Recently, a client told me that when we collaborated to create a strategic plan for her former organization, it was one of the proudest moments of her time as Executive Director. A little stunned, I asked why. She shared three reasons:
- During the strategic planning process, they heard from participants, volunteers, and staff in new and authentic ways
- The strategic plan showed a clear path forward; even with uncertainty on the horizon, the organization knew what principals it would use in the challenging decisions it faced
- The process uncovered a core flaw in its business model that the organization could now address: a mismatch between how resources were used and how participants benefited
Her comments came while our team was developing a strategic plan for The Improve Group –it couldn’t have been more timely! All of the input and ideas from staff, clients, and our advisory board just felt that much more important and exciting.
We used the input to overlay our goals on several of our givens, including:
- we have already articulated our values, vision, and mission - these drive our culture
- we are consultants and advisors
- we anticipate growth in the years ahead
The three goals we developed are:
- Contribute to positive social change
- Diversify our practice to include products and tools
- Foster a joyful, engaged, and powerful team
We are now in the process of developing action plans that will help us achieve these goals. You’ll see some of the results in the months ahead as we think about how we can work with our clients, partners, and community to achieve these goals. Thank you for being part of our journey!