The Seven Keys to an Effective Plan

As opposed to plans developed in an atmosphere where broad, grandiose objectives are set at the top of the organization, effective plans are “bottom up,” cross-functional plans that have consensus at the operating level.  Effective plans embody the following characteristics:

• They are based on a vision of the future
• They are focused on customer needs
• Everybody is involved and informed
• Goals are integrated at each level to support the vision, and to ensure that one area’s plans complement those of other areas
• Every objective supports the overall plan goals and vision
• Specific responsibilities are assigned to people to ensure that planned actions are implemented and that progress is being monitored
• There are scheduled progress reviews