The Board's Role in Planning

There is more to planning than just planning!

by Jak Carroll, Strategic Sport Solutions.

The Board’s role in planning is more than putting together a detailed blueprint for the future.                                  

Effective planning is a process that encompasses an ongoing cycle of three elements: planning, execution and review.

Boards have a key role in the planning and review stages of the cycle. In the planning stage, they need to set the direction, the goals and the strategies.

While many Boards spend a good deal of time and energy developing a detailed strategic plan, the future is unpredictable. Additionally, many plans are optimistic and often run into trouble when “dreams meet reality” in the execution phase.

That is why the review phase is critical. In the review phase organizations need to learn from their experience and hopefully improve their future performance.

This is more than just monitoring a bunch of performance indicators, it is about learning from implementation challenges, adapting to changes in the environment, and using these as a catalyst for re-calibrating future plans.

At a minimum, a thorough review process should be undertaken every 12 months.

Boards have a responsibility to not only engage in planning, but to spend time actively reviewing  plans.

Does your organisation need some help with planning or governance? Jak Carroll has extensive experience in the sport and nonprofit sectors, including consulting to organisations and conducting training sessions. If you are interested in some quick advice or having Jak work with you on your next project, please click here