Dear Workforce How Do We Develop A Strategic Plan For A Small Company

Q

Dear Workforce:

How do I prepare a strategic plan for the group human resources department ofa group employing about 500 people, most of whom are involved in the field ofservices?

— Scratching my head in Malta, Group HR manager, services company, MriehelIndustrial Estate, Malta.

A Dear Malta:

A strategic plan for a small organization requires the same care and thoughtas any other HR effort. The components of the plan should be as follows:

• Mission statement for the function. Focus on the needs of the customer,not your strengths.

• Environmental scan. Focus on the business case of the organization,markets, capital, products, R&D, and implications for HR

• SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) Analysis.Critical review of the programs, processes, technology, and capabilities of theHR function — a gap analysis, in other words.

• Determination of budget.

• Identification of strategic intent for the year. What are the majorefforts that will be undertaken by HR. State them in measurable terms.

• Migration strategy. What is the timeline, and what is each person’sresponsibility?

SOURCE: Tom Casey, principal, organizational effectiveness practice, UnifiNetworks, a subsidiary of PricewaterhouseCoopers, Boston, Massachusetts., May15, 2001

LEARN MORE: See “The Organizational Myth: ThreeManagers and a Work Plan“

The information contained in this article is intended to provide usefulinformation on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice ora legal opinion. Also remember that state laws may differ from the federal law.