Setting strategy is a core responsibility of an organization’s board. But the process by which that strategy gets set can vary widely. Some boards are completely hands-off, simply reviewing a finished strategic plan the staff delivers to them. Other boards are completely hands-on, with very little staff input into the strategies or sometimes even the …
“The new board members didn’t feel like it was their strategy or plan, so they weren’t very committed to it and they started asking for different priorities.” “The new president is really looking forward to putting his own strategic plan in place during his one-year term. How can I say no?” “Once the executive director …
How can we expect the leadership of our organizations to engage in strategic thinking, if they don’t have the relevant information that would feed it? When I start working with a strategy client, I will ask for five years of data for financials, membership, and so on. And a lot of clients struggle to find …
I’m speaking at the Engaging Associations Forum in July, on the topic of everyday, everyone strategy that really becomes part of how an association functions, in a way that’s as organic as breathing. For a preview, here is my blog post on the Engaging Associations website… Not all associations have a solid set of strategies …
Your strategic planning is part of your succession planning. To illustrate that, let’s talk about the Great British Bake Off. (Bear with me here.) It is a gentle, kind reality television competition set in a tent in an English country garden. The contestants make 3 things in each episode. Two of these dishes they can plan …
Your strategy is wrong. The only question is, how wrong, and in what ways? Don’t take offense! Of course, you set your strategy based on compelling research, and robust decision-making. At the time you set it, you think it’s the right answer. But the reality is it’s wrong. Because of course it is. Nobody has …
Why 5 association sector challenges for 5 years? Well, it’s all about me. It’s been five years since I launched this business, providing strategy consulting services primarily to the association sector. (Although I’d been doing strategy work with associations for a couple of years before that.) And this is the week where I would be …
Should qualitative research be a DIY activity for associations? Even in our wildly data-driven world, qualitative research remains an unparalleled method of gathering evidence on the environment and performance of an association. Since it’s really just talking to people, and because the investment can be fairly significant if done by a third party, it’s something …
Do you make your strategic plan visible? I’m not even talking about the specifics of your actions or metrics. The vision, mission, values, and strategies should drive everything in the organization, from major investments to the phrases you use to answer the phone. In theory. In practice, you’re lucky if your board chair can come …
“We’ve been talking about this for years, but we don’t come to a resolution.” “We can’t seem to get anything done.” “Things take forever around here.” Sound familiar? Sure, some organizations move forward decisively and quickly with their strategic agenda. But for many, that’s not the case. It’s common to get bogged down, mired, stymied. …