Strategy

In his book, Leadership is an Art, Max De Pree, reminded organizational leaders “…that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” The strategic planning process is a systematic approach that leaders can use to help the organization become what it needs to be.

The strategic planning process is so important because it challenges the whole organization to envision its best, preferred future. While there are different approaches that can be used to bring the organization and its community together to have one or more strategic conversations, there are five strategy questions that are at the core of every strategic plan. These questions form a strategic plan framework:

  1. What is the vision of the future? The vision provides a broad description of the organization’s uniqueness and preferred future in 5 to 10 years.
  2. What is the mission? The mission describes the organization’s reason for existence. It describes why the organization matters to the community and what makes it unique to the people it serves.
  3. What are the values? The value statement both describe and structure the organization’s culture.
  4. What are the strategies? The key strategies that will enable the organization become what it will be as stated in the vision.
  5. What are the outcomes? Outcome statements provide broad descriptions of how the organization will determine vision and mission achievement.

The strategic planning process is designed to produce a strategic plan that will serve as the organization’s road map for the next three to five years. When approved by the board, the strategic plan is authorized to drive the organization toward its preferred future. It provides guidance and direction to the organization’s operations and resource planning as well as the board’s annual governance agenda. Strategic plans are not designed to “…sit on the shelf unnoticed”.

Chief Executive

The chief executive stands in the intersection of the strategic planning process. This is the chief executive’s most important priority. Full engagement in the process by the whole organization builds the engagement and ownership needed to develop, approve and implement the strategic plan successfully.

The process of developing the strategic plan is guided by a joint board-staff committee. The joint committee which includes the chief executive oversees the strategic planning process. The committee uses the strategic plan framework to guide the strategic conversations, it sorts through the resulting information and data to answer the five questions.  At the conclusion of the development process, the joint committee presents a draft strategic plan to the board for review and approval. The chief executive is then responsible to implement the multi-year strategic plan through the organization’s annual operating plan and budgeting process.   

Lloyd’s Experience

Lloyd has 28 years of leadership experience within the strategy intersection at ChildServe. His commitment to strategic planning as a systematic approach helped ChildServe become what it is today be. Lloyd shared this commitment to strategic planning with other organizations as well.  As a board member, consultant or friend, he helped them use the strategic plan framework to help them understand what their organization needs to be.

Advice, Consultation and Coaching

Lloyd is available to share his experience in strategic planning with executive and senior leaders as they seek to understand what their organizations need to be. He can share his expertise as an advisor, consultant, or coach.

Areas of Expertise:

  1. Governance and Leadership –Strategy development and implementation is conducted in the intersection of the board and organization. A successful strategic planning process is dependent on a governance partnership between the board and leadership.
  2. Strategic Plan Framework – the five strategy questions form a strategic plan framework. They drive the strategic planning process from the beginning to the end.
  3. Strategy and Culture – the chief executive and other leaders will build and nurture an organizational culture that is committed to using strategy to help the organization needs to be.
  4. Strategy and Implementation – the chief executive and other leaders will use the board approved strategic plan as the primary source document when identifying annual operating priorities and allocating human and financial resources.