good to quarterly go back and be re-energized and re-focused.
You’re not supposed to accomplish everything. Be proud of what you did accomplish. What did you learn? What was hard? What was important? What can you adjust for next year’s OPS?
Why do vision statements, change initiatives, New Year resolutions, and Post COVID plans fail?:
We haven't created enough dissatisfaction with where we are (why change or do something different if we don't feel pain?)
We lack a clear and compelling vision of where we are going (you haven't demonstrated the purpose, picture, plan, performance metric or my part in the vision)
We lack people to support it (we haven't spent enough time on the EQ, relationship portion of the plan/vision)
So if this sounds like something you've seen before, try utilizing a One Page Strategy document to help. Why does an OPS work:
It creates a clear snapshot of your vision/plan on one page
It's focused
It cascades the plan down to everyone
It show's everyone's part in the bigger picture
It creates accountability, responsibility and buy in
Good luck and I hope the OPS brings you success, empowerment, and accomplishment!
If you like this concept and want to learn more about how to create a team that sees (and implements) your vision, I encourage you to head on over to my free course on Udemy to learn more about it!