GR8 Results System

Your Strategic Planning
and Doing Kit

Annual Planning

In the past, you may have created a business plan because you just started your business, had a downturn in your business, or just thought it would be helpful to your business. No matter what your reason was in the past, it is easy to think you do not need to plan this year.

But a lot can happen in your business even in one year: your priorities may have shifted, you may have added new products, key staff may have been added or moved on. In fact, your business may need to take a different course now, which means your long‐range plan does not reflect those changes. You need to think clearly about moving in a new direction.

Business strategy means having a long-range plan and milestones along the way that help you get there. And it should be something you do every year.

Annual planning is a critical process for the success of your business. Yes, it is work and sometimes a lot of work. But done right, planning will help you focus on where you want to go, where you are now, and what actions are needed to get you to where you want to go. Additionally, the process will help you clearly identify if you are on track as you work through your plan.

Each year as you work on your plan, you are not only looking to the future, but you are also measuring how far you have come. That is part of the process, especially if you plan includes more than a 12-month period.

Planning is most often best when it uses the power of collaborative results. So, we invite you to get as many people in the company as you can to participate in your annual planning. Some great ideas come from people whose hands are closest to the work.

And, if you are a small business owner, you may dream of financial independence, the freedom of spending your time as you wish, being your own boss, or feeling content by filling a void in the market. Unfortunately, many go‐getters do not know what is in store as they venture forward to implement their brilliant ideas; they just know they want to go into business for themselves.

However, sometimes the reality of owning a business is more daunting than you imagined. Luckily, by focusing on consistent, workable, and strategic planning, you can take control of your business and begin growing your dream into a successful reality.

Guidelines for Strategic Success

Whether you are a small or large business, both need strategic planning. The GR8 Results System has 6 phases and you need all 6 to help you succeed in your business.

1. Create/Revise Your COMPASS: You develop your foundation – Purpose, Core Values, Brand Promise, Leader Behaviors, and Strategy (how you will fulfill your Purpose)
2. Identify/Analyze Your Current Reality: You determine where you are and then assess if your strategy needs to be revised
3. Create Your Strategic Plan: Your plan to fulfill your Purpose in 4 areas – Customers, Employees, Financials, and Operations (or your preferred categories)
   • Identify clear goals (THERE) for each
   • Clearly define where you are now (HERE) for each
   • Determine best ideas/objectives (PATH) to help you get THERE for each
4. Align Your People (BIG 3): Help individuals align their BIG 3 with the strategic plan
5. Execute Your Strategic Plan: Follow a clear process that allows you to create clear actions, clear progress measures, and monitor progress
6. Determine Your Health and Progress – Use clear and simple surveys to assess each segment of the business which helps you evaluate changes needed in your plan for this year and next

Importance of Strategic Planning

Turning your vision into reality requires a healthy, realistic approach and a well‐crafted path toward success. You need to think realistically about where your business is going and have truly clear expectations. When you set concrete performance measures, you create clear expectations for you and the organization. Those expectations help you create a workable plan to achieve them.

This kind of strategic planning is crucial for success, but it takes work. And it takes discipline to do it consistently. Unfortunately, this is tough for most small businesses. In this strategic planning kit, you will see a planning process that works for both small and large companies. When you follow these guidelines, you give your business the best chance to thrive.

Finally, some of this document is in outline form to make it easier to focus on specific content, provide the information as clearly as possible, and make it easier to develop your plan.

So, let’s get started.