Years ago, my boss Rick DeMarco argued there were times when a mediocre strategy would out perform a brilliant one. At first I thought he was crazy, until he explained what he meant.
Too often business owners have brilliant ideas but fail to think through all the steps necessary to turn their ideas into reality. The result… failure or mediocre performance, when there could have been extraordinary success if only they had paid attention to the details of execution.
Whether you are trying to launch a new product or company, or simply run a successful promotion or special event, a well thought out tactical plan gives you a great foundation! While the amount of detail required will vary, any tactical plan should include the following:
- Resources Required – What do you need purchase? And how much will it cost?
- Specific Roles – What specific activities must occur, and who will do them?
- Timeline – Working backward from the launch date, when do specific things have to happen in order to launch your idea on time?
- Measures for Success – When it is all done, how will you measure the success of the project?
Time and time again, I have seen proof that Rick was right, if you do these things well almost any strategy will deliver brilliant results!
Now is a great time to start mapping out that strategy for 2012. Begin by subscribing to our free How to Write a Business Plan in Ten Weeks program.