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Good to Great byPlanning Strategically

Simon Dickie,

Gordon Reid, Pat McInerney, Michelle Carpenter, Hamish Adams,

Rowing in Ireland – Mission

Rowing Ireland will be a world class organisation based on active, progressive clubs providing development,

competition and participation opportunities for all levels of rowers and with international

crews achieving sustained podium‐competitive

performances.

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Club development will result in strong, healthy, well structured clubs. These clubs will be diverse and will include recreational and competitive aspects to their activity and membership. Clubs will;

� understand the diversity of needs of rowers.

� be linked to the local community.

� be supported by local sponsorship.

� be networked and will communicate with their members and with other clubs and their local community.

Want do we want to achieve today?

Participants will have a greater understanding of the typeof people who want to go rowing and their motivations

Clubs (inc School / Universities) will have a basic grasp of the process needed to research, write and implement an appropriate 5‐10 year strategic plan

Clubs will understand the support that they may be able to receive from within their club, Rowing Ireland and other local agencies

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Individual Task

�What does “club development” mean to you and your club ?

�What does a “Strong” club mean ?

�What do you want to get from the session ?

The DNA of rowing

In small groups – write down two or three answers on;

� What you believe the public thinks is attractive about rowing?

� What barriers you think are holding the public back from getting involved in rowing ?

� Why you think rowers and volunteers stop being involved ?

� How societies behaviour is changing and the impact this is having on sport

� The specific challenges in retaining young people aged 16 to 25

� Answers ‐ What the actual evidence says ?

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To compete against others

To get an adrenalin rush

To achieve personal goals

To make friends and socialise

To wind down and relax

To do an activity with my family

To keep fit and healthy

To enjoy the outdoors

To enjoy being on the water

Simply to enjoy myself

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Key Barriers

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72% 36% 15% 6%

<2

87% 66% 42% 17% 7% 4% 4%

£0 £5 £10 £20 £30 £40 £50

2‐56‐10

10+Miles willing to travel to use venue

Entrance fee willing to pay to use venue

The closer the venue the higher the level of intended

usage

The notion of payment is acceptable; however, the lower

the fee the greater likelihood of use

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It is too dangerous

Don’t like what you have to wear

I would not fit in with the people that do these activities

My friends are not interested

I am not able to swim/scared of water

I have family commitments

I am not physically able to participate

I do not like water based sports and activities

I am too busy

I am not sporty

It is too expensive

There is no suitable venues near me

I prefer other sports and activities

Why people leave rowing

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What young people do with their time

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Key message – understand your rowers

� Agree what your best long term membership looks like

� Research shows that organisations could increase their revenues by 85% if they could retain 5% more of their best customers (inc paying members)

� On average, it costs organisations fives times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one

� Spend time getting to know your current and potential customers

� Consider what your club would look like if the way you do things was driven by offers designed by customers

Managing the process of implementing a strategic plan

� Modern Governance ‐ Why might a club want or need a 5 year plan ?

� What is the difference between strategic and delivery plans ?

� Case studies ‐ Irish clubs plans and their impact on facilities, volunteering & competition

� Walking through the process, content, implementation and measuring progress

� Task ‐ Groups to design and present a strategic plan & a monitoring sheet for either; a club, a school, a university

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Strategy vs Delivery

�Duration

�Level of detail (low)

�Coverage

�Ownership and responsibility

�Making long term changes in behaviour and culture

GoalsGoals

ObjectivesObjectives

Long Term Strategy Long Term Strategy

Yearly Operational PlansYearly Operational Plans

ActivatorsActivators

ActivityActivity

Club Chairman

Club Committee

Club Committee

Captain(s)

Coaches & Volunteers

Rowers

Rowing Ireland Strategy

Sports Council Strategy

Local sport / health / education plans

Competition Calendar

Local / National SDOs

Local Delivery

Who is responsible for Strategies, Plans and delivery of rowing ?

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Example Strategic Objectives

Grow the number of people in rowing

Be one of the leading rowing nations at the Olympic and Paralympic Games

Create and embed pathways to identify and develop talent

Maximise the value of the sport

Pull together: One team with a shared purpose

Case Study ‐ Strategic Objectives selected by one Irish Club

� To ensure adequate resources to meet the demand of competitive and social rowers.

� To encourage participation across all age categories

� To involve all participants in competitive racing, coaching and mentoring

� To develop a progressive training structure throughout the club

� To secure funding to ensure the sustainability of quality coaching

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Shandon Boat Club Strategic Objectives 2011“Shandon Boat Club is Ireland’s leading rowing club for juniors and adults interested in competitive

rowing”.

Rowing Membership

Approx 80 motivated juniors

Approx 40 competitive adult rowers

We retain a high proportion of our junior rowers as adult members.

Competitive Rowing

We have a full time Rowing Director and sufficient volunteer coaches to ensure that each rowing squad has at least two coaches. At least two thirds of our coaches are qualified to Level 1 or 2. We regularly run development camps at home and abroad.

The Club is competitive in all adult grades (Novice/Inter/Senior). We consistently win Junior Irish Championships. We compete annually in Grand League Division 1 as well as in events in all parts of Ireland and in premier events abroad.

Non Rowing Membership (Administration/Support)

25 non-coaching, active adult members or supporters

Resources

We have the finances, equipment and facilities required to support our ambitions.

Key Steps to developing a Strategic Plan

1. Identify a small leadership group across the whole club (committee)

2. Carry out research

3. Consult effectively – SWOT / PESTLE

� Where are we now ?

� Where do we want to be ?

� How are we going to get there ?

� What resources do we need ?

� How do we measure our progress ?

4. Empower the “yearly” leaders to devise their operational plans

5. Communicate progress regularly

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Group Task

Design and present a strategic plan including a monitoring system for either a club, a school or a university

Get Going Get Rowing

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outside sportoutside sport- insight freely available in public

domain

- paid-for publically available insights

- Insight from Local Authorities

all sportall sport

- insights from other NGBs with similar audiences

- insight from commercial sport sector

- insight from Local Authorities

your sportyour sport- other clubs insight

- sponsor’s insight

Where to find help

Club & NGBClub & NGB

- further analysis of existing insights

- deliver / commission new insights

- service / club data

Websites and resources available to help

NI Sources

� Government

� Wider health/community

� Sport NI

� Other sports

� Rowing Ireland

� Ulster Branch

� Other clubs

� Your members & friends

RoI Sources

� Government

� Wider health/community

� Irish Sports Council

� Other sports

� Rowing Ireland

� Provincial Branches

� Other clubs

� Your members & friends

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What next ?

�Next steps

�Questions

�Have we met

our agreed

outcomes ?