Implementation of Business Strategic Plans : Small Business Plan Template : Lean Business Club, Inc.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT
CHECK POINT 9: IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLANS

This Check Point Is Available By Subscription Only,
But You Can Still Check Out The Menu Below.

1.	supporting elements of strategic planning
2.	company tactics
3.	development of your company's tactics
4.	company policies
5.	small business example company policies
6.	company procedures
7.	company rules
8.	small business example company rules
9.	Employee Handbook
10.	for serious business owners only
11.	the latest information online

DO I NEED TO KNOW THIS CHECK POINT?

Management Level	Yes	Optional
Level 1: I Am An MBA Student.	V
Level 2: I Am A Professional Manager In A Company.		V
Level 3: I Plan To Start A One-Person Business.	V
Level 4: We Plan To Start A Small Business Without Employees.	V
Level 5: I/We Plan To Start A Small Business With Employees.	V
Level 6: I Am A One-Person Business Owner.	V
Level 7: I Am A Small Business Owner With Employees.	V
Level 8: We Are Small Business Owners Without Employees.	V
Level 9: We Are Small Business Owners With Employees.	V
Level 10: I Am A Management Consultant Or A CPA.	V

GENERAL MANAGEMENT
CHECK POINT 9: IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLANS

Please Select Any Topic In Check Point 9 Below And Click.

1.	supporting elements of strategic planning
2.	company tactics
3.	development of your company's tactics
4.	company policies
5.	small business example company policies
6.	company procedures
7.	company rules
8.	small business example company rules
9.	Employee Handbook
10.	for serious business owners only
11.	the latest information online

DO I NEED TO KNOW THIS CHECK POINT?

Management Level	Yes	Optional
Level 1: I Am An MBA Student.	V
Level 2: I Am A Professional Manager In A Company.		V
Level 3: I Plan To Start A One-Person Business.	V
Level 4: We Plan To Start A Small Business Without Employees.	V
Level 5: I/We Plan To Start A Small Business With Employees.	V
Level 6: I Am A One-Person Business Owner.	V
Level 7: I Am A Small Business Owner With Employees.	V
Level 8: We Are Small Business Owners Without Employees.	V
Level 9: We Are Small Business Owners With Employees.	V
Level 10: I Am A Management Consultant Or A CPA.	V

WELCOME TO CHECK POINT 9

TUTORIAL 1 General Management				TUTORIAL 2 Human Resources Management				TUTORIAL 3 Financial Management				TUTORIAL 4 Operations Management				TUTORIAL 5 Marketing And Sales Management
1	6	11	16	21	26	31	36	41	46	51	56	61	66	71	76	81	86	91	96
2	7	12	17	22	27	32	37	42	47	52	57	62	67	72	77	82	87	92	97
3	8	13	18	23	28	33	38	43	48	53	58	63	68	73	78	83	88	93	98
4	9	14	19	24	29	34	39	44	49	54	59	64	69	74	79	84	89	94	99
5	10	15	20	25	30	35	40	45	50	55	60	65	70	75	80	85	90	95	100

HOW CAN YOU BENEFIT FROM CHECK POINT 9?

The main purpose of this check point is to provide you and your management team with detailed information about the Implementation Of Strategic Plans and how to apply this information to maximize your company's performance.

In this check point you will learn:

• About corporate objectives which must support strategic plans.
• About four supporting elements of strategic planning.
• About company tactics.
• How to develop company tactics within your organization.
• About company policies.
• How to develop company policies within your organization.
• How to develop company procedures within your organization.
• About company rules.
• How to develop company rules within your organization... and much more.

LEAN MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR CHECK POINT 9

You and your management team should become familiar with the basic Lean Management principles, guidelines, and tools provided in this program and apply them appropriately to the content of this check point.

You and your team should adhere to basic lean management guidelines on a continuous basis:

•	Treat your customers as the most important part of your business.
•	Provide your customers with the best possible value of products and services.
•	Meet your customers' requirements with a positive energy on a timely basis.
•	Provide your customers with consistent and reliable after-sales service.
•	Treat your customers, employees, suppliers, and business associates with genuine respect.
•	Identify your company's operational weaknesses, non-value-added activities, and waste.
•	Implement the process of continuous improvements on organization-wide basis.
•	Eliminate or minimize your company's non-value-added activities and waste.
•	Streamline your company's operational processes and maximize overall flow efficiency.
•	Reduce your company's operational costs in all areas of business activities.
•	Maximize the quality at the source of all operational processes and activities.
•	Ensure regular evaluation of your employees' performance and required level of knowledge.
•	Implement fair compensation of your employees based on their overall performance.
•	Motivate your partners and employees to adhere to high ethical standards of behavior.
•	Maximize safety for your customers, employees, suppliers, and business associates.
•	Provide opportunities for a continuous professional growth of partners and employees.
•	Pay attention to "how" positive results are achieved and constantly try to improve them.
•	Cultivate long-term relationships with your customers, suppliers, employees, and business associates.

1. SUPPORTING ELEMENTS OF STRATEGIC PLANNING

SUPPORTING ELEMENTS OF STRATEGIC PLANNING

Business owners and managers must be familiar with various procedures related to the implementation of an effective strategic plan which represents one of the critical management responsibilities in every business organization.

To remain effective, a Strategic Plan must be clear in terms of its short-term and long-term business objectives. Furthermore, it is essential that each member of your management team provides total support and firm commitment toward the implementation of the strategic plan.

Every strategic plan must be supported by a set of S-M-A-R-T Goals And Objectives which specify what the organization wants to accomplish and when results are expected. To ensure that the selected strategic plan is implemented and objectives are met, your management team must determine how your company should accomplish its mission.

It is necessary, therefore, to develop Specific Guidelines, such as tactics, policies, procedures, and rules, to avoid any misunderstanding among employees and misdirection of organizational efforts. The prime purpose of these guidelines is to ensure the coordination and cohesion of all planned activities within your company. Each of these guidelines is described in detail in this check point.

ARE YOU A ONE-PERSON BUSINESS OWNER?

If you are a one-person business owner, you may adopt a less formal approach regarding some Supporting Elements Of Strategic Planning discussed in this check point. However, you should adhere to guidelines regarding development of effective Tactics and Policies and implement them within your business.

Moreover, it will be very beneficial for you to become familiar with the content of the entire check point, because one day you may decide to take your business to the next level and employ additional employees within your organization.

FOUR SUPPORTING ELEMENTS OF STRATEGIC PLANNING

Tactics

Policies

Procedures

Rules

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ONLINE

•	How To Write SMART Goal By Joann And D. Haughey.
•	7 Steps To Successful Strategy And Implementation By Robynne Berg.
•	Implementing Strategies: Management And Operations By Cerise Cherry.
•	The Secret To Strategic Implementation By Erica Olsen, Virtual Strategist.
•	Goals And Objectives - Identifying The Difference By How To Get Motivated.

2. COMPANY TACTICS

DEFINITION OF COMPANY TACTICS

Company Tactics can be defined as "short-term strategic plans formulated by management to accomplish defined short-term corporate objectives".

Some characteristics of company's tactics are outlined below. (22).

WHAT ARE COMPANY TACTICS?

1.	Tactics are short-term business and operational plans, formulated by management, designed to accomplish short- and long-term strategic objectives.
2.	While long-term strategic plans are formulated by top management, short-term tactical plans are usually formulated by lower-level managers.
3.	Tactics include all short-term company's plans which may cover a period of between one day and one year, while strategic plans include all medium- and long-term plans covering a period of between one to five years, or longer.
4.	While strategic results achieved by a company, based on long-term strategic plans, may not be seen for a long period of time, the tactical results achieved by a company, based on short-term tactical plans, are expected to be evident in a relatively short period of time.

3. DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR COMPANY'S TACTICS

OPTIONAL TACTICS

The selection of Optional Tactics, or short-term strategies, depends upon the underlying overall strategy adopted by the company’s management team. Main strategies and corresponding optional tactics are outlined below.

SELECTION OF OPTIONAL TACTICS

Strategy	Optional Tactics (Short-Term Strategy)
Limited Growth	Develop and implement marginally improved operational plans in such areas as general administration, human resources, finance and accounting, operations, marketing and sales.
Expansion	Seek and obtain additional capital. Develop and implement improved operational plans, or find, purchase, and absorb another company. Search for the possibility of merging with another company, and implement the merger.
Retrenchment Through Consolidation	Develop and implement marginally reduced operational plans and cut expenditure. Prepare plans for a company turnaround at a later stage.
Retrenchment Through Divestment	Identify unprofitable product or service lines or subsidiary companies and try to dispose of same. Prepare marginally improved operational plans for the profitable part of the company.
Retrenchment Through Liquidation	Develop and implement a plan aimed at liquidating all company assets. Develop a plan of paying off creditors.
Combination Strategy	Identify whether limited growth, expansion, or retrenchment represents the most suitable strategy for an individual subsidiary of the organization. Develop and implement appropriate tactics as described above.

4. COMPANY POLICIES

WHAT ARE COMPANY POLICIES?

Once strategic long-term plans and tactical short-term plans are developed, it is necessary to formulate a set of additional guidelines, or policies, to ensure efficient execution of such plans.

A Company Policy can be defined as "a clear and complete statement related to the day-to-day running of the organization".

Policies can be viewed as a preliminary set of instructions, or general rules, which state the established procedure required for a repetitive situation. Policies are specified within defined functional areas of organizational activities and provide consistent guidance throughout the decision-making process. Furthermore, sound policies help to resolve various operational issues before they turn into problematic areas within the organization.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ONLINE

•	Writing Policies And Procedures By Incite HR.
•	Policies And Procedures By David Bates, Workforce Guardian.
•	Policies And Procedures By Pat Williams, TKO Business Model.
•	Policies And Procedures For The 21st Century Organization By Raymond Urgo.
•	The Policies And Procedures Every Business Should Have By Amanda Chadwick.

5. SMALL BUSINESS EXAMPLE
COMPANY POLICIES

Policies usually exist on all levels of company activities and cover a wide range of organizational and operational issues. A typical list of such policies in a small or medium-sized company is outlined below.

1. General Management Policies:

To implement lean management guidelines in the area of general administration activities..
To apply management by objectives (MBO) procedures to the operational planning process on a regular basis.
To ensure strict adherence to the overall plan of management.

2. Human Resources Management Policies:

To implement lean management guidelines in the area of human resources activities.
To revise job descriptions and job specifications on a semi-annual basis.
To review the level of employee compensation on an annual basis.

3. Financial Management Policies:

To implement lean management guidelines in the area of finance and accounting activities.
To ensure that all financial statements are prepared on an annual basis.
To prepare detailed operating budgets on an annual basis.

4. Operations Management Policies:

To implement lean management guidelines in the area of operations activities.
To revise performance of equipment and to replace obsolete equipment on an annual basis.
To ensure that operations planning and control are implemented on a continuous basis.

5. Marketing And Sales Management Policies:

To implement lean management guidelines in the area of marketing and sales activities.
To ensure strict adherence to the marketing plan on a continuous basis.
To review marketing plan on a semi-annual basis.

Formulation of the company's policies represents a very important task of the executive management team. Since they serve to direct the decision-making process, these policies must be sufficiently flexible to accommodate the constantly changing conditions in the marketplace. Sometimes policies alone do not provide sufficient clarity in the decision-making process and must be supplemented by a range of specific procedures.

6. COMPANY PROCEDURES

WHAT ARE COMPANY PROCEDURES?

A Company Procedure represents a plan that provides the necessary method of implementing company policies. Procedures generally specify the particular sequence of steps required to ensure the most efficient manner of accomplishing certain objectives undertaken by the company.

The main purpose of maintaining procedures is to provide a set of simple, clear, and comprehensive Instructions to employees to ensure efficient implementation of the company's objectives in accordance with the previously developed strategies and policies.

Procedures are found on every level of operational activities within the organization. Such procedures may range from prescribing the method of conducting the board meeting of company directors to giving operational instructions to employees. Procedures frequently cut across organizational lines and consist of numerous operating instructions issued to various departments within the company.

Formulation of procedures represents, therefore, an important task of the management team and requires sound experience, suitable skills, and methodical approach.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ONLINE

•	Procedure Writing By Shanthan Naidu.
•	Create Standard Operating Procedures By Tanya Smith.
•	How To Create An SOP Standard Operating Procedure By Bizmanualz.
•	Developing Effective Standard Operating Procedures By FlorinnaDekovic, UC SF.
•	Steps To Creating Standard Operating Procedures By Dawn Bott And Lisa Walker.

7.COMPANY RULES

WHAT ARE COMPANY RULES?

Another important element which needs to be specified by the management team is a set of Rules that relate to the conduct of employees within and outside the organization.

Company rules, not to be confused with company policies or procedures, spell out required actions or non-actions by an employee and do not allow any discretion in their application. Rules are designed to provide a set of specific orders and prescribe what to do or not to do within and outside the company.

The basic difference between rules and policies is that rules are designed to enforce required regulations, while policies serve to guide management through the decision-making process. Formulation of rules represents, therefore, an important task of the management team and requires sound experience, suitable skills, and methodical approach.

IMPORTANCE OF COMPANY RULES IN YOUR COMPANY

The main purpose of Company Rules is to enforce the implementation of various procedures, policies, and tactics developed in accordance with the specific strategic plans. Hence, the formulation of company's rules represents another very important function of the executive management team, and it serves to ensure effective implementation of company's strategic plans.

Remember, that all successful companies have a specific set of company rules formulated for their employees. Your company, therefore, should not be an exception. You and your management team must set aside time to formulate your company's rules to secure efficient performance of your organization.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ONLINE

•	Killer QuickWin: Kill A Stupid Rule By Lisa Bodell, Futurethink.
•	Enforce Your Employee Rules By Greg Berge And 501 Contractor Tips.
•	Three Rules Of Exceptional Companies By Michael E. Raynor, Deloitte US.
•	Breaking Down Strategy Into Smaller Achievable Goals By Michael Guerin.
•	Setting Rules For Employee Social Media Use By Neal Hartman, MIT Sloan.

8. SMALL BUSINESS EXAMPLE
COMPANY RULES

COMPANY RULES

A typical set of Rules for a small or medium-sized company is outlined below.
1.	Every employee is required to work during normal working hours prescribed by the company and to take breaks only during the intervals allotted by management.
2.	Every hourly paid employee is required to punch "in" his or her own time-card when coming on duty, "out" and "in" for the break period, and "out" again when going off duty.
3.	Every employee is required to obtain permission from his or her supervisor to work overtime.
4.	Every employee is required to obtain an authorization from his or her supervisor prior to leaving the company's premises during the regular working hours, unless pursuing company business.
5.	Every employee is entitled to receive the usual range of benefits offered by the company upon successfully completing a 90-day probation period.
6.	Every employee is entitled to paid annual leave equal to 10 days after one full year of employment, and one additional day for every subsequent year thereafter.
7.	Every employee is entitled to 10 paid public holidays and five paid days of sick leave during one full year of employment.
8.	Smoking is allowed only during non-working hours in specially assigned locations.
9.	The use of alcohol or drugs is strictly prohibited.
10.	Private telephone calls are allowed only during non-working hours, except for emergencies.
11.	Private use of Internet is not allowed during the working hours and is restricted to browsing legitimate sites only during non-working hours. Browsing adult and gambling sites and strictly forbidden.
12.	Every employee is expected to observe good taste in selection of clothes worn at work.
13.	Every employee is prohibited from accepting gifts and gratuities of any kind from the company's suppliers, customers, or co-workers.
14.	Every employee is expected to demonstrate professionalism and courtesy, while dealing on the company's behalf with customers, suppliers, and other people and organizations.

9. EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

Many small business owners summarize all essential information related to their company in an Employee Handbook or Employee Manual. This handbook is designed to welcome each new employee to the company and introduce each employee to a wide range of company's rules and procedures.

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK CONTENT

A typical employee handbook content for a small or medium-sized company is outlined below.
1.	The brief history and important milestones.
2.	The mission statement and core values.
3.	Employee orientation procedures.
4.	General policies, procedures and rules.
5.	Guidelines for employee performance in the workplace and outside the company.
6.	Expectations for employee behavior inside and outside the company.
7.	Guidelines related to prohibitive types of behavior in the workplace and outside the company.
8.	Guidelines related to employee compensation, benefits, pay raises and vacation periods.
9.	Guidelines related to employee promotion and demotion in the workplace.
10.	Guidelines related to employee communication, use of computers, Internet and emails.
11.	Guidelines related to handling of accidents and job injuries in the workplace.
12.	Guidelines related to employees' safety and health in the workplace.
13.	Guidelines for employee performance evaluation and training.
14.	Guidelines related to employee use of company equipment, company car and other assets.
15.	Guidelines related to employee confidentiality and fiduciary responsibility.
16.	Guidelines related to employee compliance with relevant legal requirements.
17.	Guidelines related to employee disciplinary action, conflict resolution and separation.

IMPORTANCE OF AN EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

A well-designed employee handbook will provide your employees with comprehensive information related to your company procedures, rules and regulations. This will help your management team and your employees to establish clear channels of communication and add clarity to daily operational activities within your organization. A carefully designed employee handbook will also add a significant layer of legal protection to your organization in case of any potential legal action by any third party in the future.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ONLINE

•	Employee Handbook By ESG Republic.
•	Employee Handbooks: 5 Most Common Mistakes By Pat DiDomenico.
•	Top 10 Employee Handbook Blunders By Dana Smith, ExaltResources.
•	Improve Your Employee Handbook In 5 Minutes By Michael Brisciana, ISM.
•	Create A Bullet Proof Employee Handbook For Your Organization By Amy Letke.

10. FOR SERIOUS BUSINESS OWNERS ONLY

ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS TODAY?

Reprinted with permission.

11. THE LATEST INFORMATION ONLINE

LESSON FOR TODAY:
Every Long-Term Plan Must Have Short-Term Steps!

Joe Griffith

Go To The Next Open Check Point In This Promotion Program Online.