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Seven.Steps.To.A.Successfull.Business.Plan.pdf
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Seven Steps
to a
Successful
Business Plan
This Page Intentionally Left Blank
American Management Association
New York • Atlanta • Brussels • Buenos Aires • Chicago • London • Mexico City
San Francisco • Shanghai • Tokyo • Toronto • Washington, D.C.
Seven Steps
to a
Successful
Business Plan
Al Coke
Special discounts on bulk quantities of AMACOM books are
available to corporations, professional associations, and other
organizations. For details, contact Special Sales Department,
AMACOM, a division of American Management Association,
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.
Tel.: 212-903-8316. Fax: 212-903-8083.
Web site: www. amacombooks.org
©2002 Alfred M. Coke
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
This publication may not be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in whole or in part,
in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of AMACOM,
a division of American Management Association,
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.
Printing number
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative
information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with
the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering
legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or
other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent
professional person should be sought.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Coke, Al.
Seven steps to a successful business plan / Al Coke.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8144-0648-3
1. Business planning. 2. Strategic planning. 3. Success in business.
I. Title.
HD30.28 .C6422 2001
658.4'012—dc21
2001033579
v
Contents
List of Figures xxi
Introduction: How This Book Can Help You
Develop a Powerful Business Plan
That Works xxvii
The Five Critical Ingredients of a Successful Business Plan xxviii
Why the Traditional Planning Models for Building a
Business Plan Don’t Work xxviii
The Traditional Approach: Good Intentions,
Dismal Results xxix
The Piecemeal Approach: No Way to Fit the
Pieces Together xxix
The Deflected Focus Approach: Falling Short
of Your Company’s Real Needs xxx
The Three Unique Features of This Book That Will Help
You Achieve Your Business Plan Goals xxxi
Your Management Story xxxi
The Concept of backPlanning xxxii
The 5-Page Business Plan xxxii
How to Convert Your Goals Into Practical Business Behavior xxxii
The Key Questions: The Business Plan Self-Test xxxv
1 How to Create a Compelling Company
Story That Inspires Employees to Excel 1
The Company Story: The “Single Most Powerful Weapon”
in Preparing a Business Plan 2
The Three Reasons Company Stories Fall Short of
Expectations 3
When a Story Is Badly Told 4
When the Story Pieces Don’t Add Up 5
When the Story Isn’t Believable 5
The Antidote to a Badly Managed Story 5
How Slogans Work as Windows Into Your Company 6
Organizational Energy Fields: The Invisible Forces
That Hold Your Company Together 10
Fields of Belonging 11
Fields of Challenge 11
Fields of Purpose 12
Fields of Contribution 12
vi Contents
The Nine Tools for Generating Effective Business
Energy Fields 12
Growing Up to Be What You Don’t Want to Be:
The Three Stages of a Company’s Life Cycle 16
Stage 1: Matching the Stage and the Story 17
Stage 2: Growing Your Story 17
Stage 3: Accepting Stagnation of Your Story 20
Summary 21
The Key Questions: Creating Your Company Story 22
The Practical Applications: Bringing Your
Company Story to Life 23
2 The Practical Guidelines for Building a
Business Plan in Five Pages 25
Defining Your Business Plan 26
How the 5-Page Business Plan Works 27
The Strategic Plan—Forming the Heart of Your Story 28
The Operational Plan—Bringing Your Plan to Life 29
The Organizational Plan—Defining Your
Corporate Structure 31
The Resources Plan—Analyzing the Support You
Need to Put Your Plan Into Action 32
The Contingency Plan—Taking Evasive Action
in a Crisis Situation 34
Tips on Capturing Information and Minimizing Paperwork 36
The Four Unique Phases in a Business Planning Cycle 37
Phase 1: Preparing 39
Phase 2: Planning 40
Contents vii
The Bubble-Up Theory: Why Planning
From the Bottom Up Doesn’t Work 43
Phase 3: Implementing 44
Phase 4: Sustaining 47
Skills Development 48
Coaching and Communications Training 48
Explaining How Money Works 49
Process Mapping 50
Leadership and Managership Training 52
Summary 53
The Key Questions: Building Your 5-Page
Business Plan 54
The Practical Applications: Beginning a Successful
Planning Cycle 55
3 Strategic Planning: The Five Critical
Considerations That Can Help Your
Plan Succeed 57
How to Embrace the Fast-Changing Laws of the
Business Universe Into Your Company Story 59
Bad Attitudes: How Organizations Get Into Trouble
With Poor Planning 63
Timid Companies: Thinking Small and Failing
to Take Risks 63
Arrogant Companies: Three Deadly Excuses for
Not Writing a Business Plan 66
How to Choose the Best Time Frame for Developing and
Executing Your Story 69
Proactive Long-Term backPlanning 69
viii Contents
Predicting the Future Versus Designing the Future 74
Setting Time Frames 75
How to Tell Your Story Effectively With (or Without)
Guidance From Top Management 75
Making Assumptions: Benchmarks for Cross-Checking
Your Success in the Future 78
Case Study: Comparing Human Resources Functions 80
Summary 82
The Key Questions: Understanding How Critical
Issues Influence Your Company’s Story 83
The Practical Applications: Framing the Context
of Your Plan 84
4 Vision and Mission: The Two Key Anchors
That Add Passion and Purpose to
Your Story 85
The Two Crucial Parts of the Visioning Process 87
Techniques That Can Help You Create a Powerful
Company Vision 88
Scenario Writing: Where Are You Heading? 88
Keep Your Focus Future-Oriented 89
Add Keywords to Fire the Imagination of Your
Employees 90
The Vision Statement: How to Describe Your Company
of the Future 91
Don’t Confuse the Message With the Messenger 95
Sharing the Vision: How to Encourage
Employee Involvement 96
When to Use Multiple Visions in Your Plan 97
Contents ix
Rallying the Employees: How to Create Purpose With
Your Mission Statement 98
The Three Critical Functions of a Mission Statement:
Communicate, Appeal, and Define 99
Why Profit Has Its Place—But Not in Your
Mission Statement 105
Mission Analysis: How to Keep It Simple by Defining
Your Core Tasks 106
The Specified Task: The Heart of Your Mission 107
The Implied Tasks: Unstated but Essential for
Achieving Goals 108
Applying the Mission Analysis 109
How to Convert Your Mission Statement Into Daily
Activities 109
Summary 111
The Key Questions: Preparing Vision and
Mission Statements 112
The Practical Applications: Writing Your Present
and Future Statements 112
5 Strategic Goals, Objectives, and Tasks:
How to Set Them and Then Make
Them Happen 113
How to Create Strategic Goals That Deliver What You
Promise 114
Diagramming Your Vision: Tips on Structuring
Your Goals 116
Ford’s Vision Statement (Actual) 116
Ford’s Mission Statement (Hypothetical) 116
Ford’s Strategic Goals (Hypothetical) 117
x Contents
How to Translate Your Vision Into Reality 118
Painting Your Story with Bold Strokes 118
Three Steps for Setting Big, Bold Goals 119
Step 1: Fire Up the Management Team 120
Step 2: Get Leadership to Step Up to the Plate 120
Step 3: Validate Your Strategic Goals 121
Seven Critical Questions to Ask When Setting Goals 122
How to Construct Realistic Goals 123
Four Downsides to Using Mergers and Acquisitions as
a Growth Tool 126
Problem 1: Culture Clash 127
Problem 2: The Clash of Management Egos 127
Problem 3: The Human Factor 128
Problem 4: The Process Itself 129
The Bottom, Bottom Line to Mergers and
Acquisitions as Growth Vehicles 130
It May Not Work Tomorrow: Why You Need to Rethink
Your Business Approach 130
The Strategic Goals Checklist 131
How to Set Critical Objectives 133
Time Factors in Setting Objectives 136
Tasks: How to Focus on What Really Needs to Be Done 137
How to Put Your Goals and Objectives Into Motion 139
Strategies: Big Picture Tools for Accomplishing
Your Plan 139
Using Tactics to Reinforce Your Strategies 143
Get Started Writing Strategies and Tactics 144
Summary 145
Contents xi
The Key Questions: Breaking Out of Complacency 146
The Practical Applications: Working on Your
Strategic Plan 147
6 The Six Driving Forces That Affect Your
Business Plan—And How to Focus on the
Best One for Your Company’s Needs 149
The Player-Driven Organization: Putting Employee
or Customer First 152
The Plans-Driven Organization: Achieving Goals Is
the Name of the Game 155
The Process-Driven Organization: Continually
Seeking Improvement 159
The Products-Driven Organization: Producing the
Best and Staying on Top 161
The Properties-Driven Organization: Making the
Most With What You Have 163
The Payoff-Driven Organization: Catering to Status 167
How to Find a Single Focus to Drive Your Company
to Success 169
Why the Customer Is Not Always Right 169
How to Use Focus to Clarify Your Mission 171
Shifting Focus: Is It Worth the Effort? 173
The Payoff for Finding a Central Theme in Your Story 174
Summary 174
The Key Questions: Developing Focus 175
The Practical Applications: Finding a Single Focus 175
xii Contents
7 Corporate Culture: The Four Ingredients
That Are Crucial to Your Company’s Success 177
The Three Steps for Developing a List of Core Values 179
Step 1: Determine What’s Really Important 182
Step 2: Explain How to Put Each Value Into Action 183
Step 3: Account for Any Gaps 184
How to Prepare a Clear, Well-Crafted Philosophy Statement 186
Tips for Developing Your Philosophy 189
Make Sure What You Say Is What You Do 191
The Seven Key Operating Principles That Guide
Successful Businesses 192
The Principle of Products: Know What You
Are Selling 194
The Principle of Profit: Money Matters 195
The Principle of Customer: Continually
Replenish Your Base 196
The Principle of Direction: Know Where
Your Organization Is Headed 197
The Principle of Structure: Provide Comfort
and Stability 199
The Principle of People: Don’t Ignore the
Human Factor 199
The Principle of Ethics: You Will Get Caught 200
Thinking Long Term: How to Communicate Your
Strategic Intent 203
The Nine Key Actions to Include in Your Strategic
Intent Statement 206
Summary 207
The Key Questions: Defining Your Corporate Culture 208
Contents xiii
The Practical Applications: Developing Core
Values Statements 209
8 How to Build a One-Year Operational Plan
That Improves Performance 211
Situational Analysis: The Bridge Between the Strategic
Plan and the Operational Plan 213
Analysis of Company Performance 214
Analysis of Competition 215
Analysis of Market and Market Share 216
Analysis of Mission 217
Analysis of Resources 218
Analysis of Drivers 221
Analysis of Structure 222
Analysis of Reference Information 223
The Key Components of an Effective Operational Plan 224
Choose Annual Targets 225
Set Quarterly Performance Measurements 226
Concentrate on Key Tasks 227
Define Tactics 227
Coordinate the Operational Plan 228
Summarize the Short-Term Plan With a
Concept of Operation 228
How to Improve Your Operational Plan Efficiency 228
Heat Loss: The Hidden Force That Chips Away
at Your Profits 229
Islands of Power: When Control Is Lopsided 232
White Space: When No One Is Held Accountable 235
xiv Contents