In my line of work I get the opportunity to work one-on-one with some businesses. It turns out while many have a documented business plan; very few have a strategic (long term) plan. The two plans have some similarity, but they are different. One distinction which has stayed with me is that the business plan demonstrates to outsiders, particularly lenders and investors, what your business is all about. However, the strategic plan is an internal document to be used routinely as a roadmap for your employees.

Many employers do not give employees access to their business plan. However, employees should have access to the strategic plan. This is important in ensuring commitment, as employees must understand how their work fits into and contributes to the plan.

So here are some recommendations for the roadmap for your employees.

• Keep it simple and reader-friendly.
• Let it provide the big picture to the employees. Let them understand the context in which the business is operating.
• Ensure alignment throughout the plan – the mission has to be linked to the vision or vice versa, the goals have to be linked to the strategies, the strategies have to take into consideration the existing risks.
• Get your employees to provide input into it.
• Maintain it as a dynamic document making changes as the environment changes.
• Use it when preparing operational or action plans.
• Reference it when putting together the business case for new projects.
• Report on it during performance reviews.

In this New Year commit yourself to developing a documented strategic plan for your business. Don’t keep the roadmap to yourself; let your employees see it too.