Your Strategic Plan as Swiss Army Knife
Some say a good strategic plan is your secret weapon. But organizational planning should never be weaponized. In Greater NY’s 2019 discussion on Boards and strategy, nonprofit executive directors and Board members agreed that a good strategic plan is like a Swiss Army knife, infinitely useful and with an array of tools to help everyone in the organization get on the same page.
Mini Ruler — Something to Measure Against
“As a new ED coming into an organization, having a strategic plan in place was a gift. It let me know where the Board wanted me to take us. We’ve now gone through two strategic planning processes and the plans have become my number one tool for onboarding new Board members and employees.”
Bottle Opener — Starting Conversations
“I’ve seen Board members spend years trying to enter conversations about the organization. The strategic plan gives people a way in at any time. You just need to return to it as a touchstone and not let it sit in a drawer.”
Scissors — Tailoring Personalized Plans
“I’ve used my strategic plan as a Board management tool. I sit down with each Board member and discuss our Board Agreement, aligning our expectations for them with the plan they agreed to. It’s good to have something in writing.” For a sample of a Board Agreement that came out of a strategic planning process, click here.
Cork-screw — Uncorking Capacity
“One thing that emerges from a good strategic planning process is someone who thinks the same way you do and who could be your next Board Chair. But you don’t get there unless you have a true process that allows everyone to be open-minded.”
Little Knife — Cutting What’s Unnecessary
“A good strategic plan gives us permission to say no. It’s an invaluable tool.”
“You don’t get to a good strategic
plan unless you have a true
process that allows everyone
to be open-minded.”
More lessons and advice from our conversation on Boards, staff and strategic planning can be found in these recaps:
When to Do a Strategic Plan (and When Not to)
You Don’t Need a Traditional Consultant
Greater NY holds meetings on key management issues
with its nonprofit and corporate partners