Thinking Strategically Acting Tactically
Customer
A business-focused non-profit organization with a focus on long-term economic vitality had a five-year old strategic plan. The membership, Board, and economic environment had shifted significantly, and new challenges were emerging in the community that could potentially be addressed by the organization. The Board wanted a clear direction for the next 5 years and beyond to increase their impact on economic growth.
Product/Service
The strategic planning framework Transcend introduced and implemented included input from elected officials, community influencers and the business leader members of the organization. Transcend facilitated visioning, quantitative and qualitative work with these groups. We produced a briefing book containing a summary of the data collected to guide Board decisions, giving them a picture of the current situation, as well as trends for their organization and the aspirations of the people included in the research. It revealed that the organization’s presence and awareness was significantly less than anticipated and that relationships in the community were a key opportunity for improvement. During a facilitated planning retreat with the board, we outlined emerging priorities from the research and facilitated development of strategies and next steps for each. The final strategic priorities centered on the organization’s mission statement, and the membership:
1. Economic Development
2. Education and Workforce Readiness
3. Political Action and Collaborative Government
4. Members Engagement and Branding
The plan and strategies outlined became the organization’s roadmap for the next five years. Since the development of the new plan, the organization has re-energized itself and its members, and this plan is guiding the actions of the newly hired CEO. Some of their results to date include the formation of an Education Committee to address that element of the mission more consistently, and a strong focus on building face to face community relationships, already increasing the Committee’s influence and visibility.