When I first read the typical problems that limit the effectiveness of strategic planning I started to prioritize them. I found that I could not due to the fact that one problem would lead to another. Our organization is finishing up our strategic plan for the next fiscal year. It is interesting to me to read the problems in print that may hinder our success in the future.
joanie.jeannette@verizon.net

I agree with this topics main points and your thoughts Joanie. Fortunately your organization has these strategic plans readily visable to you and hopefully all other members of the organization. I find that sometimes organizations make this information readily available to first and second line leadership, but do not go out of their way to drill this down to the remaining members of the healthcare team. Success in my opinion is pivotal on the interaction of all stakeholders. I also believe that the many roadblocks that occur can be alleviated through constant communication. At the VHS our strategic plan is posted on the organizations sharepoint, and is shared with all members of the healthcare team. We are asked to use this plan to develop each and every staffs' performance appraisal. This I find is helpful in making the strategic plan a normal topic of discussion during weekly rounding sessions with staff. This does not mean that we are always successful in obtaining the goals of the strategic plan, however it makes the plan seem more tangible.

The article is very informative and insightful. Some of the important issues raised by the authors are as follows:

1. To survive the continued change in the industry, hospitals must integrate financial strategic planning with financial priorities and not only purely by the mission, vision and values of the organization.

2. CFOs responsiblities should not only be revenue control, but it should include revenue drive.

3. Physicians and other providers should be main participants during the development of strategic planning and their buy-in is essential in the implementation of successful strategic plan

My organization has just gone thru the strategic planning process and has come up with a 3 year strategic plan. Although I was not involved with the planning process, our plan does appear to address most of the concerns raised in this article. As an ambassador presenting this plan to general staff I have found it met with little enthusiasm. Though our plan is comprehensive it lacks the detail needed by various groups to drive decisions, and hence is mostly seen as irrelevant. My point being that just the creation and rollout of the plan, even if to all staff, is not enough. It must be given life, or in other words, it must be frequently referred to by all levels of management, and referenced in all decision making.

I agree that the strategic plan has to be a "Living" document which has to be reviewed and updated at a minimun yearly. Plus its tied to the performance of me and my staff, which makes it real. It's also discussed during my 1:1 with my management and my staff.

Mr. Mentz speaks volumes in his comments which could have been written from my own experience. The key, I believe, is what he terms, "the lack of detail needed by various groups to drive decisions." Without that detail as related to an employee's day to day experience, enthusiasm is destined to waver. The strategic plan, however, is the global view rather than the daily implementation.
Why not use the strategic planning process as a way to engage staff at all levels? Once the strategic plan is completed and presented, involve staff in the interpretation of how this relates to one's daily responsibilities. As Ms. Evans suggests, tying aspects of the strategic plan to performance makes it real for employees.

Strategic Planning is only as beneficial as it "lives" and adapts. Organizations that do not realign their strategic plan get passed up as opportunities for growth are explored or even exploited by their competition. A good strategic plan, tied to the organization mission and vision should allow you to pass up fads, but be flexible enough to accomodate and changing marketplace.
I appreciated Mr. Mentz's comments. It is important to align the strategic plan with the departments contribution so that line staff can understand how their contributions help the organization acheive it's objectives. When this happens, the line staff is empowered and often can find ways to help the organization realize it's objectives in ways not visible or identifiable by senior leadership.

My organization has completed the renewal of its strategic plan and has also done the 'road show' with staff to present it and to explain why it matters. One of the big successes with respect to the presentation of the plan was a one-liner that really resonated with staff that tapped into the identities of the staff. For Northern Health, "The Northern Way of Caring" was developed as a tag-line that touched on something intrinsic to staff that made it clear that how they approached their roles was different and it made them unique.

As others have indicated, it's not enough to just have it sitting on a shelf; line staff need to see how what they do each day links into the objectives and goals laid out by the plan. Seems a large part of the success of strategic planning exercise is directly linked to how well the plan is 'sold', as it were, to staff on a continual basis.