A not-for-profit organization hired a new Executive Director (ED). One year after the ED started, he was seeking to revise the organization's strategic plan. In addition, he desired a process that would enhance relationships between members of the Board of Directors and senior staff. The organization is in an industry experiencing a tremendous amount of change, including the dramatic alteration of historical services and the manner in which funds are acquired. The ED hired BCG in order to design and facilitate the strategic planning process.

Recommendation:

BCG recommended a comprehensive strategic plan with several unique features. The planning team included a sub-committee of the Board of Directors and staff. The previous level of interaction between Board members and staff, especially on strategic issues, had been minimal. Consequently, the planning process would be used as a vehicle to develop relationships. Other unique features of the strategic planning process included ways to incorporate the thinking of all Board members as well as to collect input from staff. Further, a mechanism to gather information from various constituent groups was created by BCG.

Action:

The initial meeting of the Planning Team included a review of the proposed strategic planning process, establishment of ground rules, and clarification of expectations. BCG's planning process was presented around the following components.

· Value - how the organization creates and measures value
· Analysis - critical success factors
· Direction - core purpose, core values, vision, strategy
· Action plans - specific targets and tactics to achieve the vision
· Implementation - methods to continuously address strategic issues

Separate analyses of the organization's strengths and weaknesses were coordinated with the Board of Directors and a diverse representation of all staff in order to collect additional views and increase participation. BCG facilitated both analyses.

Interviews were scheduled with various constituents of the organization, including representatives of the funding sources, customers, community leaders, referral agencies, and competitors. BCG designed a uniform set of questions for this data collection. All interviews were conducted in person, with two members of the Planning Team - Board member and staff - as a further way to increase Board-staff interaction.

Results:

The Executive Director, Board members, and staff were extremely excited about the final strategic plan. They believed the plan incorporated the best ideas of everyone involved in the organization (management team, staff, and Board) and external stakeholders. The plan reconfirmed the original core purpose and core values of the organization, but significantly changed the direction, types of services and funding relationships. The Planning Team and Board stated that the plan achieved the delicate balance of preserving their core ideology while simultaneously stimulating progress to make significant changes to prosper and survive.

All members of the planning team believed that they worked remarkably well together, even when confronted with challenging decisions. More importantly, they were extremely confident that the plan would be implemented with a heightened degree of commitment and dedication. Despite some initial reluctance to have a planning team with Board and staff (i.e. would people feel comfortable to share their ideas, engage in meaningful dialogue, openly disagree?), all agreed that the unique composition made a tremendous difference in the final plan. Further, it was stated that the relationships established by working together would have a long-lasting, positive impact for the organization. Lastly, team members stated that BCG's facilitation methods made a significant contribution to the entire successful planning experience.

The plan was approved by the Board of Directors and shared with all members of the staff. In addition, the plan was shared with many of the constituent groups in order to keep them aware of the organization's future direction. The strategic plan resulted in the organization maintaining itself as a successful provider of services to a unique and under-served population.

BCG Services:

Strategic planning initiatives have the opportunity to be the catalyst for change in organizations. Planned and facilitated well, the planning process is an invaluable mechanism to stimulate progress toward desired results as well as motivate people. BCG can assist in the design and facilitation of strategic planning efforts. More importantly, BCG is able to assist in using the strategic planning as a mechanism to enhance relationships and respond effectively to a changing environment.