The decisions you make, and the steps you take, to put your plan into action benefits from focused planning as well. Some plans are more likely to be implemented than others. Successful implementation starts with a good plan, one that is full of specific information on milestones, managers, responsibilities, dates, and budgets. Beyond the plan itself, however, there are other factors also critical to implementation. Are you going to track results, comparing the planned results to the actual results? Are you going to follow up with your management team, making revisions and checking on performance?
The illustration below shows a view of what it takes to develop and implement a Web plan. We call this planning for implementation. There are some important factors beyond the plan that are also critical:
- Is the plan simple? Is it easy to understand and to act on? Does it communicate its contents easily and practically?
- Is the plan specific? Are its objectives concrete and measurable? Does it include specific actions and activities, each with specific dates of completion, specific persons responsible and specific budgets?
- Is the plan realistic? Are the sales goals, expense budgets, and milestone dates realistic? Nothing stifles implementation like unrealistic goals.
- Is the plan complete? Does it include all the necessary elements? Requirements of a Web plan vary, depending on the context. There is no guarantee, however, that the plan will work if it doesn't cover the main bases.
Implementation Isn't Automatic
A Web plan will be hard to implement unless it is simple, specific, realistic and complete. Even if it is all these things, a good plan will need someone to follow up and check on it.
Track and Follow-Up
Ironically, a good plan alone isn't enough. The illustration indicates other elements that are also critical. Even a good plan means virtually nothing if somebody doesn't follow-up on its concrete and specific milestones or results. A plan won't be implemented unless responsibilities are assigned to specific people, milestones are established and agreed upon, and the people responsible know that somebody will follow-up to check on results.
