Planning to plan is an important leadership process for organizations at all levels. The Fanning Institute’s approach to strategic planning begins with organizational leadership, community stakeholders and board members working together to decide upon a timeframe for the planning to occur. Facilitating the initial meeting is important to gain buy-in from the group and to decide how much of the process the organization will be responsible for and how much involvement Fanning faculty will have.
Once the timeframe is decided, the next step is to hold an organizational leadership retreat to come together on a vision of where the organization is now and where they want to be in a specified amount of time. Providing technical assistance and leadership skills during this process is important to focus the group on the activities and goals it will take to each their strategic vision.
The strategic planning process can vary by organization size, resources available and length of time for implementation of the plan. Fanning faculty provides leadership in this process from a very small half-day retreat with a one-year work plan to a 12-month information gathering process with the outcome of a 5-10 year strategic vision. The process is inclusive and experiential to provide as much input from the stakeholders as possible.
For more information on strategic planning and facilitation or to discuss planning needs for your community or organizations, please contact Sayge Medlin or Julie Meehan.
