From Planning to Progress Part 2: Your Plan Needs a Team—Not Just a Binder

In Part 1, we talked about how a strategic plan is like a set of construction drawings—it shows you what you’re building and how to build it. But it won’t assemble itself.

To move from blueprint to reality, you need the right team in place—people who are equipped, empowered, and accountable. This means more than just assigning goals to department heads. It means treating your strategic plan like the project it is.

Like any successful project, you’ll need an implementation team with clearly defined roles and structure. Start by identifying a small cross-functional group responsible for keeping things on track. This team should:

• Coordinate strategy execution across departments

• Track ownership and progress on key initiatives

• Keep the plan visible, active, and connected to daily work

Each leader should own their department’s strategies while also thinking big picture—how their work supports the overall direction. This isn’t about checking boxes in silos. It’s about building something meaningful together.

Make regular meetings part of your culture—not a scramble when things go sideways. These meetings should be focused, promote honest conversations, and keep the team aligned with the bigger vision. Use them to:

• Identify top-priority strategies for the quarter

• Track progress and adjust course when needed

• Share lessons learned and problem-solve as a team

And yes—daily fires will always pop up. But making space for strategy gives your team permission to step out of reactive mode, take a breath, and focus on what matters most.

We’ve seen it again and again: strong plans fall short because no one is managing the work it takes to move them forward.

Your implementation team is the crew that keeps the build on track. They break down silos, foster alignment, and drive accountability.

The right plan is important but no plan succeeds without people. The right team makes all the difference.