Here are five tips for nonprofit board and organizational leaders who want to ensure their organization continues to be relevant and sustainable in the future.
1. Strategic planning is partnership. All organizational stakeholders must be included in the strategic conversation. Involvement creates ownership and trust which are the basis of partnership.
2. Strategic planning is process. A defined process will help address the strategic hows.
- How will stakeholders will be engaged?
- How will the leaders sort through the stakeholder’s strategic conversations and other shared content?
- How will the leaders translate all of the content into coherent strategies?
- How will the approved strategies be implemented?
3. Strategic planning is content. Defined questions will help address the strategic whats.
- What is our vision for the future of the organization?
- What is our mission and does it describe our reason for continued existence?
- What values define and drive the organization’s culture?
- What strategies do you think will help the organization get to the future?
4. Strategic Planning as permission. A strategic planning will not be successful unless the stakeholders,the board of directors, and the organization have given permission to use the plan to guide the organization into the future.
5. Strategic Planning as leadership. If the two Board Chair and the Chief Executive lead the development and implementation of the strategic plan, they will be exercising the leadership needed to ensure the strategic plan will guide the organization into the future.
These five tips will enable governance and organizational leaders not only develop a great strategic plan, it will also ensure the strategic plan will guide the organization to be relevant and sustainable as it makes a mission-directed difference in the community!
