Strategic Planning Models

EDU 572 Systems, Change and PlanningCardinal Stritch UniversityKristine Kiefer Hipp, Ph.D.

Purpose of “Basic” Strategic PlanningClearly define the vision AND mission of the organization

Establish realistic goals and objectives and timelines

Communicate the goals/objectives to the organization’s stakeholders

Focus the resources on key priorities

Build strong teams that solve major problems

Establish the value of building consensus around a common vision

Provide a base from which progress can be measured and monitored.Increase efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity

“Basic” Strategic Planning Made Simple

Identify the ideal state (vision) Identify the purpose (mission statement) Identify degree of tension between ideal and real Select goals to accomplish the mission Identify strategies to reach the goals Identify strategies to reach each goal Identify action plans to reach each strategy Monitor and update the planMissing: Regular ongoing internal and external scans: Information about possible futures

Alternative Planning Models

Issue- or Goal- Based Planning

Alignment Planning

Scenario Planning

Organic Planning

Issue-Based or Goal-Based Planning

--- Applies the basic Strategic Planning Design but is ongoing and changes with emerging issuesConduct an Internal/External assessment using “SWOT”Identify and prioritize major issues and goalsDesign strategies, programs, policies and procedures to meet goalsDesign (update) the vision, mission and valuesEstablish action plansRecord the above in a Strategic Planning documentDevelop an annual Operating Plan documentDevelop and authorize the budgetConduct the planMonitor, evaluate and update the document and consider other models as needed

Alignment Planning

--- Applies the basic Strategic Planning Design and ensures strong alignment between the organization’s mission and its resources

---The model is helpful for fine-tuning and discovering why current strategies aren’t working

Outline the organization’s mission, programs, resources and needed supportIdentify what’s working well and what needs adjustmentStrategize how adjustments should be madeInclude the adjustments as strategies in the plan

Scenario Planning

--- Applies the basic Strategic Planning Design and is useful in identifying issues and goals based on national, state and local trends

---Starts with priorities and moves to a SWOT….then…Select several external forces and imagine related changes that could influence the organizationCreate scenarios for each force (best case, worst case, OK case)Identify potential strategies in each scenario to respond to each changeIdentify common strategies across scenarios and select those most likely to affect the organization

Organic or Self-Organizing Planning

--- Involves an “unfolding” – a naturalistic “organic” planning process v. a mechanistic, linear process

---Focuses on common values, dialogue around the values, and ongoing, shared reflection around the system’s current and preferred processesClarify the organization’s values using dialogue and story-boardingArticulate the group’s vision using the same techniquesMeet regularly to dialogue about processes needed to arrive at the vision The team assumes responsibility for these processes, focuses on learning and less on method, and determines how to portray plans to stakeholders

Ongoing Dialogue is Key toOrganic Planning

The Fifth Discipline suggests dialogue is “a free flow of meaning between people” with three basic conditions of dialogue: Participants must suspend

their assumptions. Participants regard one

another as colleagues. There must be a

facilitator of dialogue.

Smith, Barry, Piotrowski, & Ogunbowale, 2004

Key Components of an Organic Planning Model

Belief in self-organizing and organic planningCommitment to be a learning organizationLarge group and teamwork dialogueValues, vision and boundariesResponsible leadershipVisual story-boardingPatience & toleranceOpen informationReflection TrustSmith, Barry, Piotrowski, & Ogunbowale, 2004

This is a new way of thinking about our responsibilities. In a self-organizing

system, people do for themselves what in the past has been done to them.

Margaret Wheatley & Myron Kellner-RogersA Simpler Way

This presentation has been modified from:

Basic Overview of Various Planning Models by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD The Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits (website)

Future Search: Finding Common Ground

EDU 572: Systems, Change, and PlanningCardinal Stritch UniversityKristine Kiefer Hipp, Ph.D.

Overview (see also, module, pp. 184-185)

•Task/Action oriented…move quickly from discussing/planning to action.

•4-5 meetings, as close together as possible, half-day each. Or, 3 days, 16 total hours. Action steps and the people responsible for them are the intended outcome.

•60-80 people in room, diverse, all relevant stakeholders.

•Written record on flip charts.

•As in the Chadwick conflict resolution process, skill-building occurs through the process, and is important. Outside training is available.

•Skill development in dealing with ambiguity and conflict, skeptics, fight/flight, trusting the non-trained to self-manage tasks, work on your own issues of control, rescuing, lecturing, stereotyping, and “looking good”.

•See : futuresearch.net