Solving K-12 Strategic Planning's Biggest Challenges

"Most leaders would agree they'd be better off having an average strategy with superb execution than a superb strategy with poor execution." - Stephen Covey

Studies show that on average, 67% of organizations fall short in achieving their strategic goals. So why is strategy execution so difficult, especially for school districts? Is it process? People? Systems? Who or what is responsible for the lack of strategic goal attainment? Stick around - we will address the most common challenges while also providing change management recommendations to transform the way your district implements its strategic plan.

In a typical scenario, the district administration schedules meetings to create the latest strategic plan. The team agrees to a set of strategic goals critical to the district, the plan is neatly put into a tidy document, and is eventually shared with the school board and broader community. At the meetings, excitement may be high as the superintendent shares the plan for the future and what it will mean if it can be achieved. Everyone returns to their jobs, and in a short time, the strategic plan stops driving daily activities and actions. It ceases to become top of mind.

The 5 Most Common Challenges to Strategic Plan Implementation

1. Poor Goal Setting: Strategic goals are often large and complex objectives that almost always require many cross-departmental resources. Establishing clear goals across teams will result in more clarity on priorities and responsibilities. Ensure there are established best practices for writing goals. Each leader should be responsible for his or her team's goals.
2. Lack of Alignment: Even with proper goal-setting, teams and people can be challenged with a lack of alignment that typically causes prioritization issues and collaboration conflict which derails daily work to achieve strategic goals. Empower your teams to prioritize strategic objectives by establishing clear alignment on who is working on which objective and why.
3. Inability to Track Progress: Many districts are still using spreadsheets to track their strategic plans which can minimize transparency and limit real-time updates. Consider using a strategic plan management software like Beacon to improve visibility, alignment, monitoring, collaboration, and measurement.
4. Disconnected from Strategy: Most people are more likely to fall into a tactical focus when their efforts are connected to immediate results. Shift the focus from each strategic plan team member's daily focus within their department to the broader goal of working as part of a strategic team. This will help each individual feel more personally connected to the overall strategy.
5. No Measurements: Measurement is paramount to strategy implementation and continuous improvement. Set measurable, time-bound goals and track them in real-time. Start with only the most critical goals.

Changing how your district implements strategic plans may seem like a complicated and challenging project, but it can be done relatively quickly with long-term incremental improvements.