Strategic Planning’s Missing Piece
It seems every charity I know is trying to do a Strategic Plan this year or next.
It makes sense as we leave the pandemic season behind us (in some ways at least), that the focus shifts again to the future and where we are headed. All those cleverly titled “2020 Vision” plans are well behind us now.
I facilitate strategic planning sessions for several organizations, but I am careful to understand what they mean when they say “Strategic Plan”. Often they aren’t really sure themselves.
The default for many years has been something precise and detailed, with piles of research behind it, and specific budget projections and program deliverables articulated for each of the next 3-5 years. Doing these well requires a significant commitment of time, energy, and dollars that is beyond many smaller organizations. (If you’re looking for that kind of strategic plan I’d be happy to recommend 2-3 trusted experts who are world class at that process).
My approach is less detailed, more organic, and better suited to small and mid-sized organizations who are likely to be more adaptable as the needs around them change. We align around a few key priorities that will take our story into its next chapters and agree on what the guiding principles will be for how we get there. It’s manageable for these organizations and they move forward with clarity and confidence; which I think is the real point.
But all these approaches often leave out something important.
Too often we spend several months investing in developing strategy without also developing the people who are going be responsible for making it all happen.
I’ve seen too many organizations complete a strategic plan and then look around and realize the people on their team aren’t ready, willing, or able to lead the implementation.
It doesn’t have to be that way!
Admittedly, if the strategy calls for ambitious targets or major changes it will likely require some new leaders to accomplish it. But most plans could be underway with the current team if we spent those planning months also intentionally developing them. Not doing so is ultimately delaying or undermining the beautiful plan we’ve spent so much effort on.
It’s hard to prioritize both strategy and leadership development. It may require support from multiple advisors or consultants to get the best of both. And the time/energy/resources demands are very real. It has to be considered.
But what’s the value in a Strategic Plan we can’t start on because we need to train or hire people first? By the time we’re ready the circumstances have changed and we have to revise the plan all over again.
So please, let’s make and ongoing commitment to developing Healthy Leaders and Healthy Organizations so the important work of strategic planning has a chance to actually succeed.
The people and causes we serve deserve nothing less.
Contact me if I can be helpful to you and/or your organization.
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