I think that both are important since many of the larger goals for schools can take more than 5 years. We are planning a new facility in addition to new programs. Since funding determines which gets done first we have to rearrange assets to reach our goals. This also changes a 1 year goal into a 2-3 year goal.
Most banks and accrediting organizations want to see where you will be heading in 3-5 years. Your plan helps everyone get a clear sense of your objectives and to see if you support your mission.
Thanks, Jack. There are amazing discoveries with 3 - 5 year planning. Done right you can get a lot of great ideas from the people who are on your 5 year planning committee (or advisory board.) Just create an open environment where they feel free to share their thoughts and opinions. Best wishes,Susan
I agree. Without it, we can easily get lost where we want to go. We have a 5 year plan but are excited to learn something new from this lesson. Thanks, Jack
Hi Jack, Yes, a plan is just a plan. But without it there are no roadmaps or budget, or tasks, timelines, or deadlines. And no ideas. We definitely agree that a plan has to be constantly revisited. And while a 5 year plan is nice to have, the reality is that if you can create a well thought-out and researched plan for 2 -3 years that's great. We've noticed that a plan can identify options, challenges, and opportunities. It helps to head off and prepare for surprises - especially the really bad ones. A really effective plan is very well researched. Then when new ideas are generated you have the information to check out the viability of the idea. Thanks, Susan
Definitely both short term and long term plan are helpful. We keep coming back to original plan and modifying it based on internal or external factors. A plan is just a plan but it gives us idea if we are doing good or not.
My school used to provide short term IT training so when we moved to long term healthcare training, it was a painful move. One of the things that made it less painful was our CEOs insistence that we develop long term plans. Though we did not involve the communnity, our staff developed 3 year plans. We have found these to be quite useful, especially in understanding the impact of new programs on accreditation timelines.
Another benefit of the plans was space allocation. By using the plan, we were able to convince our CEO that we needed more space, and he was able to negotiate a better rent contract for more space by using the longer lease as a bargaining chip.
Hello,
I believe both long and short term plans are needed. As the instructor said a lot of programs take much more time to implement, which you would definately need a five year plan for. You also need milsones in that five year plan or due dates, a timeline to have a realistic view of when and how things can be implemented. Everyone should be involved in this, not only can they bring good ideas to the table but it really gives the staff a feeling of ownership.
Well said Charles. A five year plan gives you a full picture of the big plan. It also helps you to see the sequence of events that have to take place to meet your goals. If you want to add a new program for example, it needs to go through the licensing process first. Then accreditation, etc. So tasks, timelines, and deadlines are very important and a five year plan provides that direction. The yearly plan drills down to the detailed steps. Thanks, Susan
I find it very helpful to have both....the long tern plan which gives me a template to better measure my progress on the short range goals of a one or two year plan. One can always make adjustments along the way.
Hi Vicky, Your comments generated a few ideas. Just wondering why you wait until the end of the year to review your yearly plan. We think that a plan should be visited more often so if you are off course then corrections can be made. Good question about why a 5 year plan rather than just year to year plans. Here are some of our thoughts: Some ideas take more than a year to implement. For example, some programs require about 18 months to get approved and started. Some plans require approval by state, accrediting boards, and other regulatory boards. They may have deadlines that total more than a year to implement. We feel that thinking in terms of 5 years pushes people to think creatively. And with thoughts of a 5 year plan maybe your team can come up with at least 2 or 3 years of ideas. So that's some reasons. Hope they are helpful. Susan
