Strategic plan needs to be used in order to take you anywhere

Buying a new car feels exciting — you research, choose the perfect one, and take the long way home, enjoying the ride. But soon, frustration with the unfamiliar features sends you back to your old car, leaving the new one to collect dust..Strategic plans are the same. You invest in a consultant, craft the perfect roadmap, and feel energized about the future. But when implementation feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar, you default to old habits. The plan sits on a shelf, untouched. Many organizations fail to follow through on their strategic plans, often citing three key reasons.Lack of resources — Community banks today face high turnover, especially on the front lines, and squeezed net interest margins. These challenges drain time and money, making it tough to launch new initiatives. HR, for example, may be tasked with developing a leadership training program to support succession planning but is instead buried in hiring, onboarding, and exit interviews.A well-crafted strategic plan should allocate resources effectively and prioritize initiatives. However, when key employees leave, taking their knowledge with them, priorities must shift. If the plan isn’t revisited and adjusted, it will stall — just like a broken-down car on the side of the road.Lack of buy-in — How does your team perceive the planning process? If strategic planning is seen as a regulatory checkbox rather than a vital roadmap, engagement will be low. Everyone involved must understand their role, what they contribute, and why this process matters.Plans created in departmental silos lead to competing priorities and operational chaos. Involving representatives from every department — HR, marketing, operations, lending — ensures alignment. HR needs to anticipate hiring needs, marketing must prepare for new product rollouts, and operations should be aware of upcoming changes. When every department has a voice, buy-in follows.Lack of follow-throughBringing in an outside perspective — whether for audits, process mapping, or strategic planning — only creates value if the recommendations are implemented. Without action, these efforts become expensive reports that gather dust.Accountability check-ins should be a key part of any plan. Regular meetings, ideally monthly, ensure progress is reviewed, roadblocks are addressed, and necessary adjustments are made. These shouldn’t be passive “report-outs” but active working sessions where teams collaborate on challenges and reassess deadlines. Keeping the plan alive requires consistent engagement from everyone involved.