Action Plan Formulation

Bad goal setting can cripple your business (I know from firsthand experience). Here's how to set goals that propel your business forward. Step 1: Analyze last year’s performance. You can’t set the right goals without the correct information. So, take some time to gather data from the previous year to find areas of strength and weakness. Look at your: Revenue streams — what are your most profitable areas? Your biggest cost centers? Sales & marketing — can you spot trends in customer acquisition or marketing ROI? Operations — where is your business bottlenecked? Where might you be overstaffed? Employee performance — look at productivity and churn. Which direction are things going? — Step 2: Brainstorm areas for improvement. Write down all the possible things you could work on. This is a great group activity for your leadership team or even the whole company (depending on your size). The data you’ve collected in step 1 should give you some idea of opportunity areas. One tip: don’t discount an idea just because it’s hard. Often the biggest impact things are hard to do. But you should be realistic about the effort required to get something done, and its chances of success. — Step 3: Set SMART goals Specific: Define clear and precise goals. Instead of saying "increase sales," say "increase sales by 12% in the next 6 months." Measurable: Ensure each goal has quantifiable metrics. E.g. "Reduce customer acquisition costs by 15% by the end of the year." Achievable: Set realistic goals based on your resources, budget and other constraints. E.g. if you have limited cash, avoid goals that would severely impact your monthly cash flow. Relevant: Align goals with your overall business objectives. Ensure they address the key areas for improvement identified earlier. Time-bound: Set deadlines for each goal. E.g. "launch a new service by Q3." — Step 4: Develop an Action Plan For each goal, create an action plan that outlines: Steps and Milestones: Break down each goal into smaller, manageable tasks. Set milestones to track progress. Resources: Identify the resources needed (time, money, personnel) and ensure they are available. Responsibilities: Assign tasks to specific employees. Ensure everyone understands their role and what is expected of them. Timeline: Establish a timeline with deadlines for each task and milestone. Doubling down on one point there: always assign tasks to a single person. They can still bring in other people to contribute, but it’s one person’s responsibility to get it across the finish line. — Step 5: Monitor and Adjust Goals are not static. Regularly check your progress, and adjust based on new insights or changing circumstances. Schedule monthly and/or quarterly reviews to keep everything on track. Having a simple KPI tracker is a good way to keep tabs on things. Make sure you’re regularly checking in, and ask people to flag any roadblocks or necessary adjustments as soon as they identify them.

If I were taking over as a nonprofit Executive Director today, at an organization without a strategic plan in place, I'd: 𝟭. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. • Where are we trying to go? (Mission + immediate priorities.) • What's standing in our way? (Capacity gaps, unclear roles, resources) 𝟮. 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻, 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻, 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 60-day listening tour with staff, board, people you serve, funders, and partners. 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘴𝘬 Staff, Board, Funders, Partners What’s working? Where are we spread thin? What’s mission-critical yet stuck? People You Serve What’s working well for you? What would make the biggest difference in your life? This builds your current reality map. 𝟯. 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. You can’t stack strategy on top of overload. • Get clear on what each position includes. Staff and volunteer. • Match the role clarity against your listening tour findings. Where are the gaps? Those are your "first to fill." You may also find work no longer aligned to the mission. Stopping it frees up capacity for what matters. • Find the time wasters (meetings, reports) • Protect deep work time. Block 2–3 hours a week to think. 𝟰. 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. Every nonprofit has seeds of success. Find them. Name them. Use them as scaffolding for future action. 𝟱. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝟵𝟬-𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆-𝘁𝗼-𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹. Mission → Key Priorities → Key Results → Weekly Actions Now, after you’ve listened, learned, cleared space, and mapped bright spots, pick 2-3 initiatives that move the mission forward. For each: • Define what success looks like. • Assign a clear owner. • Connect it to 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 work (no new initiatives just now). • Say no faster. If it’s not tied to mission or priorities, it’s a no. 𝟲. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗵𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗺. • Weekly: Confirm top priorities. • Monthly: Track real progress. • Quarterly: Adjust based on learning. That's it. Because you won't "catch up" by working longer hours. 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝗣𝗦 I've a service built specifically for first-time Executive Directors. Our November 11 Roundtable is a walkthrough of how to develop your 2026 goals, without a strategic plan. No need to repeat 2025 stress. Message me if you'd like details.

As part of updating our operational #revenue cadences this year, we rolled out a structured Key Deal Review process across the go-to-market team. We didn’t just add another meeting. We equipped the team with a Mutual Action Plan (MAP) template, trained them on how to use it effectively with buyers, and embedded it into how we manage strategic opportunities. We also beefed up the lineup. We brought in cross-functional support from the ELT including product, marketing, and customer success, and made sure our C-suite leaders were actively involved in helping unblock and accelerate key deals. The focus of these reviews was not on activity. It was on execution quality. And almost immediately, the gaps became clear. Many high-value deals lacked buyer-aligned milestones. No shared next steps. No evidence of urgency. Reps were confident, but confidence without buyer commitment isn’t forecastable. When we made MAPs a required part of managing strategic deals, things shifted. MAPs gave structure. Deal reviews brought visibility. And the combination gave leadership real signals to work with. Here’s what we saw: *Forecast accuracy improved by 20% at the rep level *Conversion rates on strategic deals increased *Close dates became more predictable *Sales cycles began to shorten across segments Why it worked: 1) MAPs expose risk early You surface issues in buyer engagement or internal alignment before they derail progress. 2) They align the process to the buyer’s decision-making Reps stop guessing and start co-building with the customer. 3) They drive shared accountability The rep, SE, manager, and buyer are all working from the same plan. 4) They improve forecast accuracy You move from “gut feel” to evidence-based commits. 5) They bring structure to complex cycles Especially in #enterprise sales, clarity is a competitive edge. If you’re not using #MAPs or inspecting strategic deals with the full weight of your organization behind them, you’re leaving conversions and predictability on the table. Better #process builds better #pipeline.

AI needs a lot less conversation and more action. Most businesses don’t have an AI Action Plan, so they’re stuck in endless planning cycles and proof of concept purgatory. An AI Action Plan details: Opportunities the business is working on. These are use cases that align with the business and operating models. I recommend a 1:1 ratio of productivity/efficiency to revenue growth initiatives. Most internal efficiency AI should be bought vs. built. AI costs are dropping, and vendors serve internal use cases for less than the business can. Customer-facing products generate much higher returns. Monetization strategy. Define the critical pieces of AI go-to-market: Pricing, customer adoption, design, scaling, and optimization. Set the expectation that costs and returns must be estimated upfront. Break the “we won’t know until we build it” cycle that leads to proof of concept purgatory. Data and basic analytics make accurate, upfront opportunity size, cost, and return estimation feasible. Product roadmap. Break big initiatives into features that can be delivered quarterly. The one good thing about PoCs is rapid delivery and feedback cycles. Build products with that approach, and returns show up rapidly, too. Align feature delivery to develop cohesive products that support a use case, workflow, process of work, or customer need. I wrote a how-to guide for building AI Action Plans with a template you can use here: https://lnkd.in/gmJZ63Cf

How do you effectively formulate your strategy in a simple way? There’s various ways to do so, but I prefer the 5P approach to Strategy Formulation Strategy formulation is notoriously problematic. Clearly formulating your strategy is tremendously important. After all, if you can’t communicate it effectively, your strategy basically doesn’t exist. Having worked with different formats and models, I’ve found that the following approach works well. I’ve called it the 5P Model of Strategy Formulation. 👉 Purpose: Why The reason you’re doing what you do. Call it mission, values, impact or anything else, your Purpose describes how you want to make a difference and thus WHY your organization should exist. 👉 Perspective: How The future image of your organization, envisioning as clearly as possible what it should look like a few years from now. It makes it clear HOW your Purpose could be realized. 👉 Priorities: What The focus you will have in terms of attention, effort and budget. To realize your Perspective, there’s always too much to do. Therefore you need to prioritize so that it is clear WHAT you are going to do. 👉 Plan: When The plans you make to achieve your priorities. This adds a time dimension to your objectives so that it is clear WHEN you are going to do what and in which order. 👉 People: Who The people who will do all of this. Nothing happens without people. Therefore, it is essential to identify WHO is going to do what—while keeping into account they have other things to do as well. Is the 5P Model entirely original? Of course not. It looks, for example, like the Pyramid of Purpose. But it is different as well (such as a different order of the Why, How, What questions). What matters most, though, is that it makes sense. We can see that by looking at the relationships between the 5Ps. There’s a a cycle that goes two ways. Clockwise: Purpose gives meaning to the Perspective Perspective creates coherence for the Priorities Priorities define what the Plan should cover Plan shows what People should do People define the Purpose Counter-clockwise: People execute the Plan Plan makes the Priorities actionable Priorities make the Perspective tangible Perspective outlines how the Purpose can be achieved Purpose drives the People You see? It is coherent and complete in both directions. === If you want to further upgrade your strategy and implementation skills, should have a look at our Certified Strategy & Implementation Consultant (CSIC) program. We go public with the open registration for our February 2025 cohort in two weeks, but you can already preregister now. Check our website https://lnkd.in/eQYY8cFE. #communicationdevelopment #strategyplanning #peoplemanagement

🔺 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲: 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 A successful strategy begins with clarity and alignment. The pyramid of strategy starts at the base and rises upwards, building a comprehensive framework for growth. Each level plays a vital role in creating a strong, results-driven foundation: 1️⃣ 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 ❤️ At the base of every strategy are your core values. These are the guiding principles that shape decisions, behaviors, and culture within the organization. Values reflect what the organization stands for and inform how you approach challenges, interact with customers, and foster teamwork. They set the tone for the entire strategy and ensure consistency in actions. 2️⃣ 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 👀 The vision represents the big picture—where you want to be in the future. It’s your long-term aspiration, providing a sense of direction for the organization. A clear, compelling vision helps motivate the team, aligning everyone toward a common goal and giving purpose to daily efforts. A well-defined vision paints a picture of success and inspires progress. 3️⃣ 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 🎯 The mission is the reason behind your vision. It answers the question: "Why do we exist?" Your mission outlines the organization’s purpose and the impact it strives to make in the world. It’s the bridge between your current position and where you want to go. A strong mission statement helps guide everyday actions and decisions, keeping the team focused on achieving the long-term vision. 4️⃣ 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐎𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 📈 Strategic objectives are clear, measurable goals that define how the organization will move toward its vision. They break down the mission into actionable steps that can be tracked and evaluated. These objectives give everyone a sense of purpose and direction, ensuring that every team and department knows what they need to accomplish. They help prioritize initiatives, direct resources, and measure success. 5️⃣ 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 📝 The action plan is the roadmap that outlines the steps necessary to achieve the strategic objectives. It provides the "how" to reach the desired goals, including specific tasks, timelines, resource allocation, and responsible parties. A well-thought-out action plan ensures that your strategy is executed effectively and efficiently, with clear milestones to keep progress on track. 6️⃣ 𝐊𝐏𝐈𝐬 📊 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the metrics that measure the success of your strategy. KPIs help you monitor progress and identify any gaps in execution. They provide the necessary data to assess whether you're on track to achieve your objectives and whether adjustments are needed. KPIs are essential for accountability, enabling the team to continuously evaluate performance and stay aligned with the overall strategy. #StrategyPyramid #VisionToAction #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Linkedies

Reflecting on the past eight weeks, I've realized the crucial importance of planning for the care of our loved ones as caregivers. Effective planning not only ensures meeting their needs but also supports our well-being in this role. Our experience with our 88-year-old grandmother highlighted the necessity of such planning. Despite what we thought was a well-prepared setup, including a supportive family, a network of friends, comprehensive medical coverage, and her cognitive independence, a sudden medical emergency changed everything. This event led to hospitalization, rehabilitation, and subsequent challenges at home, emphasizing the need for a more robust plan. The recent developments, with multiple falls and emerging memory issues, shed light on the gaps in our initial strategy. These experiences underscore the importance of having a comprehensive action plan in place to navigate unforeseen circumstances effectively. In light of our journey, we've crafted a practical 6-step planning process to assist other families and frontline caregivers. This structured approach aims to provide clarity and guidance, replacing uncertainty with a well-thought-out plan. For those interested in accessing these resources, please follow the link: https://lnkd.in/gmz-Hr5y. #caregiverplanning

7 Habits of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs (with a 30-day action plan for each) Want to know why some entrepreneurs scale effortlessly while others stay stuck? It's not luck. It's not pixie dust. It's their daily habits. Here's your blueprint → 1️⃣ They optimize for decisions, not hours. ↳ Focus on strategic decisions ↳ Strategic pauses prevent costly mistakes Your 30-day action plan: → Block 9-11 AM for strategic decisions only → Rate each decision 1-10 in your journal → Review outcomes every Friday 2️⃣ They build systems, not one-offs. ↳ Scalable processes outperform individual effort ↳ Bottlenecks become an automation opportunity Your 30-day action plan: → Week 1: Document your client journey → Week 2: Create your SOP template → Week 3-4: Automate your top 3 processes 3️⃣ They measure progress, not activity. ↳ Revenue metrics guide daily priorities ↳ Data drives growth, feelings follow Your 30-day action plan: → Build your metrics dashboard → Track: Revenue/client, CAC, MRR → 15-min daily number review 4️⃣ They sell solutions, not features. ↳ Customer pain points shape every offer ↳ Value proposition stays crystal clear Your 30-day action plan: → Interview 5 best customers → Document exact pain points → Rewrite your sales page 5️⃣ They build teams, not task forces. ↳ A-players attract A-players ↳ Culture eats strategy for breakfast Your 30-day action plan: → Draft your core values → Design onboarding experience → Launch weekly team wins 6️⃣ They own markets, not products. ↳ Category creation beats competition ↳ Innovation starts with market gaps Your 30-day action plan: → List 10 industry gaps → Create your signature framework → Name your methodology 7️⃣ They leverage time, not just money. ↳ Strategic partnerships multiply impact ↳ Every hour invested creates a return Your 30-day action plan: → Track all activities for 1 week → Rate impact of each (1-10) → Cut bottom 20% immediately → Double down on highest impact The Success Formula: → Pick ONE habit to master → Follow the 30-day plan → Track daily progress → Move to the next Remember: Success leaves clues. These habits separate 7-figure founders from lifetime dreamers. Which habit will you start with? Drop a number below ⬇️ ♻️ Save & share this blueprint ➕ Follow Patricia Wooster for more actionable frameworks

Sales are down. We need more pipeline. Deals are taking longer to close. I've heard these statements during recent office hours with founders who are members of Collective 54. Here is my take. First off, while it may not seem like it, it's not a crisis. It’s a test. Action Plan: 1. Trim overhead, not capability. Cut perks, not producers. Keep your billable base strong but be realistic. 2. Refine your offer. Old positioning might be stale. Make your service an indispensable painkiller. Specialize. 3. Mine your existing clients. Expansion beats new logo acquisition. Sell deeper, not just wider. 4. Tighten the pipeline. No more bloated stages. Every deal needs a close plan. Especially when your pipeline is light. 5. Rebuild the forecast. Face reality. Protect EBITDA. Model 3 scenarios. 6. Lead from the front. This is when your team watches you closest. Calm. Clear. Convicted. But stay focused on your ICP and the right deals. Slowdowns don’t kill firms. Complacency does. Founders who adapt now? They own the rebound.

94% of people get caught in the Dream Trap. How to join the 6% that integrate vision into action (Science-Based framework) -------------------- Vision without action is the fastest route to Meh 🤷♀️ -------------------- Seeing the future can excite and motivate us. • A booming business. • A thriving team. • A fulfilled life. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺? Vision alone is useless. Taking action is where the magic happens. • Not big, flashy moves. • Not grand gestures. • But small, consistent steps. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲? Research shows us: • ~ 80% of people never set goals for themselves • From the 20% that do, about 70% fail to achieve them Which is often be attributed to: • fear of failure, • lack of self-belief, • insufficient planning and accountability What will it take for you to be in the 6%? ---------------------- 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 • Define a clear, inspiring vision aligned with your core values. • Visualize success to reinforce commitment. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 • Break vision into Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound (SMART) goals. • Align goals with personal values for sustained motivation. 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 • Outline daily, weekly, and monthly steps to achieve goals. • Prioritize high-impact tasks. 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁 • Regularly review progress and adjust strategies. • Stay flexible to adapt goals as needed. 𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 • Celebrate milestones to stay motivated. • Share goals with others for support and accountability. Follow this framework to effectively & merge vision with action. -------------------------------- ♻️ Share to motivate and inspire your community. Follow me Justin Hills for more leadership made easy.