Academy for Academy for Leadership & Leadership & DevelopmentDevelopment

Strategic Planning – Strategic Planning – ProcessProcessAn effective strategic plan:An effective strategic plan: Involves the primary stakeholdersInvolves the primary stakeholders Honors the history and tradition of the groupHonors the history and tradition of the group Builds commitment and involvementBuilds commitment and involvement Creates and builds on a vision and missionCreates and builds on a vision and mission Evaluates internal and external issuesEvaluates internal and external issues Identifies critical issues, gaps, and barriersIdentifies critical issues, gaps, and barriers Formulates objectives and strategiesFormulates objectives and strategies Facilitates accountabilityFacilitates accountability Includes scenario planningIncludes scenario planning

Why Planning?Why Planning?

It has been said that there are It has been said that there are three kinds of organizations:three kinds of organizations: Those that make things happenThose that make things happen Those that watch things happenThose that watch things happen Those that wonder what Those that wonder what happenedhappened

Effective PlanningEffective Planning

Creates focus, direction, and energyCreates focus, direction, and energy Is dynamic and outcome-basedIs dynamic and outcome-based Makes things happenMakes things happen Helps decide where you are going so Helps decide where you are going so

you know when you get thereyou know when you get there Gets results and changes the Gets results and changes the

organizationorganization Builds “shared commitment, not Builds “shared commitment, not

compliance”compliance”

Integration IntoIntegration Intoan Organizational Planan Organizational Plan Communicate your plan to Communicate your plan to

supervisors and organizational supervisors and organizational leaders leaders

Align and integrate your plan with Align and integrate your plan with the organization’s planthe organization’s plan

Remember that your department Remember that your department is a part of the whole organizationis a part of the whole organization

Principles for Integration of Principles for Integration of Department Strategic Plans Department Strategic Plans With Organizational PlansWith Organizational Plans Perform your own department Perform your own department

strategic analysis firststrategic analysis first Understand your organization’s Understand your organization’s

planning process and policies when planning process and policies when developing your plansdeveloping your plans

Your department plan should be Your department plan should be based on your organization’s policies based on your organization’s policies and organization-wide perspectivesand organization-wide perspectives

The Eight Steps of theThe Eight Steps of theStrategic Planning Strategic Planning ProcessProcess1.1. Pre-Planning: Why plan? Who will plan?Pre-Planning: Why plan? Who will plan?

2.2. Values Assessment Values Assessment

3.3. The Mission StatementThe Mission Statement

4.4. Internal &Internal & External Analysis: SWOTExternal Analysis: SWOT

5.5. Strategic Priority IntegrationStrategic Priority Integration

6.6. Challenges & Constraints Challenges & Constraints

7.7. Operational Action PlansOperational Action Plans

8.8. Evaluation &Evaluation & ModificationModification

Step 1: Pre-PlanningStep 1: Pre-PlanningDo We Have a Plan?Do We Have a Plan? Does the organization have a Does the organization have a

strategic plan?strategic plan? Does the department have a Does the department have a

strategic plan?strategic plan?

Pre-Planning (cont’d)Pre-Planning (cont’d)

What is entailed in the pre-planning What is entailed in the pre-planning process?process?

Obtain support from key Obtain support from key department membersdepartment members

Develop a wider base of support in Develop a wider base of support in the entire departmentthe entire department

Identify who else (internal or Identify who else (internal or external) should participateexternal) should participate

Step 2: Values Step 2: Values AssessmentAssessment Discuss organizational and Discuss organizational and

departmental valuesdepartmental values Identify values that will drive Identify values that will drive

decisions about department prioritiesdecisions about department priorities Identify values that will clarify and Identify values that will clarify and

drive the development or refinement drive the development or refinement of the department mission statementof the department mission statement

Step 3: The Mission Step 3: The Mission StatementStatement Specifies the purpose of the Specifies the purpose of the

department/organization (why we exist)department/organization (why we exist) Specifies departmental philosophy and Specifies departmental philosophy and

values (what we believe)values (what we believe) Focuses on what is important (what we Focuses on what is important (what we

do)do) Clarifies the purpose of the department to Clarifies the purpose of the department to

your students/customers (who we serve)your students/customers (who we serve) Indicates the way the department fulfills Indicates the way the department fulfills

its responsibilities (how we serve) its responsibilities (how we serve)

Step 4: Internal & Step 4: Internal & ExternalExternalAnalysis (SWOT)Analysis (SWOT) Identifies the Strengths, Weaknesses, Identifies the Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities, and Threats Opportunities, and Threats SWOT is a powerful tool in the SWOT is a powerful tool in the

strategic planning processstrategic planning process Provides the process for analyzing Provides the process for analyzing

both internal and external both internal and external environments and the internal environments and the internal resourcesresources

SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis (cont’d)(cont’d)

What do we do well?What do we do well? Where are our areas of weakness?Where are our areas of weakness?

Where are we performing poorly and what Where are we performing poorly and what needs improvement?needs improvement?

What needs to be addressed immediately?What needs to be addressed immediately? What trends do we need to be aware of that What trends do we need to be aware of that

may impact us?may impact us?

Strengths and weaknesses focus on the analysis of Strengths and weaknesses focus on the analysis of the departments’ the departments’ internal environmentinternal environment

Opportunities and threats focus on an analysis of the Opportunities and threats focus on an analysis of the external environmentexternal environment

Four Tips to ApplyFour Tips to Applyto Scenario Thinkingto Scenario Thinking Embrace uncertaintyEmbrace uncertainty Examine uncomfortable scenariosExamine uncomfortable scenarios Keep opposites in mindKeep opposites in mind Remember that success can be Remember that success can be

blindingblinding

(Sunter, 1996)

Using ScenariosUsing Scenarios

Two important questions to ask:Two important questions to ask: What would we do if…?What would we do if…? What needs to happen if…?What needs to happen if…?

Modify the planModify the plan

Organizational Case Organizational Case StudyStudy Phase 1Phase 1 will allow practice on the will allow practice on the

pre-planning, values assessment, pre-planning, values assessment, mission statement review, SWOT mission statement review, SWOT analysis, and scenario thinking steps.analysis, and scenario thinking steps.

Phase 2Phase 2 will allow practice on will allow practice on strategic priority integration, strategic priority integration, challenges & constraints, operational challenges & constraints, operational action plans, and evaluation & action plans, and evaluation & modification steps.modification steps.

Step 5: Strategic Step 5: Strategic Priority IntegrationPriority Integration Determines the existing Determines the existing

organizational prioritiesorganizational priorities Identifies broad, action-oriented Identifies broad, action-oriented

statementsstatements Creates a clear directionCreates a clear direction

Step 6: Challenges &Step 6: Challenges & ConstraintsConstraints

Asks the question: “What are the Asks the question: “What are the issues, barriers, and blocks that issues, barriers, and blocks that keep us from moving toward our keep us from moving toward our vision?”vision?”

Step 7: Operational Step 7: Operational Action PlansAction Plans

Action plans operationalize strategic Action plans operationalize strategic prioritiespriorities

Focus on meeting overall goalFocus on meeting overall goal Provide direction to entire teamProvide direction to entire team Explain the steps needed to Explain the steps needed to

accomplish the goalaccomplish the goal Identify responsible person(s), Identify responsible person(s),

resources needed, timeframes, and resources needed, timeframes, and outcome measures to be usedoutcome measures to be used

Step 8: Evaluation &Step 8: Evaluation & ModificationModification Strategic priority operational Strategic priority operational

team meetingsteam meetings Quarterly plan review meetingsQuarterly plan review meetings Annual meeting to discuss Annual meeting to discuss

planning outcomes and make planning outcomes and make adjustments as neededadjustments as needed

Celebration of successesCelebration of successes

Strategic Planning Strategic Planning OutcomesOutcomes Involves department members in the setting Involves department members in the setting

of goals and objectivesof goals and objectives Provides for a systems approach to Provides for a systems approach to

departmental changedepartmental change Improves communication and builds Improves communication and builds

“teamwork”“teamwork” Identifies what is important to the Identifies what is important to the

department, clarifies purposedepartment, clarifies purpose Identifies operational plans of action that are Identifies operational plans of action that are

measurablemeasurable Allows for a sense of participation in the Allows for a sense of participation in the

decision-making processes of the departmentdecision-making processes of the department

When Strategic Planning When Strategic Planning FailsFails When a department has no control over its When a department has no control over its

budget, can’t decide on its purpose, can’t budget, can’t decide on its purpose, can’t decide on who shall be served, can’t decide on who shall be served, can’t independently attract resources, and can’t independently attract resources, and can’t make decisionsmake decisions

When planning is used deceptively for When planning is used deceptively for program review in order to close or program review in order to close or reorganize the departmentreorganize the department

When it becomes just a lengthy information When it becomes just a lengthy information gathering processgathering process

When it becomes rigid and does not When it becomes rigid and does not consider the changes in the external and consider the changes in the external and internal environmentsinternal environments

The Budget and The Budget and PlanningPlanning A critical responsibility of the A critical responsibility of the

organizational leader involves organizational leader involves controlling and managing resources controlling and managing resources (i.e.,(i.e., finances, time, personnel, finances, time, personnel, facilities, and equipment)facilities, and equipment)

The strategic plan should drive The strategic plan should drive decisions about the budget and all decisions about the budget and all expendituresexpenditures

IPDPIPDP

ReflectionReflection