Do you have a bucket list? You know, the list of all those things you would like to do before you die – the epic trip, the climb to the top of that mountain, the instrument you will learn to play, the book you will write? Most of us have a vague bucket list in our head of the things we will do “someday”, but few of us ever take the time to actually write them down and even fewer write down a date next to each item about when it is going to happen, and even fewer still write down the actual steps it will take to make those life dreams a reality.

At The Impact Group, do you know what we would say about those vague “someday” lists we keep in our heads? They’re not gonna happen. We don’t say that because we want to be dream crushers. In fact, it is just the opposite, we want to be dream builders. We say it because we know that if we want to achieve what is most important to us, we must write those dreams down, decide when they will happen, and create the steps necessary to make them happen. It is that simple.

The exciting thing is that this same principle applies, not only to our personal bucket lists, but also to the most important priorities of the schools, cities, villages, county boards, and organizations with whom we work. It is the reason we are passionate about developing clear, concise, well-articulated strategic plans because the priorities of an organization that affects the lives of thousands of individuals every day are too important to simply hope that we get to them someday.

The development of a strategic plan sets us on a path to achieving our highest priorities while providing key advantages to our organization.

A well-developed strategic plan enables us to:

• live our mission and values.
• set the direction for our school district or organization.
• guide the work within our organization.
• protect against chasing every shiny, new initiative.
• energize and unify our staff.
• provide voice and build trust within our community.

Just like your bucket list, a strategic plan will not happen if you say that you will get to it someday. If you would like help in making a strategic plan a reality, we would welcome the opportunity to talk with you. Please feel free to contact us at lscherr@igpr.com.