ProSource Newsletter No 4 - July 2005
Getting your organisation to where it can be
. . . the process of engaged and passionate strategic thinking
Developing an organisation’s strategic plan is one of the most important and business critical undertakings for any organisation in today’s ever-changing environment. Few leaders would argue with this statement.
It has been my experience that the statement above is even more relevant in the NFP sector, particularly where the organisation’s 'reason for being' (or purpose) is to serve the needs of humankind, by providing services to its constituents via charitable means.
Why is this so? I believe this is so because, by and large, people who work in these organisations have made a deliberate 'choice' to work in these organisations, precisely because of the organisation’s 'reason for being'. Many of the people I’ve met and worked with in the NFP sector have had, at other times, successful and high performance careers in the 'profit' sector.
So what does this have to do with strategic planning? It has to do with strategic planning because strategic planning is a process. Indeed strategic planning is a key business process, just like fund-raising, public relations, information technology and people management are key business processes in the NFP sector.
And because strategic planning is a process, it means the people in the organisation need to be, indeed want to be, engaged in that process. People at all levels want to participate in the research, analysis, problem solving, priority setting and decision making activities that are all part & parcel of an effective strategic planning process.
People who are passionate about an organisation’s purpose want to participate in creating the plans and strategies that are being developed to take it forward. Now this is good news since it means the organisation’s leadership is able to draw upon the many creative ideas, talents, energies and inputs of its people.
If done well, this should undoubtedly lead to a more effective strategy overall. The other good news, and I believe the even greater benefit of this kind of participation, is that it will lead to a stronger and longer lasting commitment by the participants to the implementation of the agreed plans & strategies.
So what does all this mean? It means that it is vital to adopt a strategic planning process which permits, encourages and promotes the ways and means for the organisation’s people to participate actively & honestly in that process. Whether this is done via a 'cascade down from the top' model or a 'build from the bottom up' model, or an 'iteration' model, does not matter that much. The choice from these three alternatives, or others, will depend to some extent on the history and current culture of the organisation, as well as the desired 'vision' for its future.
The important thing is the enablement of people to be engaged in the process itself.
If you’re looking for ways to involve your people in a meaningful strategic planning exercise, then talk to us at ProSource Australia, because we can help you achieve that result - either by facilitating and managing the overall process ourselves, or by providing some advice about how to go about the exercise.
Either way, if you’re about to embark on a strategic planning initiative for the first time in your NFP organisation, or have tried it before and are seeking a better outcome, then I invite you to consider the following checklist:
Undertake some research & analysis of your organisation’s recent performance, NFP sector trends, and of what your constituents’ needs are, but don’t go overboard here - just collect enough information to ensure you’ve got the basic facts to work with.
Develop and adopt a strategic planning process which engages your people’s minds and hearts (staff, volunteers and board), because the plan won’t deliver what you expect without your people’s honest commitment to it.Never overlook what your organisation has already achieved, indeed recognise the achievements and celebrate them with your people as an early part of the strategic planning process.
By all means develop a vision of the future and an overall 3 year plan, but when setting your strategies & plans in place, make sure you agree a short term (12 month) plan that limits your immediate focus to no more than 5 or 6 strategic initiatives.Build your strategies around what is feasible and realistic to achieve, given the history and culture of your organisation, and most importantly around what is agreed by all your stakeholders.
If changing the culture of your organisation is one of the agreed goals, then have patience, because even with sound strategies, this will take several years to achieve.
Complete the strategic planning process by developing and communicating implementation action plans which have an accountable champion and timeframe for
each key action.
Written by Neil Jones to assist you to enhance the business performance of your organisation. Neil is a ProSource Associate and is an accomplished, clear thinking, energetic and passionate Strategic Planning Facilitator.
- A ProSource Thought -
'A truly successful leader in any business or organisational endeavour is exemplified in their ability to galvanise and engage the support of their greatest asset . . . people'
Keith Ready
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