“…the process itself is more important than the plan.”
- Jeffery Timmons, New Venture Creation
One of the key objectives for our professional development program is to help artists achieve success through manageable, persistent, strategic and consistent action; without sacrificing their spirit. Basically, we want to help you learn how to design a strategic plan for your career or organization and encourage you to implement it effectively.
WHY?
Without directions the journey seems overwhelmingly long and impossibly difficult, but with directions the journey seems realistic and achievable. Research shows, the very process of designing a strategic plan for your business is highly motivating. It puts you in charge of shaping your future, evaluating your choices, and initiating fruitful actions. The plan gives you a clear path to your long-term goals that is paved with actionable short-term goals.
Additionally, a strategic plan helps you manage risks and uncertainty, work smarter not harder, test your thinking, achieve results, manage stress, and understand the costs and benefits (both monetary and non-monetary). Also, you can temper impulsive hunches with a thoroughly researched understanding of consequences, make educated decisions, and limit trial by error. It helps you say “no” to distracting opportunities that often slow or halt progress. And if you decide to say “yes” to non-strategic expenses of your time, energy, and resources; you can do so with a clear understanding of the opportunity cost…of what you are sacrificing.
“Medèn ágan”
- Ancient Greek maxim (written in Latin)
This ancient Greek saying, carved on the pediment of the temple of Apollo at Delphi in Greece, literally translates into “Nothing in excess.” I caution any artist or arts manager to take heed when engaged in the strategic planning process. A plan is NOT A RIGID DOCUMENT; it is only a point of departure that MUST ADJUST as you attend to the unknown obstacles and opportunities that will inevitably emerge on your journey.
Common pitfalls in strategic planning involve letting the plan become:
- a source of tension
- an unhealthy list of “shoulds”
- an unrealistic thing that heightens your fear of failure
- a barrier to integrating unexpected opportunities
- fuel for your competitive nature
- an excuse for quitting when things take longer than projected.
The journey from idea to high potential opportunity requires navigating an undulating, constantly changing, three-dimensional relief map while inventing the vehicle and road map along the way.
-Jeffery Timmons, New Venture Creation
Again, you must accept that the plan (as written) will likely fail, because these fast paced times make it obsolete as soon as it comes off the printer. However, you can succeed if you take the time to go through the planning process:
- understand your goals
- clarify your creative offering
- understand your industry infrastructure
- understand your audience
- assess your resources and capabilities
- use the research and analysis to thoughtfully design your path. (What is your marketing strategy, operations strategy, financial strategy, entrance/exit strategy, development plan, etc.?)
A strategic plan will get you started, be a tool to measure progress/opportunities, and act as a battle plan for mitigating risk and overcoming obstacles. Just be sure to adjust the plan as needed.
Finally, taking the time to do a strategic plan is an investment in sustaining a lifelong passion, rather than a short-term fling, with the arts.
Fractured U. will be offering online courses in strategic planning and many related subjects. However, if you need any assistance prior to the Fractured U. launch, please feel free to contact me at kamal.sinclair@fracturedatlas.org.
(Originally published on FracturedAtlas.org September 23, 2008)
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