It seems like just yesterday the ball was dropping in Times Square to welcome 2010. Suddenly it is almost March! How did that happen so fast?! Sometimes, the more you have to accomplish, the less time it seems you have to accomplish everything.
With that in mind, there’s no time like the present to make sure you’re organized and what you do – whether it’s public relations, community engagement or work for a nonprofit – is actually strategic. I’ve found the easiest way to do that is by writing a strategic plan.
Last fall, fellow MGAer Sarah Rasmussen and I gave a presentation on strategic communications planning at the Colorado Nonprofit Association’s annual conference. Since it is not only nonprofits that use and need strategic plans, here are a few tips I’ve found most helpful when developing and executing an effective strategic plan no matter what industry you’re in.
Most people are familiar with a strategic plan and its components – Goal, Audience, Messages, Objectives, Strategies, Tactics, Timeline, Budget and Evaluation. Three of these components are often overlooked, but are, in my opinion, the most important: time, research and resources.
If the thought, “I don’t have time to write a plan!” crosses your mind, you are definitely not alone. Before you begin, remind yourself that it is worth investing the time to develop a robust strategic plan as it will serve as the roadmap for everything that you need to do. You will be more organized and on track to accomplish more than you thought you could. When I was younger, my Mom always told me, “The more you have to do, the more you can accomplish.” Once again, Mom is right.
MGA places a strong focus of its public relations and communications efforts on research – and even has in-house research capabilities. Through my time at MGA, I’ve learned how valuable research is to public relations. For strategic planning purposes, research is what helps you establish an initial baseline to measure against when your program is complete. Research is often a variety of things you are likely already doing everyday from environmental scanning (monitoring the news, reading blogs, staying up to date on political activities, etc.) to a SWOT analysis where you examine internally the strengths and weaknesses your organization faces and externally the opportunities and threats to overcome. Once you know where you stand at the beginning, it is easier to see where you want to end up, and set a strategic path to follow.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, use your resources wisely. In other words: Delegate! Most people are flattered to be asked to demonstrate their expertise and/or participate. Regardless of the size of the program, support and teamwork are necessary to get to the finish line – even if that means recruiting volunteers.
So, before more time slips away and you’re celebrating the Fourth of July, take the time to do the right research, make a strategic plan and delegate who does what. As Mom would say, “Perhaps you’ll surprise yourself with how much you can accomplish.”
Thanks, Mom!
