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Strategic

Planning Mike Hourihan

OBJECTIVES

Explore an effective strategic planning process

Discover how to structure Strategic Planning

Utilize specific models and steps to implement and execute plans

Create organizational control and monitor

progress

What is

Strategic Planning?

Why do Strategic Planning?

• If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail – be proactive about the future

• Strategic planning improves performance

• Counters short-term thinking

• Addresses major challenges at a macro level

• Communicates to everyone what is most important

A Good Strategic Plan should . . .

• Address critical performance challenges

• Create the right balance between what the organization is doing and what the organization is capable of doing • Create a time period to close the performance gap • Be Visionary – convey a desired future end state

• Be Flexible – allow and accommodate change

• Guide decision making at lower levels – tactical, individual

Strategic Planning

The PLAN

Where Do We Need To Be?

Where Are We Now?

The 4 “P”s : Purpose: Why do we have to do this?

- What would happen if we don’t?

Picture: What does completion look like?

- Begin with the end in mind.

Plan: How will it work?

- What needs to be done to get to the picture?

Part: What is my/your role?

- What part do we play?

Begin With The End In Mind Stephen Covey, Habit #2

Clear understanding of your destination

Create it mentally before creating it physically

Clarify values and set priorities

Where Are We Now?

Data Gathering Interviews Focus Groups Financial Analysis Business Processes Program Assessment Benchmarking

The beginnings of anything are always messy.

• Where do we need to go? Best Practices Subject Matter Experts Scenario Planning Prioritization Legacy Generate Ideas Planning needs many good ideas. The best way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas, and throw the bad ones away.

Strategic Planning for

Municipalities

A Users’ Guide

Thomas E. Plant

REACTIVE Planning a future based on current circumstances, current events and current conditions: - Here we are - These are our problems - These are our opportunities - These are our resources - External signals (what to do) So, here’s the plan. Regarding perceived obstacles: That rock in the way ceases to be a rock the moment someone sees it as a monument.

PROACTIVE Start with your vision – your desired future (based on your values, objectives and responsibilities): - Here we are - What must we do to get there ? - What do we have to create to get there ? - These are our resources - Internal signals (ought to do) So, here’s the plan. The best way to predict the future – is to create it yourself.

PRIORITIZATION MODEL

Important Not Important

Urgent

Urgent

Not

Urgent

Not

Urgent

Important

Not Important

Strategic Planning Elements

People

In format ion

Process

Time

Preparat ion

Strategic Planning Benefits

Clarify Future Direction

Solve Organizational Problems

Establish Clear Priorities

Build Teamwork

Effective Utilization of Resources

Strategic Planning v Long Range Planning

Strategic

Long Range

Plans and Actions

Identify and Resolve Major Issues

Assess Internal and External Trends

Visionary

Pro - Active Oriented

Multiple Stakeholders

Planning only

Specify Goals and Objectives

Assume Current Trends

Projections

Reactive Oriented

Strategic Planning – An Eight Step Model

Clarify Mandates

Create The Vision

Assess Present Circumstances

Determine What

Is Required

Develop Action Plans And Tactics

Implement The Plan

Evaluate And Adjust

Make Changes; Stay Fluid

Strategic Plan Hierarchy

Define our culture – identify values, traditions and customs. What is, or will be, our legacy?

Develop the vision, mission, goals and objectives. Proactive, long range big picture = Strategy

Develop actions – brainstorm options, choose approach; establish initiatives, timelines and accountabilities.

Establish Performance Measures to define and measure success. Strategic=Quality of life; Tactical=Operations

Clarify Mandates

Formal and Informal Mandates

The "Musts"

Create The Vision

Why Do We Exist?

What Community Needs Should Be Fulfilled?

What Is Our Legacy?

What Is Our Mission?

►Identify and Involve Stakeholders

If You Don’t Know Where You Are Going,

How Do You Know When You Get There?

Vision Statement

• Captures the essence of the organization – Who we are / What we are

• Expresses the core value of the organization

• Brief, to the point & easy to understand

• Convey the unique nature of your organization

Vision Statement - Example

The City of Greatville will be the regional epicenter

for its citizens and businesses, providing quality

residential living, a vibrant commercial climate, a

robust business structure, and an integrated

multimodal transportation system.

Greatville will serve as an archway between the region

and the world.

A STAKEHOLDER is:

PEOPLE OR GROUPS WHICH . . .

A) Have an interest in your result

B) Might oppose your vision

C) Might support (visibly, or behind the scenes)

D) Able to assist (technical, community influence)

E) See the results as not beneficial to them (WIIFM)

F) Have the ability to provide resources

G) Can influence the decision; determine your success

Public Involvement Spectrum

ACTIVITY GOAL: LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT

Empower Final decision making authority in the hands of the citizens

Collaborate Partner with public – development of goals and prioritization of initiatives

Engage Citizen issues, concerns and priorities are included, understood and integrated

Consult Obtain public feedback on identification and analysis of issues, options and decisions

Inform Provide public with balanced and objective information – help them understand

The MISSION of an Organization . . . is based on it’s Culture.

Mission Statement

What Are The Basic Needs We Must Fulfill ?

How Do We Respond To Those Needs ?

What Is Our Philosophy ?

What Are Our Core Values ?

What Makes Us Distinctive or Unique ?

Develop Guiding Principles

A mission brings purpose to our today, and creates a destiny for tomorrow.

Mission Statement Examples

To be a nice place to live

To provide exceptional cost-

effective and reliable municipal

services by being professional,

informed, responsive and

compassionate

City of Greatville

City of Blandville

Does a good job of expressing the

core values of the organization.

Also conveys unique qualities

about the organization.

Too vague and unclear. Need more

descriptive information about what

makes the organization special.

Assess Present Circumstances

STRENGTHS

* We do this well: Keep doing this * Tangible – efficiency, quality * Intangible – leadership, reputation

WEAKNESSES

* We need improvement: Make adjustments * Within control: unskilled, outdated, insufficient, unresponsive

(Typically, these are internal characteristics)

Assess Present Circumstances

OPPORTUNITIES

* Posture for change: What can we take advantage of? * Growth, new, expanded * Timing is vital THREATS

* Factors which pose a current or future negative impact * New economics, mandates

(Typically, these are external characteristics)

Assessment Model: S W O T

FUTURE External Assessment:

Community, social trends, technology,

regulatory environment, economic cycles

CURRENT Internal Assessment:

Organizational structure, resources,

people, culture, systems, partnerships,

suppliers, . . .

• Easy to Understand

• Apply at any organizational

level

• Needs to be Analytical and

Specific - not vague

• Be honest about your

weaknesses

Good Points Possible Pitfalls

Determine What Is Required… to reach your Objective

People Resources Risks

Time/Timetable Obstacles

Manage – How? Who?

Activities

Envision the challenges and develop a good

plan; It doesn’t work to leap a 20 foot gap

in two 10 foot jumps.

Develop Action Plans… to bridge the gap between the

Present and the Future

Start with the Future and plan backwards How are we going to get it done? Who is going to get it done?

Measurable steps

Without a plan, the future is the same as the present, only it is much longer.

What are Action Plans?

Goals

Action Plans

• The Action Plan identifies the specific steps that will be taken to achieve the initiatives and strategic objectives – where the rubber meets the road

• Action Plans are geared toward operations, procedures, and processes

• They describe who does what, when it will be completed, and how the organization knows when steps are completed

• Action Plans require the monitoring of progress on goals, for which measures are needed

Objectives

The 4 Disciplines

Focus on the wildly important Do a few things with excellence rather than many things with mediocrity

Create a compelling scoreboard People play for real when we’re keeping score

Translate goals into actions Writing about it and doing it are two different things

Hold each other accountable Knowing others are counting on you raises your level of commitment

Planning and Performance 3 Options:

GOOD FAST

INEXPENSIVE

Implement The Plan

TELL

SELL

CONSULT

JOIN

A bad plan is always easier

to get into than out of.

“Begin at the beginning”,

the King said gravely,

“and go until you come to

the end; then stop.”

Lewis Carroll

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Publicize Success Minimize Un-Success CONSEQUENCES The worth of an endeavor is to be measured by what you can take away from it.

EVALUATE… And Adjust As Necessary

Make Changes As Necessary; Stay Fluid When choosing between two things, I always pick the one I haven’t tried before.

Force Field Analysis

What are the positive and negative FORCES that may affect the outcome of our goal?

Things that can help

+ Positive

Consequence

Barriers

- Negative

Consequence

Keys To Success

On-going Monitoring And Updating

Agree On Key Assumptions

Reasonable Number of Priorities

Shared Vision of The Future

Keys to success? There are many. But the one key to failure is to try to please everybody.

Mike Hourihan

hourihan@cviog.uga.edu

404.463.6803

Create a Vision Statement

Imagine you left the area for 10 years and have suddenly come back in 2021; What will your ideal community be? What will be different? What will people be doing? What role is technology playing? What will the enterprise look like? Brainstorm lots of ideas, words and phrases and then create a vision statement