This is a Deep Dive page. Select the chapter for the Fast Track
Play 11: Develop a Unifying Strategic Plan (Strategy & Policy)
Innovative leaders ensure that their organization's strategic plan outlines a common mission and specifies how business functions (e.g., operations, maintenance, and finance) will support the mission and goals in a unified way. Unity is essential for an organization to successfully meet strategic goals. To ensure that strategic plans are unifying, leaders create plans that promote alignment among diverse groups within an organization, clarify objectives and priorities, and help focus all work their organization does around such goals. This ensures that major objectives of various departments do not conflict with one another.
In addition to innovation, innovative leaders value diversity, equity, and inclusion and drive these concepts into the values, mission, and strategic plans of an airport. They sometimes consider developing innovation charters that align with the airport's strategic plan. For more information on developing an innovation strategy and goals, see Chapter 6.
Reference the Strategic Plan so It Is Widely Known
Innovative leaders
- Announce (hear ye, hear ye) the strategic plan. Every time a strategic plan is newly developed or updated, communicate it well and reference it often so its guidance is incorporated into everything staff does and it becomes a unifying force for the organization. Hold all-hands meetings to explain the mission, vision, and values so everyone receives the same message from a reliable source. Ensure that staff have the opportunity to answer questions. Communicate the “why“ behind new approaches when changes are introduced. Acknowledge what others are being asked to change, clarify why it is important they do so, and demonstrate how new strategies will impact their work experience and result in happier customers. Create a sense of urgency to implement changes by showing what is driving the need for change, which will help others adopt the same urgency to implement changes quickly.
- Follow up and celebrate progress. Create goals and projects based on the strategic plan that ensure individuals and teams are aligned and empowered to make the best decisions. Reinforce the goals of the strategic plan via consistent communication throughout the year, such as meetings, emails, newsletters, performance reviews, and one-on-one discussions. Celebrate successes along the way by highlighting wins, whether individual or collective, in team and organizational meetings. This will help more people adopt new ideas and lead to greater ownership and accountability.
- Review and update plans. Review plans for minor updates annually due to the nature of this fast-changing world. Be sure to use technology to collaborate potential changes, make decisions, and communicate updates relatively easily when annual planning occurs. Make comprehensive revisions every five years or sooner, in most cases.
Use the Strategic Plan to Guide All Decisions Across Departments and Roles
Innovative leaders
- Set daily reminders. Be intentional about discussing the airport strategic plan. Keep the plan at the forefront by discussing it with business function leaders, managers, staff, peers, governing authorities, and external partners and customers. Ask staff on a regular basis what is and is not working related to meeting strategic goals, and make ongoing decisions based on their feedback. Develop evaluation methods and metrics, like key performance indicators, to ensure elements of the plan are achieved within certain timeframes.
- Provide incentives. Motivate staff to implement goals that are highlighted in strategic plans through incentives. If you provide the necessary motivation, staff will likely be more willing to focus on those goals, and the importance of the strategic plan is elevated. Incorporate strategy into staff meetings by focusing on where changes are needed, where there are issues, and where progress has been made. Give people a chance to report on accomplishments or the time to ask for input on problems they are having.
Work with HR to Reflect the Strategic Plan in Hiring and Performance Review Processes
Innovative leaders
- Ensure people reflect the desired culture. Spend time thinking through how strategic objectives come across in the new-hire process so that the airport can attract quality staff that align with its goals. Do this by meeting with HR personnel to create job postings that include the goals, mission, and values of the airport and relate them to the daily tasks of the new hire.
- Update HR communications. Work with HR to ensure that strategic objectives appear in new-hire manuals as well as new-hire training and onboarding messaging. Also work with HR to add line items related to the strategic plan in all job descriptions as well as in all performance evaluations so that everyone is incentivized to meet the goals and objectives of the airport.
