Guide to help create your more detailed plan

[admin]

We know why strategic planning is important (from the previous topic!). Now, let's look at how to actually put a plan together for your croquet club. Don't worry, it doesn't need to be a massive document – simple and clear is best!

A good strategic plan generally includes a few key ingredients and follows a logical process. Don't get caught up in correct answers or perfect responses- doing something is better than nothing.

Key Elements of a Club Plan

Think of these as the building blocks of your strategy:

1. Purpose (Your 'Why'): This is the heart of your club!

   • Why Statement: The core reason your club exists beyond just playing croquet. What impact do you want to have?
   • Mission: What is your club's main purpose or objective?
   • Vision: What do you want your club to look like in the future? What's the big dream?
   • Values: What principles guide your club's decisions and behaviour? (e.g., sociality, sportsmanship, community).

2. Goals: What specific things do you want to achieve?

   • Make them SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
   • Think about different types: Doable (quick wins), Stretch (needs effort), and Possible (long-term ambitions).

3. SWOT Analysis: A look at your club's current situation:

   • Strengths: What does your club do well? (Internal)
   • Weaknesses: What challenges does your club face? (Internal)
   • Opportunities: What external factors could help your club? (External)
   • Threats: What external factors could hinder your club? (External)

4. Actions: How will you achieve your goals?

   • List the specific steps or tasks needed.
   • Assign who is responsible for each action.
   • Set when each action should be done (timeline).
   • Consider the budget or resources needed.

The Basic Planning Process

The value your club will get from creating the plan will be as valuable as the plan itself! Here’s a simple flow:

1. Involve People: Get input from your committee, members, and maybe even key stakeholders. Shared ownership makes the plan stronger.
2. Define Your Purpose: Start with your 'Why', Mission, Vision, and Values.
3. Assess Your Situation: Conduct your SWOT analysis.
4. Set Your Goals: Decide what you want to achieve based on your purpose and SWOT.
5. Develop Your Actions: Figure out the specific steps to reach those goals.
6. Write it Down: Consolidate everything into a clear, concise plan document.
7. Implement & Review: Put the plan into action! Importantly, revisit it regularly (e.g., every committee meeting, or annually) to check progress and make adjustments if needed. Things change, and your plan might need to adapt too.

You don't need to do this all at once, break it down into small chunks that nicely fit with after play drinks and nibbles with those who'd like to get involved.

This guide gives you the overview. The post below provides direct links to handy worksheets, templates, and videos from the QLD Government to help you work through each of these steps!

[admin]

Here are the direct links to the helpful resources provided by the QLD Government (ClubIQ) specifically for Strategic Planning.

These guides, worksheets, and the video can help you work through each step of creating your club's plan.

QLD Government Strategic Planning Resources:

• Main Webpage: Planning for club development and growth (Overview page)
• Guide: Strategic Planning Flowchart (PDF) (Quick guide to the process)
• Worksheet: Purpose Worksheet (DOCX) (Helps define Why, Mission, Vision, Values)
• Worksheet: Goals Worksheet (DOCX) (Helps set and categorise goals)
• Worksheet: SWOT Worksheet (DOCX) (For analysing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
• Template: Action Plan Template (DOCX) (To document goals, actions, roles, budget)
• Training Video: ClubIQ: Strategic Planning (YouTube) (Video guide to the process)

Feel free to download the worksheets and templates to use in your own planning sessions!