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Building a solid strategic plan is essential for any company or organization that wants to keep evolving. But moving from strategy to action can be challenging. That’s why sound operational planning is crucial to aligning your day-to-day activities with your objectives. This plan will help you to better define what your teams need to accomplish on a daily and weekly basis to stay on target.

Here are a few keys to outstanding operational planning.

Define SMART Operational Objectives

As soon as we talk about planning, the concept of “SMART” objectives comes into play. These objectives, which must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound, are even more important when it comes to operational planning.

The more practical, precise and measurable your objectives, the more effectively your teams will be able to act.

Align with Strategic Objectives

Once the objectives have been set, it is important to ensure that they are aligned with the objectives of the strategic plan. Several tools can be used to assess this alignment. A SWOT matrix will help you identify potential challenges as well as strengths and opportunities.

At this stage, it’s also important to consider the types of indicators chosen to measure results. The objective itself may be relevant and aligned, but the metric may not be the most effective. Ask yourself: what’s the best way to know that the objective has been achieved?

Choose Clear Key Performance Indicators

Depending on the situation, you’ll have more or less tangible performance indicators. Over and above their relevance to management, these indicators need to be properly communicated to your teams. When there are clear deliverables, such as the creation of certain documents or reports, the indicators are easy to understand.

In other situations, however, they may be more abstract. If this is the case, make sure you’re on the same page as your team. In case of misunderstanding, adjust the indicators for something more tangible and add different indicators.

Be Precise in Your Reach

Operational planning is extremely hands-on, and for this reason, it needs to be aimed at a specific group. For example, if you’re in charge of a large marketing team, you may need to create several different plans: one for your social media team, one for your advertising team, one for your website team, and so on.

The more your operational plan is restricted to a specific team, the more detailed you can make it, and the easier it will be to implement.

Have Transparent, Shared Processes

While it’s important for operational planning to be precise in its scope and to have a concrete impact on the team responsible for the tasks, the importance of transparency should not be overlooked.

Making operational plans visible to other teams can be strategic, so that everyone can understand the role of their colleagues and get a better overview of the tasks at hand. This is positive for large companies, which can sometimes find themselves working in silos, as well as for small businesses, where several people may wear several hats.

To take things a step further, you can even display the results of the operational plan internally. Everyone can see the results, even if it means displaying a summarized version of the key actions. This can be as simple as a table with checkboxes or as complex as a digital table displaying results in real-time. This is an effective technique for motivating teams and creating greater cohesion.

Identify Risks Early

All companies and organizations face certain risks. Whether we’re talking about simple human errors or serious incidents, you need to be prepared. The earlier your operational planning takes risks into account, the better equipped you’ll be to deal with the unexpected. Some of the key actions included in operational planning can be used to mitigate certain business risks.

Ensure That Tasks Go to the Right People

Proper assignment of human resources is essential. Who is the best person to carry out these tasks? Should someone else be involved? To find out, don’t hesitate to be transparent in your process. Perhaps you have hidden talents within your team who could flourish in certain key tasks. Ask your team leaders, if you have any, or your employees directly.

It’s also possible that your operational plan could benefit from hiring new people. To speed up the process, you could call on the services of recruitment experts.

Consider the Resources Required

In addition to human resources, we can never overlook the importance of budgetary resources, as well as those related to equipment and time. A perfect plan without the necessary resources is bound to face failure. You may, therefore, need to readjust your operational plans in line with overall resources. Rely on your current resources while leaving yourself room to maneuver in the event of major structural changes.

Balancing the Different Plans

If you have several teams, you will have several plans. This implies that these plans must be consistent with each other, as well as reflecting the strategic plan.

In smaller teams, it’s not uncommon for some employees to be responsible for several roles. Strategic planning becomes an excellent opportunity to prioritize more clearly what needs to be done, who needs to do it and when.

In larger teams, balancing plans is important to avoid undesirable silo effects and to ensure that certain tasks don’t conflict with the actions of other teams.

Carry Out Appropriate Monitoring

When it comes to monitoring, there are no cookie-cutter solutions. You’ll need to identify a type of follow-up that’s consistent with the results you want to achieve, as well as respecting the dynamics of your team. Sometimes, a quick daily check-up is ideal, and at other times, a more in-depth weekly review is more appropriate.

That said, in the early stages of the plan’s implementation, it may make sense to monitor more closely whether the plan is working well, whether rapid adjustments need to be made, or whether additional resources need to be made available.

Put Your Plan into Action and Watch Your Business Thrive

A well-structured operational plan is more than just a management exercise—it’s a true driver of success. It not only enhances your team’s efficiency but also helps you anticipate challenges and stay agile in the face of the unexpected.

With a clear vision and well-defined actions, every day brings you one step closer to your goals. Need a helping hand to structure or refine your planning? Turn to experts who can guide you toward excellence.