Your Community Plan Is Only as Good as Your Capacity to Implement It

Communities put a lot of energy into planning.

We hold visioning sessions. We send out surveys. We bring stakeholders together. We identify priorities, create strategic frameworks and develop plans for what comes next.

All of that work matters.

But there’s a conversation I think we need to have more often during the planning process: Do we actually have the capacity to do what we're putting in this plan?

I’ve seen organizations and communities take on initiative after initiative without stopping to consider whether they have the people, time or resources to support them.

And eventually, something gives.

Capacity Has to Be Part of the Strategy

It's easy to get excited about what's possible when you're planning for the future.

The harder part is being realistic about what you can actually sustain.

We add a new program, project or priority without retiring anything else. The workload grows, but the number of people available to do the work doesn't. Before long, the same handful of people are responsible for moving everything forward.

Then consider what happens when one of those people suddenly isn't available.

Who takes over?

Can the work continue?

Does anyone else know what needs to happen next?

Those aren't always comfortable questions to ask, but they're important ones.

Because a strategic plan that doesn't account for the community's actual capacity isn't really a strategy.

It's a wish list.

And wish lists don't move communities forward.

Three Questions to Ask Before You Make the Plan

Before your next strategic planning process, I encourage you to have an honest conversation about three things.

1. What Can We Actually Commit To?

There's a big difference between something that sounds like a good idea and something your organization can realistically support for the next six months, year or several years.

Prioritization means deciding what you're genuinely willing and able to do, not simply documenting everything you'd like to accomplish.

2. Who Owns This When the Consultant Leaves?

This is a big one.

A consultant can facilitate the process, help establish priorities and create a path forward. But eventually, the consultant leaves the room.

Then what?

Every major priority needs ownership. Someone has to know what happens next, who needs to be involved and how progress will be measured.

If nobody owns the work after the planning process ends, even a great plan can sit on a shelf.

3. What Are We Willing to Stop Doing?

This may be the hardest question of the three.

Every new priority requires something: time, people, money, attention or all of the above.

If your organization is already operating at capacity, adding something new without removing or changing anything isn't really prioritization. It's just adding more work.

Sometimes moving forward means deciding what you're willing to stop doing so you can create room for what matters most now.

Build a Plan You Can Actually Implement

A beautiful strategic plan doesn't create progress on its own.

The real work begins when the planning process ends.

That's why I'd rather see a community leave the table with three priorities it has the capacity and commitment to accomplish than 15 priorities that look impressive on paper but have no clear path forward.

Be ambitious about where you want your community to go.

But be equally honest about what it will take to get there.

Because the best strategic plan isn't the one that says the most. It's the one your community can actually put into action.

I'm Renee with Thrive Community Partners. This article is based on an episode of Thrive in Five, where we share practical ideas for moving organizations and communities forward in five minutes or less.