Make the changes
This stage is basically putting your plan into practice and dealing with the practicalities that arise on the way.
What something looks like in a carefully crafted plan and what it looks like in reality can be quite different. Partly it's the difference between an ideal and reality. But you also might have to adjust the plans as you go. This includes adjusting your organization's structures to get optimum results.
At a purely technical level, apply the operational and revenue control systems you planned.
As you go
As you go, monitor your progress. Some of it will be informal, but you'll need a simple system, such as regularly looking at the incoming information. If you are aware of what's going on around you, the performance data should seldom give you any surprises.
Be willing to give direction. Don't let circumstances take control of you.
- Keep an eye on the operational and revenue control systems to make sure they are working
- Keep an eye on coordination.
- Monitor the effectiveness of individuals and teams
- Consult with stakeholders to find out how they are adjusting to changes.
- Use the systems, key performance indicators, and targets to monitor your organization's performance and client satisfaction.
- You may be required to work with management and/or go to board meetings to make sure their deliberations and decision-making is effective and informed. This usually means answering their quesitons, asking your own questions, and offering information. Just remember that the Board has the right to make decisions that you disagree with.
- Write any required reports on your activities and achievements. They all need to be accurate but the amount of detail will vary according to the audience; some reports need to be comprehensive.
The way you respond to problems will be essential to success. If you keep in discussion with your stakeholders, you will often find glitches and complaints in, for example, implementing new procedures. Some problems will be glitches in your system that you probably couldn't have foreseen. Some will be caused by people who are not adjusting well to the changes. They will usually be quite distressing for the people involved even if their problems are small and inconsequential. In any case, it is your role to investigate what has happened, and negotiate solutions to any problems that come up. You will find that you can use most of these glitches as feedback to improve your system and get better outcomes.
Keeping it all under review
As you go, keep what you do under review. Monitor all your systems (including control systems), directions, practices, KPIs, performance targets, and client satisfaction, and service relevance and effectiveness. Regularly collect information on changing client and community needs, the policy and financial environment, and community directions. Evaluate continuous improvement systems and processes regularly.
Establish a way of ensuring that all stakeholders understand your organization's continuous improvement system, and promote the benefits of the change to your clients.
Continue regularly collecting information of changing client and community needs. Evaluate whether your services/products are keeping relevant and effective.
Customer feedback is especially important. You can also use customer complaints as feedback. Respond to them and investigate, and have a system of recording your lessons learned.
Regularly collect feedback from other stakeholders too, such as members of the leadership group, staff and and employee representatives.
Use performance indicators to monitor your progress in implementing the plan. You might find that they suggest you need to adjust your plans, objectives and priorities. If so, explore a full range of possible revisions. Then design (or redesign or refine) your organizational structures and implement them. Consider also the methods you use for strategic planning; you might be able to improve them too.
At the milestones written in the strategic plan, evaluate whether you are achieving the objectives.