About ten years ago I was introduced to an intriguing idea: what if you captured your strategic plan on just one piece of paper?

Like most people, I was used to seeing large, multi-page strategic planning documents. I thought that a one-page document would be too simplistic and “dumbed down.” My thoughts were wrong. I’ve learned that the one-page approach is one of the most important components of successful strategic planning. It forces a team to focus and prioritize, greasing the wheels of implementation. Simply put, one-page plans are an especially effective tool for teams and small organizations.

I’m not the only one that believes this. Take a look at these authors that argue the same thing:

The One Hour Plan for Growth: How a Single Sheet of Paper Can Take Your Business to the Next Level by Joe Calhoun
The One Page Business Plan for Nonprofits by Jim Horan. (Visit Jim’s site where he notes that his one-page “methodologies are becoming a “best practice” around the world.)
Silos, Politics and Turf Wars by Pat Lencioni. Lencioni describes the “thematic goal” approach whereby he helps leadership teams simply focus on one strategic goal over the period of several months.
60-Minute Strategic Plan: Planning and Problem Solving for the Real World by John E. Johnson and Anne Marie Smith
Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish. Although I absolutely love Harnish’s book, I think his one-page planning template is just a little too complex for most small nonprofits to start out with.
Simplified Strategic Planning: The No-nonsense Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast by Robert W. Bradford and J. Peter Duncan.
Your Best Year Yet by Jinny Ditzler. This book is different than the others on this list in that it’s about personal leadership. That said, Ditzler’s approach helps you create a one-page version of a personal strategic plan for your life. Learn more here.

And, in the next few years I plan on releasing my book where I’ll present my version of the one-page plan. Stay tuned...