January is a great time to lay out your plan for your team’s success—to establish your vision for the year and your strategy for achieving that vision. Business plans help you define your goals and stay on track to achieve them. A good business plan answers these questions:
- Where am I now?
- Where am I going?
- How am I going to get there?
- How will I know I got there?
Follow these 10 steps to write a business plan for your team:
1. Develop a standard business plan format and reuse it. For example, divide the plan into sections: (1) An overview of existing conditions including opportunities and obstacles. (2) Where you would like your team to be in three to five years as well as by the end of the year. (3) Your action plan including goals/objectives, target dates for completing action items, and measures of success. Use headings, lists, and charts to increase readability.
2. Identify the overall mission or central purpose of your team. Describe the overarching mission of your organization and the value your team brings to your organization. Read more ›
