5 Quick Ideas - Planning for the Long Term

Finding success comes after having a long term plan and figuring out the steps to get there.  The long term plan also helps your organization navigate the sudden immediate distractions.  However planning can be a very esoteric thing.  Here are some quick ideas to keep you grounded in your planning.

IDEA 1 - ALWAYS START WITH A DESTINATION IN MIND
What do you want to be?  The best, the biggest, the most effective, the most talked about, the most exclusive... what?  Setting your sights will help you figure out the best way to get to where you need to go.

IDEA 2 - CLARIFYING YOUR MISSION STATEMENT vs. YOUR DESTINATION
Most organizations get caught in the difference between these two.  Its very easy to know / tell the difference.

Your mission statement is what you do
Your destination is knowing where you want to take what you do

Example:
Mission Statement - "To represent my members and be the voice of the industry."
Destination - To be recognized as the leading authority in our industry with the media, the public, and elected officials.

IDEA 3 - ESTABLISH INTERIM STEPS / GOALS TO GET TO YOUR DESTINATION
Each effort you undertake in your process should have goals that can be measured, and metrics that need to be met.  However these goals / steps should build off of one another and reinforce the ultimate destination.

IDEA 4 - SET REASONABLE TIMELINES
Expecting overnight success is unrealistic.  Setting your priorities on successfully navigating toward your goal will help bring everyone along through the process.  Otherwise you run the risk of disappointment and lost momentum.

IDEA 5 - SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS
Simply put your efforts can not be that of one person, or the entire organization will fail you.  Instead make sure there are clear responsibilities for everyone to accomplish - and make sure those responsibilities are ones that those people are able to accomplish.  Assigning responsibilities needs to be reflective of the different skills and influences that people have.  Doing so ensures that everyone succeeds in these efforts together.

Everyone says volunteerism is way down everywhere.  It is, but one thing that is way up is the most common response given when asked why people didnt do something - "Because No One Ever Asked."
Granted you may have asked, but what this tells you is your ask isn't being heard.  Make the asks as direct as you can so there is no way they can say "I was never asked."

The more you are able to successfully engage more people in a given process, the more they will buy in to its success.  The right plan will bring all of those elements together to make sure your plan has success.

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