Strategy Tool for Successful Business Growth: Scaling up with Verne Harnish's "One-Page Strategic Plan" (OPSP)

How we at DPM use the OPSP as a strategic guide for sustainable business growth

At DPM, we introduced Verne Harnish’s One-Page Strategic Plan (OPSP) a year and a half ago to visualize our business strategy and break it down into specific goals that we can regularly share with the team.

The OPSP as the basis for establishing a strong corporate culture

At DPM, the “Why” has always been at the heart of all our business activities as the overarching vision that defines our company’s identity. With the introduction of the OPSP, we have concretized our values and the overarching purpose of our organization. Our values define the way we work together as a team and form the basis for our collaborative and trustful client relationships. They are the foundation of a strong corporate culture that Harnish sees as the foundation for sustainable growth.

In short: That is what makes our company one of a kind, beyond our service offering.

Strategic alignment through quarterly targets

Unlike a complex business plan, the OPSP condenses a company’s overall strategy into its simplest form:

Using the OPSP, short- and medium-term goals can be derived from long-term strategies. Breaking down long-term goals help us to define what kind of capacities we need to develop within the next 3-5 years.

Concrete annual goals and actionable quarterly targets ensure that the entire company is aware of our current number one priority. Only with a clearly defined and communicated target in mind, team members can prioritize effectively and make smart decisions that contribute to our overall business strategy.

A quick guide to creating your OPSP “One-Page Strategic Plan”

The OPSP is a succinct way to communicate your vision and action-oriented strategic plan to align every employee in your company. It focuses on people, strategy, execution, and money.

Six steps to an OPSP for your startup or company:

1. Define your core values:

Core values are the basis for a strong corporate culture. They serve as guidelines for decision-making and consistent strategy execution.

2. Determine your company’s purpose:

That is your greater mission and reason for existing as an organization. It is also the basis for your BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) – the Everest your organization will climb over the next 10 years. All your plans and strategies should work toward getting there.

3. Set targets (3-5 years):

Your mid-term targets specify where your business operations are directed in the next three to six years. It includes brand promises, capabilities, and key thrusts your company needs to build.

4. Derive business goals (1 year):

Set the results you want to achieve within the next 12 months.

5. Break it all down into action items (quarter):

Your action items are your measurable next steps for the coming 90 days. Make sure that your action items are accountable and owned.

6. Come up with a theme for each quarter:

Associate a theme, celebration, and reward with your quarterly goal. Here are no limits to your imagination, it’s your chance to bring in some fun for the whole team.