Planning for the future

A good strategy should be simple, focused and able to be summarised on one page. It should be clear about the club’s path, prioritise outcomes and provide a reference for decision making.

There is no right or wrong way to prepare a plan. However, there are some basic elements that should be included:

1. Where your club is now (Benchmark).
2. Why your club exists and for whom (Purpose or Mission).
3. What it means to be a member of your club and what is important (Culture and Values).
4. Where your club is going in the future (Vision).
5. What your club will focus on developing (Strategies). These may include: membership, services (e.g. coaching), events, governance, facilities, partnerships and volunteers.
6. How your identified objectives are going to be achieved (Actions - for who will do what, where and when).
7. How and when you will measure progress (Success Criteria – to check against your benchmark).

A good idea is to check to see if it all aligns with the national and regional plans.

Once finished, remember to communicate your club’s plan with your members so they can see why, how and what they can do to help your club achieve the dream. Don’t forget to treat this as a living document and review and update annually.

While the planning process can seem like a big task, by keeping it simple and sticking to the above step-by-step process, you can put your club on a pathway to success. For more information about planning click here.