Phase Three: Implement
Implementation gives credibility to planning because this phase is the crosswalk of strategic plans into daily operations.
A successful implementation mitigates crisis management by unifying daily operations with strategic processes. Strategy implementation promotes efficiency. Leaders cultivate a broader perspective and become more experienced by setting and managing the long-range view through action planning.
Leaders who direct implementation must create or adapt processes and tools that support their efforts to set standards and expectations for performance, and manage and track progress.
Implementation involves three essential components:
1. developing an operational plan (executive management tool)
2. developing performance action plans (management tool)
3. managing performance (supervision and project leadership tool).
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Implementation Guidelines |
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During the implementation phase:
- Communicate planning results.
- Determine who needs to be involved.
- Make specific assignments.
- Convert objectives into performance activities.
- Formulate a comprehensive operational plan to coordinate all performance activities.
- Define the scope of individual projects.
- Use project management tracking tools to detail activities of all critical projects.
- Conduct regular project reviews and evaluate progress.
- Integrate significant project tasks into management tools such as the Individual Development Plan (IDP) and the Employee Performance Evaluation.
- Make changes and corrections necessary to achieve targets.
- Extend and revise action plans for the next phase.
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Process Steps for Implementation Phase |
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| 1. Develop an Operational Plan |
The Operational Plan coordinates the overall scope of the implementation. It is the executive management plan for translating performance measures and targets from the strategic plan into performance initiatives. It is also the approved charter for authorizing initiatives and appropriating resources.
Use operational planning tools to coordinate all activities emerging from the Strategic Plan including:
- operations (ongoing efforts or activities that are built into the daily routine to generate repetitive products or services)
- projects (temporary and unique initiatives with definite perimeters)
- programs (service delivery systems).
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| 2. Create Performance Action Plans |
Performance (action) plans define and clarify details that link strategic plan objectives, performance measures, and targets to specific tasks and performance milestones.
Action plans formulate:
- implementation activities into performance projects, ongoing operations, and programs
- assignments and responsibilities
- communication tools and methods
- resources
- expected deliverables, timelines, and completion deadlines.
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| 3. Manage Performance |
Effective communication systems are essential to implementation. To maximize progress toward achieving goals, communicate standards, expectations, and guidelines for performance. Monitor and document progress.
Prove results and ensure continuous progress by:
- demonstrating supportive management behaviors
- conducting ongoing appraisals of movement toward projected goals and outcomes
- emphasizing feedback
- making necessary modifications in direction
- creating reports.
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Implementation Questions |
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- What is the overall scope of the work that we need to accomplish?
- What are our priorities?
- We will achieve our objectives as the result of what actions?
- What is the starting point and sequence for our actions?
- What projects, operations, or programs must we design?
- What activities and processes must we integrate into the daily operations?
- What resources will we need?
- What will be the impact of these actions on our customers or target group?
- What will be the impact of these actions on our internal organization?
- Who are the sponsors and stakeholders whose interests are affected?
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