Keeping Your Strategic Plan Alive!
Elaine M. WoloshynCenter for Nonprofit Excellence Akron, Ohio
Northwest Pennsylvania’s 10th Annual Nonprofit Day
“ The benefits of strategic planning are almost always lost…
because of what happens after strategic planning.”
- Robert Bacal
• Good plans are more evolutionary than revolutionary
• “Rolling” planning ongoing and never-ending
•Strategic thinking and planning perspective baked in
Strategic Planning in NOT an event, it's a process!
• Why do we exist?
• Where are we going?
• How are we going to get there?
•How will we know when we get there?
Strategic Planning answers questions
• used by everyone in organization to make decisions
• focus
• alignment
•communication
Strategic Planning focuses on whole organization
Two stages of strategic planning
• Strategic stage• thinking• exploration
• Implementation• practical• tactical
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NOW
Strategic Planning
Vision
3 – 5 Years
Future
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Is our plan any good?
• Does it still make sense?• Before October 2008?
• Was it Board based?• Does it include a budget?• Was it creative?• Does it have buy-in?
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Can we renew it?
• SWOT• Strategic re-thinking• Adjust timeline, accountability• Success?• Money?
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• Assessment
•Strengths
•Weaknesses
•Opportunities
•Threats
Who is our customer and what
does our customer value?
Can we renew it?
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•Generating creative ideas- services- funding- ways of working- people
• Identifying and discussing the big issues
•Evaluating options
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• 5- 6 specific strategic initiatives• goals and objectives• key actions
• Success Measures• Timeline• Accountability• Budget
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• Success Measures
• How will we know when we get there?
• Specific
• Measurable
• Meaningful
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A dynamic strategic plan includes
• Alignment with values and mission• Board support
• Board input• Board feedback• Board communication
People support what they help create!
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Strong Broad and Executive Support
• Elevator speech
• Communication
• How does this action advance our
strategy?
• What progress have we made?
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Everyone on organization knows
• Mission• Values• Vision• Strategic focus• What their role is in
achieving that focus
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Implementation Infrastructure
• Inclusion in workplans• Inclusion in budgeting process• Inclusion in evaluation process• Include in communication
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• Monitoring Process• Tracking progress
• Assigned person• Meetings on topic
• Quarterly
• What is working?• What is not?
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How do we fix it?• Reports
• Benchmarking• Quarterly and annually• Scorecard• Trends and graphs
• Recognition and Rewards• Celebrate success• Incentives for achievement
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• Process to change• Tactics• Even strategy!
• Don’t sue Mapquest!• Think! • Change!
