[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-241748-105":53,"doc-detail-241748-en":126},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":119,"head_meta":121,"extra_data":123,"updated_unix":125},105,"en","8-steps-building-your-annual-operating-plan","8 Steps - Building Your Annual Operating Plan","","Annual operating plan guidance for CEOs of commercial and not-for-profit organizations with revenues between $2M and $40M, focused on building a financially robust, well-aligned plan. The guide explains a low-stress, repeatable operating planning process starting with scope and constraints, moving through review and critique, a facilitated strategy day, and iterative budgeting. It emphasizes preparation, inclusive engagement of leadership and board, feedback loops, clear action ownership, and producing an agreed action plan with timelines and expected results.",{"@graph":63,"@context":118},[64,80,101],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":11,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/presentations/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/8-steps-building-your-annual-operating-plan/241748/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/8-steps-building-your-annual-operating-plan/241748.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Olivia Brown","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-11","2026-09-12",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":9},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",{"@type":102,"mainEntity":103},"FAQPage",[104,110,114],{"name":105,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":107},"What is the purpose of an annual operating plan in this guide?","Question",{"text":108,"@type":109},"An annual operating plan acts as a blueprint for building the organisation in a given year and provides the roadmap, alignment, and expected results for everyone involved.","Answer",{"name":111,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":112},"Why does the guide stress early preparation and proper facilitation?",{"text":113,"@type":109},"Proper preparation and having the right people in the room determines success, and an independent facilitator helps enable focused dialogue without the CEO having to act as referee.",{"name":115,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Which steps does the guide recommend for building the plan?",{"text":117,"@type":109},"It follows an eight-step flow: setup process (including scope, constraints, review), strategy day, budget-first cut, team goals and initiatives, presenting the draft to the board, and finalizing the plan and budget.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":120,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":122,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":124,"site_id":56},241748,1791749579,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":127},{"doc_id":124,"user_id":128,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":9,"category_id":8,"category_name":11,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":135,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":136,"language":137,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":138,"faqs":139,"seo_title":140,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":141,"read_time":135},16904993612988,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd","8 Steps-Building your Annual Operating Plan  \nWith a complete set of templates covering the  \n[www.boardpro.com](www.boardpro.com)  \nplanning process, facilitation and operating plan  \nTable Of  \nContents  \nIntroduction  \n3  \n\n| The Setup Process | 6 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Set Scope & Constraints | 8 |\n| Review & Critique | 11 |\n| Strategy Day | 12 |\n| FREE Templates | 13 |\n| Budget – First Cut | 15 |\n| Team Goals | Initiatives | 16 |\n| Present Draft Plan to Board | 18 |\n| Finalise Plan and Budget | 19 |\n| Resources | 20 |\n| About BoardPro | 22 |\n\nAn annual operating plan is a prized document – it’s the blueprint for building your organisation in any given year. You wouldn’t build a house without architectural drawings. Unfortunately, many SME CEOs run their organisations with only a sketch of what they are building.  \nThis guide is aimed at CEOs of commercial and not-forprofit organisations with revenues between $2M and $40M and a functioning management/leadership team (i.e., 3+ managers) who don’t have a strong track record of strategic/operational planning. If your organisation is smaller, absorb the principles and scale down the process to suit your resources.  \nWritten by  \nBrett Herkt  \nDirector-BoardPro, and Martin Oxley-Advisor  \nWith expert contributions from Graeme Nahkies and John Page of Boardworks; Steven Bowman of Conscious Governance; and Chris Mene of Mene Solutions.  \nBrett Herkt  \nDirector-BoardPro  \nLike many CEOs, I have run an annual planning exercise with suboptimal results. In my early days, it was horrible – rushed preparation, lack of alignment, personal agendas at the board table, weak commitment, lack of diverse thinking – and I tried to create, run and contribute all at the same time! The outcome was poor.  \nThe good news is that annual planning is a craft which can be mastered.  \nHere’s how to run a low-stress annual operating planning process that:  \nis consistent with your purpose and vision  \n| | aligns the board and leadership team |\n| --- | --- |\n| | involves the wider leadership/management group |\n| | incorporates feedback loops |\n|  produces diverse business thinking |  |\n|  is financially robust |  |\n\nI include a set of ‘cheat-sheet templates’ and ‘simple guides’ for managing the process and  \ndelivering the outputs. Once completed the management team should have an agreed action plan.  \nAfter reading the plan, you should know precisely what those involved:  \n intend to do  \n\n| | by when |\n| --- | --- |\n| | what they need to achieve it and, |\n| | what are the expected results |\n\n8 Steps-Building your Annual  \nOperating Plan  \n1. Setup Process  \n2. Set Scopes and Constraints  \n3. Review & Critique  \n4. Strategy Day  \n5. Budget-First Cut  \n6. Team Goals | Initiatives  \n7. Present Draft Plan to Board  \n8. Finalize Plan & Budget  \n1. Setup Process  \nThe most important thing is to start. It is easier to start and alter a draft than stare at a blank canvas. You’ll find a process framework in this eBook. It will help you to ask the right questions. You must also prepare early and have facilitate the steps well. This eBook assumes your business understands its reason for being (purpose/ vision). This is a guide on ‘how to’ get there, not ‘why’ you are on this journey.  \nThe first step is to establish a basic plan and timeline, which gives you the confidence you’ll cover the essentials and provides a guide to your leadership team and board.  \nHere’s a template that sets out a basic roadmap for running the process, including:  \nDownload This Template Here! Annual Planning Template  \nYou can adapt it to your situation and needs. Use this document to brief both your leadership team and board. The strategy day is the core event in the process. Prior preparation and having the right people in the room is the most significant factor in determining how successful it will be.  \nIf the right people (including some or all your board) arrive at the strategy day well prepared and you are able to facilitate a focused","cbCaiiJ1XLgTHiuO","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiiJ1XLgTHiuO","pdf",721548,8,22,"English","# Introduction\n# Setup Process\n## Set Scope & Constraints\n## Review & Critique\n## Strategy Day\n## Budget – First Cut\n## Team Goals | Initiatives\n## Present Draft Plan to Board\n## Finalise Plan and Budget\n# Resources\n# About BoardPro","[{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of an annual operating plan in this guide?\",\"answer\":\"An annual operating plan acts as a blueprint for building the organisation in a given year and provides the roadmap, alignment, and expected results for everyone involved.\"},{\"question\":\"Why does the guide stress early preparation and proper facilitation?\",\"answer\":\"Proper preparation and having the right people in the room determines success, and an independent facilitator helps enable focused dialogue without the CEO having to act as referee.\"},{\"question\":\"Which steps does the guide recommend for building the plan?\",\"answer\":\"It follows an eight-step flow: setup process (including scope, constraints, review), strategy day, budget-first cut, team goals and initiatives, presenting the draft to the board, and finalizing the plan and budget.\"}]","8 Steps - Building Your Annual Operating Plan | PDF",1789179927]