Implementing the Operational Plan
The Operational Plan is a basic tool that directs the day-to-day
activities of organisational staff. However staff must be aware of the existence of the operational plan, what its purpose is and why it is important to them. The Operational Plan is only as good as the diligence of staff in putting it into action.
To ensure that there is sufficient understanding of the operational plan, the highest echelons of management within the organisation must thoroughly communicate the operational plan to staff.
Communication strategies can include:
- A series of staff / team meetings in which senior management are engaged in explaining key aspects of
the operational plan and dealing with questions that staff raise
about the plan.
- A breakdown of the overall operational plan into subsets and communication of each subset to the work team or section that takes responsibility. This enables the work team to more clearly understand, and be focused on, their part in implementing the whole plan.
- The development of systems that enable progress of strategies / tasks to be measured and reported within a work team, and to management.
- The provision of training so that staff may better understand
their tasks and responsibilities, and especially how they can
contribute to the overall achievement of the operational plan.
- Aspects of the Operational
Plan can be described in position descriptions of employees
The implementation of the Operational Plan requires management to regularly monitor achievement and exert control to reduce any variance from the plan.
This control by managers will involve:
- Investigating on a regular basis of what has been achieved, and what has not
- Implementing corrective action where tasks are not achieved, or achieve on time
- Checking that resources will be available when needed
- Supervising, supporting and motivating the people of the organisation to ensure tasks are undertaken
- Adjusting the operational plan if there is a need
- Reporting problems to superiors e.g. directors, committee personnel, the Board Members of the organisation