Stacey LongwichAssistant Director, Involvement

Student Leadership & Engagement University of San Francisco

Questions to ask yourself before we begin:How many times has something gone wrong within

your organization that could have been prevented?How many of you would consider you and your

organization “Reactive” as opposed to “Proactive”?How many of you need help with your organization’s

assessment of programs/events/goals?

If you answered yes to any of these questions – YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT WORKSHOP!

Strategic PlanningStrategic Planning:

Is the process of defining it strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy, including its capital and people.

Strategic planning is the formal consideration of an

organization's future course.

What does all of this mean? All strategic planning deals with at least one of three key questions: Where are you? Where you want to be? How to get there?

Why is Strategic Planning Important?Your organization has to have a Strategic Plan

that clearly defines objectives

Your organization has to have a Strategic Plan that assesses situations to help the formulation, implementation and evaluation of a strategy

The Strategic Plan helps your organization be nimble enough to make adjustments when things aren’t working and stay on track

Vocab Lesson!Vision: Defines the desired or intended future state

of a specific organization in terms of its fundamental objective and/or strategic direction. (Where do you want to go?)

Mission: Defines the fundamental purpose of an organization, basically describing why it exists. (Who are you?)

Values: Beliefs that are shared among the stakeholders of an organization. Values drive an organization’s culture and priorities.

Mission and ObjectivesThe mission statement describes the

organization’s vision, including the unchanging values and purpose and forward-looking visionary goals that guide the pursuit of future opportunities.

Guided by the business vision, the organization’s leaders can define measurable financial and strategic objectives

Mission Objectives Success

Basics of Strategic PlanningThe objectives of strategic planning includes

understanding the benefits of strategic planning; understanding the products of strategic planning; and learning the keys to successful planning and implementation.

Many organizations spend most of their time reacting to unexpected changes instead of anticipating and preparing for them. This is called crisis management.

Basics of Strategic PlanningStrategic planning is a step by step process

with definite objectives and end products that can be implemented and evaluated.

It is a process by which we look into the future, paint a picture of that future based on current trends, and influence the forces that will affect us.

Strategic planning looks one to three years ahead. It charts a definite course based on strong indicators of what the environment at USF will be like in those years.

Benefits of Strategic Planning Besides the personal satisfaction of taking charge of the

organizations future, strategic planning offers at least five compelling reasons for its use: Forces a look into the future and therefore provides an

opportunity to influence the future, or assume a proactive posture.

Provides better awareness of needs and of the facilities related issues and environment.

Helps define the overall mission of the organization and focuses on the objectives.

Provides a sense of direction, continuity, and effective staffing and leadership.

Plugs everyone into the system and provides standards of accountability for people, programs, and allocated resources.

In summary, strategic planning is the key to helping us collectively and cooperatively gain control of the future and the destiny of our organization.

5 Products of Strategic Planning The overall goal of strategic planning is to produce a workable plan. Along

the way, we will develop, evaluate, and refine these five products: Environmental issues and trends: Factors that may impact the

organization and the way it conducts business. Needs Survey: Provides information from clients and peer institutions.

The prioritized needs and expectations resulting from the survey are crucial as a basis for setting objectives.

Mission Statement: Defines the organization’s fundamental reason for existence and establishes the scope of its business.

General Objectives: Broadly describe the results of what the organization wants to achieve in light of needs and relevant issues.

Strategies: Specific, measurable actions and directions designed to reach the objectives established. Strategies are fulfilled through creation, continuation, change, or elimination of programs.

The mission statement, general objectives, and strategies are the meat of the plan. The issues and results of the needs survey are the input into the plan, and they provide the basic assumptions for developing a realistic and feasible plan.

Establishing an Effective Organizational Vision

“The vision helps organizational members and key stakeholders understand why and how things should be done. Knowing this basic theory allows organizational members to act effectively without everything spelled out in detail and rules written to cover every possible situation” (Bryson 2004 p 226).

Benefits of a Strong VisionOrganization members are given specific, reasonable, and

supportive guidance on what is expected of them and why

If there is agreement on the vision and clear guidance has been provided, the organization will gain in efficiency.

Provides a clear affirm claim to the preferred future state

Creates a useful tension between is and ought – provides motivation

Benefits of a Strong Vision (cont’d) Helps people address barriers to realizing the vision

Provides an effective substitute for leadership

Reduces organizational conflict

Promotes an adaptive environment that can handle change and upheavals more effectively

Provides permission, justification and legitimation to the actions and decisions the organization makes

Process Guidelines for Establishing a strong Vision of Success

1. Include your desired outcomes in the vision statement2. Ensure the vision comes from past decisions and

actions3. Should be inspirational:

Focuses on a better future (Utopian Organization) Builds the organizations history & culture Emphasizes the strength of a unified team Fosters commitment and dedication

Process Guidelines for Establishing a strong Vision of Success (cont’d)

5. Start the construction by having team members create their own drafts individually

6. Arrange for the vision to be widely disseminated and discussed

Communication and Education Guidelines

1. Invest in communication activities

2. Work to reduce resistance based on divergent attitudes and lack of participation

3. Build in regular attention to appropriate indicators

Personnel Guidelines1. Fill leadership and staff positions with highly

qualified people committed to the change effort

2. Give the team who developed the strategic plan, the task to implement the plan into the environment

3. Ensure access to top management during implementation

4. Give special attention to the problem of easing out or working around people who are not likely to help the change effort

Strategic Planning – The Breakdown!

THE PLAN!

Report Results:CustomersStakeholders- Best Practices/Lessons Learned

Evaluate Results:Analyze DataBaseline vs TargetsResources UtilizedBenchmarking

Plan for Results:Mission & visionDesired Results

Budget for Results:Resource allocation tied to results:-Budget-Programs and services

Feedback Scanning/Needs Assessment

Collect Data Deliver Services

Apply the PlanImplement the objectives outlined by your

Organization’s mission and values

General Guidelines for Building a Strategic Management System1. Stay focused

2. Watch out for signs or indicators of success

and failure

3. Use existing review opportunities, or create

new ones

4. Create a review group

5. Challenge rules that favor ineffective policies

Authorizing Environment: Those entities, both external and internal, that give legitimacy to an organization and their decision making objectives. These entities are essential for multiple reasons: they assist in gaining permission for the use of public resources and for operational assistance to produce results.

Mandate: There are variations of “musts” (both formal and informal) that an organization confront such as requirements, restrictions, expectations, pressures, and constraints it faces…Think of SLE requirements!

Mission Statement: a declaration of organizational purpose.  It provides the organization’s most important justification for its existence.  It channels discussion and activity productively. It produces legitimacy internally and externally for the organization, as well as enthusiasm and excitement among organizational members. It also fosters a habit on focusing discussion on what is truly important.

Stakeholder: a person, group, organization, or system who affects or can be affected by an organization's actions. Can someone give me an example of their Organization’s stakeholders?

Vision: outlines what the organization wants to be. It

concentrates on the future. It is a source of inspiration. It provides

clear decision-making criteria.

Strategic Triangle: Otherwise known as Moore’s Triangle. Focuses on aligning the mission, the stakeholders and the capacity of the organization to maximize the public value it can provide.

Mission

 

Stakeholders Capacity

“Sweet Spot”