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This guide is designed to help tribal leaders develop and implement their strategic plans and priorities. Authors Charles Dayton and Dr. Elaine Gagne
Citation preview
The ActionStrategy Planning Guide for
Tribal Leaders
Charles Dayton and Dr. Elaine Gagné
ACTIONSTRATEGY PLANNING GUIDE FOR TRIBAL LEADERS
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OUTLINE
Introduction to the ActionStrategy Planning Process 2 The Strategy Execution Gap 2 Assessing Your Strategic Leadership 3 Your Strategic Questions 3 What is an ‘ActionStrategy?’ 4 Begin with the End in Mind 5 Anatomy of an ActionStrategy 5 ActionStrategy Checklist 6 Strategic Leadership – The Foundation 7 Strategic Leadership – The Focus Button 7 Strategic Leadership – Building Trust 8 Strategic Leadership – Taking Responsibility for Results 8 Leadership and Culture 9 Strategic Leadership – Confronting Reality 9 Applying Confronting Reality 10 Strategic Thinking 11 Strategic Thinking – Environmental Analysis using P.E.S.T. 12 P.E.S.T. Analysis Action Plan 13 Strategic Thinking – Stakeholder Assessment 13 Strategic Thinking – Benchmarking 15 Strategic Thinking – Organizational Capacity Assessment 15 Strategic Planning – Establishing Focus 16 Strategic Planning – A Compelling Mission 16 Focus on the X 17 Strategic Planning – Vision 17 Strategic Planning – The Power of Traditional Values 18 The Value Test 19 Your Planning Framework 19 Strategic Planning – Focus: Establishing Priorities 20 Goals are not strategy 21 SMART Goals 21 Strategy Drivers 22 Strategy Execution – Project Planning and Plan Reviews 24 Strategy Execution – Project and Grant Planning 24 Four Phases of Project and Grant Management 25 Initiating the Project 25 Designing the Project 26 Executing and Controlling the Project 27 Accountability and Review – Conducting Effective Plan Reviews 28 Plan Review Meeting Agenda 29 Conclusion 30 About ActionStrategy 31
ACTIONSTRATEGY PLANNING GUIDE FOR TRIBAL LEADERS
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INTRODUCTION TO THE ACTIONSTRATEGY PLANNING PROCESS
In our work with tribal strategic planning, we have found that many plans take too much time to produce, are
too long and no one reads them. Consequently, a very low percentage of strategic plans are ever implemented –
especially if you add the criteria of being on time and at budget. We once did implementation planning for a
team that had produced 110 page plan. It was a beautiful document – but nothing had been implemented in
the 9 months since it had been published.
Our mission is to develop ‘strategic leaders’ who are instrumental in creating positive change in their
communities. We believe there are tools and insights in this guide that will help you create that positive change.
This guide represent our collective 20+ years of experience in helping leaders develop clear actionable plans that
produce improved results for tribal members. We have discovered that the process can be streamlined to
accomplish in 2-3 days what typically takes 1-2 months.
THE STRATEGY EXECUTION GAP
Your Strategic Plan
(GAP)
What is Actually Implemented
As a tribal leader, one of your biggest challenges will be to close the gap between the strategic plans you
develop and the results those plans create. This is often called the Strategy Execution Gap. The purpose of this
planning guide is to help tribal leaders close this gap. Strategy has to be considered in the context of the whole
organization: what your strategy exists for, the values your strategy stands for, and what your strategy success
looks like (vision) and a strategy management system.
To improve strategy execution, tribal leaders need to develop four core leadership competencies:
Strategic Leadership – Self-mastery and effectiveness with others
Strategic Thinking – Understanding of the environment, tribal member needs and your organization’s
capacity to implement your strategies
Strategic Planning – Making decisions regarding which goals and strategies to focus on
Strategic Execution – Translating goals into implementation plans and holding each other accountable
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ASSESSING YOUR STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP Let’s begin by assessing your own level of leadership and your organizations capacity for developing and implementing good strategy. Please answer the following questions (1-strongly disagree, 6-strongly agree)
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP SCORE
I consistently build trusting relationships with others. 1 2 3 4 5 6
I take personal responsibility for getting results. (No Excuses!) 1 2 3 4 5 6
I confront difficult situations rather than avoid them. 1 2 3 4 5 6
STRATEGIC THINKING
We consistently gather information about what is happening in our environment that could impact our organization.
1 2 3 4 5 6
We regularly gather information from tribal members regarding their needs and priorities. 1 2 3 4 5 6
We have assessed our organization’s capability to implement our strategy. 1 2 3 4 5 6
STRATEGIC PLANNING
Our mission and vision are current and compelling. 1 2 3 4 5 6
We incorporate our stated values in our day to day decisions and behaviors. 1 2 3 4 5 6
We have a clear set of specific, measurable goals that are understood by all who will influence their accomplishment.
1 2 3 4 5 6
STRATEGY EXECUTION
We have the appropriate project management skills to plan and execute our strategic projects. 1 2 3 4 5 6
We have the appropriate process improvement skills to continually improve our critical processes. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Our leaders and staff clearly understand their roles in implementing our 2014 strategic plan. 1 2 3 4 5 6
We hold each other accountable for doing the work needed for strategy execution. 1 2 3 4 5 6
If you have a number of scores in the 3-4 range or lower, the good news is that you have an opportunity to address those areas and improve your leadership, strategy and implementation skills. This guide is designed to provide leaders with specific steps and tools to improve each of these areas. The ActionStrategy team facilitated our planning process from having no strategic plan and no organizational alignment at all to implementing the completed plan by day three. ActionStrategy’s proven approach inspired our entire organization into action immediately. – Herold Hudson, Former Tribal Administrator YOUR STRATEGIC QUESTIONS – The Starting Point
“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended upon the solution, I would spend the first 55 minute determining the proper question to ask. Once I knew the proper questions, I would solve the problem in less than 5
minutes.” – Albert Einstein The starting point for good strategy is not goal setting, it is identifying the problems your leaders and organization need to solve. As Richard Rumelt, the author of Good Strategy/Bad Strategy stated:
“Bad strategy tends to skip over pesky details such as problems.”
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A good planning process begins with a list of questions that need to be addressed by the plan. Three key questions are; 1. What problems need to be solved by the strategy? 2. What opportunities should be pursued? 3. What questions need to be asked?
SAMPLE STRATEGIC QUESTIONS FOR TRIBAL STRATEGY
What are the most significant needs of our tribal members?
How are those needs changing?
How do we develop capacity to improve strategy implementation?
How do we improve collaboration within the organization and with key partners?
How do we make a specific business profitable or should we sell the business?
How do we engage our employees?
How do we develop an effective work culture where all employees can take ownership for the results?
We have learned that a poor planning process will generally steer you away from the most important questions that need to be asked and answered by your plan. A good strategic plan addresses your most important questions. WHAT IS AN ‘ACTIONSTRATEGY’
Eventually, all grand strategies evolve into work. -Peter Drucker There is something mystifying about the word strategy. In fact, the meaning of the word is quite straight-forward: it answers the question “How are you going to accomplish a task to your specified desired results.” Strategy by definition, infers some type of action preceded by a decision. Plans don’t create results, action or work does. A good strategy, based on critical thinking, makes clear the work needed to move from where you are to where you want to be. Often strategic plans are very lengthy, heavy on narrative and not actionable. These Plans on the Shelf (POTS) are rarely read and have a poor implementation record. One of the key problems to strategy implementation is not having a system for tracking goal and project implementation. The method of plan documentation is important. Funding sources, tribal councils and staff want to see both what you are going to do and how you are going to do it. The documented end-point of this process is a system that incorporates three tools:
Accountability Grid – this grid makes clear what needs to be done, who owns the action and when it will be accomplished.
Project and Grant Management—the project is the traction point for strategy implementation. Between 60-80% of strategy implementation consists of projects. Tools such as a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), a Gantt chart (timeline visualization), and collaboration features which are included in the online system.
Scorecard – What lets you know you are succeeding? Are your strategies having the desired impact on measurable outcomes?
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BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND We want to give you a picture of what an ‘actionable’ or ActionStrategy looks like. The result of this planning process is an actionable strategic plan which can be managed using an online tracking system. The tracking system provides leaders with the flexibly to dynamically make adjustments to the planning/implementation process and monitor progress against the goals and project. ANATOMY OF AN ACTIONSTRATEGY A good, actionable strategic plan has the following elements:
Click here to request a system demo.
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ACTIONSTRATEGY CHECKLIST Many tribal planning efforts get bogged down because the ‘finish line’ for planning isn’t well defined. The finish line is important to make clear to everyone, otherwise if the planning process drags on endlessly, some participants may give up. We would like to introduce the concept of an ActionStrategy checklist that helps you define the specific steps and tools that are necessary for completing an actionable strategic plan. The Checklist
When you board an airplane, you might notice the pilots working through a ‘checklist’ of items to check for safety purposes. One report estimated that 60%-80% of airline accidents are a function of human error. This isn’t to say pilots aren’t some of the smartest people in our society. In high stakes such as aviation and healthcare, checklists have been standardized to mitigate human error. The checklist helps tribal leaders understand the planning steps which complete the planning process and helps clearly identify the ‘finish line’ using standardize tools and methods for each department and program.
One process improvement principle is that you can’t improve a process unless it is standardized. Strategic planning is a process. We have seen tribal councils ask for department plans and one department will submit a comprehensive plan on an excel sheet while another department will submit their plan on a Denny’s napkin (only slightly exaggerating). Standardized processes are essential. Standard steps in the ActionStrategy Checklist include:
STRATEGIC THINKING TOOLS
Environmental Analysis – We understand external trends in the following realms - political, economic, social, technology, competitors.
PEST analysis Environmental Scan
Stakeholder Analysis – We know who our stakeholders are and what is important to them.
Stakeholder Assessment Surveys/Focus Groups
Organizational Capacity Assessment – We understand our capacity to implement (or not implement) strategy.
Capacity Assessment Asset Mapping
STRATEGIC PLANNING
Review Mission and Values. Develop a ‘Compelling’ vision. Mission/Vision/Values
FOCUS – Prioritize SMART Goals (Measurable $, #, %) Balanced Scorecard
ALIGN (Strategy Drivers)
People (Culture)
Projects
Processes
Structure
Policy
Training Project Initiation Process Improvement Organizational Design Policy Development
ENGAGE AND COMMUNICATE Tribal Council, Staff, Other Departments, Strategic Partners
Ratification Meetings Team Alignment
STRATEGY EXECUTION
Plan and implement ‘strategic drivers’ – Projects, Grants, Process Improvement, Training
Project Management Time Management
Monthly/Quarterly strategy review sessions Agenda Development
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STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP – The Foundation
When we first developed this process, we researched the leadership competencies most necessary for good
strategy development and execution. In particular, the military and healthcare industries have developed a
body of work on the fundamentals of strategic leadership. We have chosen to focus on these three aspects:
Building Trust
Taking Responsibility for Results (whether good or bad)
Confronting Reality
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP - The FOCUS Button
Leaders frequently look for models or analogies to communicate their philosophies. Sports, military and
aviation are often used to illustrate key ideas related to team or organizational performance. At ActionStrategy,
we try to keep things as simple as possible. Here is our analogy.
There is a popular commercial for the Staples Office Supply Company that refers to an EASY button. If you are in
a bind – just press this button and all of your supply and technology problems are solved. That was Easy is the
tagline in their commercial.
What if organizations had a similar magical button and when pushed, it would bring perfect FOCUS to the team
or organization. We’ll call this, the FOCUS button.
All of a sudden:
Everyone is working towards the same goals
Respectful service is consistently provided to tribal members
Employees are fully engaged in the mission of the organization
Department managers seek each other out as ways to improve collaboration
The systems and processes fully support the goals and strategies
There is a remarkable level of accountability
In short – you would have full utilization of your organization’s capacity. Imagine that – just as Southwest
Airlines emphasizes full utilization of their assets (planes constantly in the sky producing revenue) – all of your
energies are being utilized to provide value and improved services to Tribal Members. Now here is the
challenge – it is difficult to create something that you can’t visualize. As Dr. Stephen R. Covey wrote:
All Things are Created Twice – First mentally and then physically.
In our work sessions, we generally will spend a few minutes helping clients visualize what would be different if
they could press the focus button.
What would be different if you could press the FOCUS button?
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Inevitably, these leaders identify sobering gaps between how they would like to operate and how they actually
operate. That is ok. We think this is a healthy starting point for planning and defining how to create a focused
organization. With the right leadership, the process can help you produce impressive results. For example:
The ActionStrategy project tool became our working strategic plan and provided us a common picture
that Council members, Department Directors and Employees could access from anywhere to update and
monitor progress. This is what kept us focused on what was important. This process also leads to our first
ever community planning session with tribal leaders, city leaders, school leaders, federal agencies,
business leaders and local residents. – Herold J. Hudson, Former Tribal Administrator
You can visualize a more focused organization and you are motivated to work towards that vision. Even though
all the while you are realizing that the vision is going to require change. Organizational change will only happen
faster when individuals within the organization change. This change starts with leadership, specifically, when
leader effectively lead their own lives and relationships.
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP - BUILDING TRUST
Trust is the lifeblood of good planning and strategy implementation. When trust is lost, the organization pays a
trust tax. This tax can include:
People who need to work together, avoid each other
Increased stress and decreased accomplishment
Small issues escalate
Loss of synergy
Blaming and victimization
Poor or non-existent strategy implementation
Our earlier metaphor, the FOCUS BUTTON assumes a high degree of trust within the organization. When
leaders choose to work on their own trustworthiness, the other conditions of good planning and organizational
improvement will follow.
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR RESULTS
Leadership is about who will take responsibility – for yourself, your family, your community, your nation. - Stephen Cornell, Native Nations Institute In his book Taking Responsibility, Nathaniel Branden wrote the following:
Who you are is a function of what you are responsible for. When you step into a role, you are communicating that you are responsible for certain people and outcomes. This is a powerful truth, consider that:
A mother is responsible for the health and welfare of her children
A project manager is responsible for the successful outcome of the project
A department manager is responsible to ensure the staff is working towards a coherent vision
A tribal leader is responsible for the future of his or her organization and community
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As you can see, a victim mentality is the antithesis of Taking Responsibility. Those with a victim mentality spend their energies on justifying why they are not successful or blaming others for their failure. Fundamentally, they are not responsible. Goals, projects, and strategies are not implemented by victims. LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE
One reason execution is so vexing is because it inevitably requires a change in behavior. Someone
(usually a group of someones) has to do something different - since you can’t keep doing the same thing
and expect different results. Changing behavior is an enormous challenge. - Mark Josie
Think of your organizational culture as the beliefs and common behaviors of individual and groups. It is what they do and don’t do. Do people show up for work and meetings on time (behavior)? Do leaders value the input of staff (belief)? Culture is often a better predictor of what an organization can accomplish than its strategy. A culture of responsibility and accountability is fundamental to strategy execution. In the assessment on page 2, how did you answer the following question?
We hold each other accountable for doing the work needed for strategy execution. 1 2 3 4 5 6
A score of 1-3 would indicate that the culture is not one of accountability. The first step of changing this is to hold yourself to high standards of personal responsibility and accountability (modeling). The next step is to make sure you are setting clear expectations and having the courage to have respectful, direct conversation when people don’t perform. STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP - Confronting Reality
As humans, we are hardwired to avoid difficult truths about ourselves, others and our environment. We don’t
like bad news or information that challenges our version of reality. Consequently, effective strategic leadership
requires a courage to see things as they are, and seek to help others do the same. An organization cannot adapt
to a reality it is unwilling or unable to see. The following are some of the reasons we are hardwired to avoid
reality:
Definition of terms: Cognitive Bias
Cognitive bias is terminology for how we think such as; perceptual distortion, illogical interpretation, or
inaccurate judgment. Cognitive bias is a self-protection mechanism to protect our ego and beliefs from being
challenged. There are over 60 identified biases. We will focus on those most relevant to the strategic planning
process.
Avoidance/Denial – As Richard Tedlow has written, “Denial does not change reality, it simply makes reality
tougher to deal with.” This is sometimes referred to as the ‘dead moose on the table’ or ‘kicking the can down
the road’. This a protective mechanism to help us protect ourselves from threatening and unpleasant realities.
While everyone is fleeing from the threat; effective leaders are running the opposite way – preparing to deal
with the difficult realities.
Ego – There have been hundreds of books written on this topic ranging from how to control your ego to the
positive sides such as self-confidence. Sometimes ego is referred to as hubris. When the ego is in high gear, we
literally cannot see straight. Our agenda, protection of self, overtakes our thought process and information gets
screened by whether our ego is supported or threatened.
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When the power of ego surges, our intent switches from honestly defending our point to proving our case
exclusively; we refuse to be influenced. - David Marcum & Steven Smith, Egonomics
George Armstrong Custer had army scouts who told him, they had never seen a gathering of warriors that large.
Ten thousand Lakota, Arapaho and Northern Cheyenne were waiting for Custer and his men. What did he do
with the information that would have literally saved his life and the lives of 268 men? Some have suggested the
humility factor is the first principle of leadership.
Confirmation Bias (Selective Listening) is a tendency of people to favor information that confirms their beliefs
and reject information that challenges those beliefs. The effect is stronger for emotionally charged issues and
for deeply entrenched beliefs. What happens when you are seeking to solve a problem and you only allow
information that supports your existing beliefs? How do you know the difference? As one theorist wrote,
“being ‘right’ and being ‘wrong’ feels the same way.” Strategic leaders invite perspectives and beliefs that are
different than their own. As Dr. Stephen R. Covey wrote, synergy cannot exist unless different perspectives are
shared. A better, ‘Third Alternative’ can only be discovered when different beliefs and information are openly
shared.
Wishful Thinking - Christopher Booker described wishful thinking in terms of “the fantasy cycle” which is a
pattern that recurs in personal lives, in politics, in history – and in storytelling. When we embark on a course of
action which is unconsciously driven by wishful thinking, all may seem to go well for a time, in what may be
called the “dream stage”. But because this make-believe dream can never be reconciled with reality, this leads
to a “frustration stage” as things start to go wrong, prompting a more determined effort to keep the fantasy
intact. As reality presses in, it leads to a “nightmare stage” as everything goes wrong, culminating in an
“explosion into reality”, when the fantasy finally falls apart. Wishful thinking may cause blindness to
unintended consequences. Some strategic plans are mostly based on Wishful Thinking.
Ignorance Experience is often the most painful and costly method for solving problems. When we don’t know; what we don’t know – our tendency is often to underestimate the difficulties of implementing a certain strategy or project. When we fail to identify risks to success, we also have a tendency to fail to develop plans to mitigate those risks. On paper, every basketball play goes for a layup – however, the opposition must be accounted for if the team is to be ultimately successful. Strategic Thinkers have the self-awareness to recognize when denial, ego, selective listening, wishful thinking and ignorance are present in a strategy discussion. High trust and candor are fundamental in breaking through these protective tendencies and help the group confront difficult situations that must be responded to.
APPLYING CONFRONTING REALITY
Many failures associated with tribal government, business and community can be traced back to the failure to
confront reality. In our work sessions, we illustrate this with the following activity:
We first ask participants to identify a past project or strategy that failed. It doesn’t take them long to find a
costly example. We next ask them to analyze the root causes of the failure in terms of avoiding reality choices
by asking these questions:
Was there avoidance or denial of any key information?
Did someone’s ego influence the free-flow of information and analysis?
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Did selective listening cause us to ignore information critical to a better decision?
Did wishful thinking cause us to under-estimate the risk to failure?
Ignorance – what did we not know that ultimately influenced the project’s failure?
We haven’t come across a group yet that couldn’t identify how these cognitive biases contributed (significantly)
to the failure. The problem is that individuals and groups often think in patterns. Avoiding reality is a pattern
that produces predictable results. The real question then is how do we foster an environment that courageously
Confronts Reality?
We recommend at least three behaviors for tribal leaders:
Have courage. Leaders must have the courage to see things as they really are. This doesn’t mean they are to be continually pessimistic – they must balance this passion for reality with desire for a better future. As Admiral James Stockdale, survivor of the Hanoi Hilton prisoner of war camp in Vietnam taught:
You must retain faith that you will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties. AND at the same time… You must confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.
Be humble. Ego, when inserted into a discussion, has a remarkable way of interfering with the truth. Humility is a critical leadership attribute and does wonders for encouraging openness. Humility is the confidence that we can create better solutions together as a team than I can on my own.
Encourage candor – Set the stage for dialogue. I have respect for my experience, but I may have drawn the wrong lessons from that experience. We need to respectfully challenge ideas and express what we believe is really going on.
STRATEGIC THINKING When you are in doubt, be still, and wait; when doubt no longer exists for you, then go forward with courage. So long as mists envelop you, be still; be still until the sunlight pours through and dispels the mists -- as it surely will. Then act with courage. -Ponca Chief White Eagle (1800's to 1914) Strategic Thinking is Confronting Reality regarding what is really happening inside and outside the organization. The purpose of this step is to develop awareness of environmental trends, stakeholder needs and the capacity of the organization to implement its strategies. Strategic thinking precedes strategic planning just as a diagnosis from a doctor precedes a medical prescription. As tribal leaders, you must first have a heightened awareness of what is occurring both outside and inside of your organization. This will put you in a better position to make wise strategic choices. In this section we will be reviewing Four Strategic Thinking Tools:
Environmental analysis using P.E.S.T
Stakeholder Assessment
Benchmarking for best practices
Organizational Capacity Assessment By reviewing and implementing these four Strategic Thinking Tools, you and your organization will be fortifying the leadership strategies that highlighted in the assessment process.
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STRATEGIC THINKING – Environmental Analysis using P.E.S.T. A good strategic leader is able to look to the future and prepare a strategic response to potential risks and
opportunities. A Tribal Housing Director recently modeled this for her board and staff. Budget cuts at the
national level seemed to be inevitable although the timing and amount of the cuts were uncertain. The Tribal
Housing Director assembled her staff and identified different scenarios representing the future based on the
severity of the cuts. The staff then developed responses for each scenario. When scenario B became the reality,
the Tribal Housing Director and staff implemented their plan B effectively and moved forward without drama.
One of the best tools for conducting an Environmental Analysis is called a P.E.S.T. Analysis.
P.E.S.T. stands for Political, Environmental, Social and Technology. To conduct a P.E.S.T. Analysis, follow these
steps:
1. Brainstorm potential changes in each of these four areas. (review sample questions below)
2. Prioritize the top two or three changes that have the greatest potential impact on your services –
example, Social – more grandparents are raising their grandchildren. What are the implications for your
service delivery?
3. Brainstorm opportunities that may arise from these changes.
4. Brainstorm threats or issues that could be caused by them.
5. Action – identify potential action items you can take to mitigate risk and take advantage of
opportunities. (see template below)
P.E.S.T. – Questions Opportunities and Threats POLITICAL
When is the next tribal, state, or national election? How could this change government and/or regional policy?
Who are the most likely contenders for power? What are their views on other policies that affect your organization?
Could any pending legislation or taxation change affect your organization, either positively or negatively?
ENVIRONMENTAL
How stable is the current economy? Is the economy growing, stagnating, or declining?
Are customers' levels of disposable income rising or falling? How is this likely to change in the next few years?
What is the unemployment rate?
SOCIAL
What is the population's growth rate and age profile? How is this likely to change in the future?
Are generational shifts in attitude likely to affect what you're doing?
What are your society's levels of health, education, and social mobility? How are these changing, and what impact does this have?
What social attitudes and social taboos could affect your business? Have there been recent socio-cultural changes that might affect this?
TECHNOLOGY
Are there any new technologies that you could be using?
Are there any new technologies on the horizon that could radically affect your work or your industry?
Are there any other technological factors that you should consider?
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P.E.S.T. ANALYSIS ACTION PLAN – Identify:
If the insights from this analysis aren’t made actionable, the value of the process can be quickly lost. In the
ActionStrategy process, we document any actionable insights in the online system as they are discussed. These
ideas - potential goals, strategies and projects can be considered later when we establish overall priorities.
STRATEGIC THINKING – Stakeholder Assessment
The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us. - Black Elk - Oglala Sioux
Your tribal government, business, department and program operates in an ecosystem. What you do (or don’t do) impacts those around you. Those impacted by your actions are referred to as stakeholders. Definition: A stakeholder is anyone who has a stake in your organization.
A quick way to identify your stakeholders is to ask, if your department was to disappear tomorrow- who would
be impacted? Typical stakeholders would include:
Tribal members
Tribal leaders
Funding sources
Multiple departments
Your community
Your employees
Each of these groups have distinct and sometimes conflicting needs that they expect you to meet. Your tribal
members expect services delivered by respectful staff and leaders. Your tribal leaders need information and
recommendations that help them make informed policy decisions. Your funding sources expect you to follow
the requirements of your grants and produce beneficial outcomes to tribal members.
To meet stakeholder needs, you must first understand your stakeholder needs. Some of the best methods to
gather data and understanding of their needs are:
Focus groups – allows for exploration of topics and more dynamic feedback from a stakeholder group
Informal discussions – works especially well when fewer stakeholders are involved
Surveys (very efficient but can be challenging to get responses)
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It is the responsibility of tribal programs and departments to continually improve the services they provide. The
starting point is to always diagnose needs before prescribing solutions.
“Respect means listening until everyone has been heard and understood, only then is there a possibility
of Balance and Harmony" the goal of Indian Spirituality. - Dave Chief, Grandfather of Red Dog
The following are proven steps for conducting an accurate stakeholder needs assessment:
Identify stakeholders 1. Select key stakeholder to assess needs. 2. Determine best method to gather information; survey, interview, focus group, feedback forms.
Identify -The stakeholder’s perspective: 3. What needs or results do they expect you to meet/produce? 4. What are the best five results that you are currently producing? 5. What are the worst five results that you are currently producing?
Determine: 6. Key themes – prioritize results to improve the outcome. 7. Why is your system consistently producing results that aren’t meeting their needs?
Develop: 8. Strategies for closing the gaps. These may include:
Projects
Process improvement
Policy change
Changing structure
Improve culture
Document: Your plans for closing the gap in your tracking system: Show system
In our work sessions, we have found it helpful to document insights directly into the system rather than using a
flip chart. These notes and potential actions will be available when you move into the Strategic Planning phase.
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STRATEGIC THINKING – Benchmarking
In most Native cultures, humility has been identified as an important cultural and traditional value. Leadership
theorists such as Roger Merrill have suggested that, humility may be the most important leadership value.
Humble leaders recognize the value of learning from others when it comes to solving challenging organizational
issues. Most Tribal organizations face common challenges and yet, some have been more successful at
developing good strategies to overcome those challenges. Experience is often the most expensive form of
education. The wise will learn from the success of others.
Benchmarking is an organized way of evaluating and adopting best practices from other similar or dissimilar
organizations. Benchmarking can be one of the most productive planning exercises as it forces teams out of their
thinking box and teams can focus on innovative solutions. Here are a few proven Benchmarking Steps that are
easy to follow:
1. Identify the Strategic Questions for the big issues that you would like to address through your planning.
Example; How do we streamline the way we provide social services to our members?
2. Identify – who has solved this problem? Who does a good job of this right now?
3. Develop a research plan which should include:
a. Internet search
b. Interviews, site visits
c. Documentation review
4. Share findings and recommendations with team. Determine which solutions you will adopt and/or build
upon.
5. Action – Develop a plan for how you will incorporate these best practices into your work and document
the action, owner (very important), resources and timelines.
STRATEGIC THINKING – Organizational Capacity Assessment
During the planning process, the organization’s capacity to implement the ActionStrategy needs to be considered. For example, your 2014 plan may require skillful grant applications and project management. You have to address the question:
Do we have the capacity to successfully apply for grants?
Do we have the capacity to manage grants?
Does our staff have the training and tools to manage projects effectively?
The assessment on page 2 is a useful for evaluating capacity
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We have found great value in utilizing online, confidential assessments prior to the work sessions. These
assessments accomplish 3 things:
1. The team can assess its own capacity for collaboration, leadership, planning and implementation
2. The team can provide their ideas regarding goals and strategies, improving engagement of the team.
This is a tremendous time saver during the planning work session.
3. The team can provide very actionable ideas for addressing the gaps. Ex. grant management training.
STRATEGIC PLANNING – Establishing Focus
Strategic thinking precedes strategic planning. Once a leadership team has gone through the strategic thinking
phase, they need to make choices. Which goals need to be pursued and which strategies need to be
implemented as well as which resources should be allocated where? The strategic planning phase helps leaders
clarify and document the answers to these questions by developing:
A compelling mission
Visions
Values
Measurable Outcomes and Goals
Strategies
Strategic Drivers
STRATEGIC PLANNING – A Compelling Mission
Everything on earth has a purpose – Mourning Dove
A mission statement answers the questions – what is our purpose. It captures, in a few succinct sentences, the
essence of your organization’s goals and the philosophies underlying them. Equally important, the mission
statement communicates what your organization is about to your tribal members, tribal council, staff and
strategic partners. It also establishes boundaries for what the organization will do and what it won’t do. For
example, a tribal enterprise may have a mission to:
Maximize revenue to fund tribal services, or:
Provide tribal employment, or:
Seek to balance revenue with providing tribal employment
As you can see, each of these missions will have different goals and strategies. If the mission is unclear, you can
see how it can create conflict. Tribal leaders have the responsibility to provide clarity at this level.
Missions answer the questions:
• What is the purpose of the organization and its reason for being
Identify or clarify our core proficiency
What is it designed to do, produce, create, whom does it serve?
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Focus on the X
Dr. Robert Duran, former superintendent from the San Antonio School District illustrated the power of a clear,
focused mission. He constantly communicated that everything was about the X. All school activities,
investments, efforts, communication – everything was about the X. What was the X? It was the spot on the
stage where the student stood seconds before her name was called and she would walk across the stage to
receive her high school diploma. This was their mission and everything aligned with that physical, tangible
outcome.
What is your organization’s X?
Employed tribal members?
Efficient health services?
Healthy babies?
Improved environment?
Services to improve the lives of your elders? When developing a mission statement, it is often helpful to benchmark other organizations for good ideas. This is sometimes referred to as ‘creative swiping.’ Please note the following examples: Swinomish Tribe The purpose and mission of the Swinomish Indian Tribe is to protect and enhance the quality of the lives of all its members by providing a combination of economic opportunities and safety net of social services; to protect the culture and traditional practices of the Swinomish people; to respect and protect the spirit of the ancestors that have gone before and the future generations to come… Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Preserving our sovereignty, enhancing our economic and cultural resources, and promoting self-sufficiency and self-governance for our citizens through collaboration, service, and advocacy
The Compelling Mission should answer all three of the questions (purpose, core proficiency, who is served) in a concise form that emphasizes the core values of your organization. STRATEGIC PLANNING - Vision In many Native American communities, one of the rites of passage for a young person is the tradition of a Vision Quest. This was one of the most universal and ancient means of finding spiritual guidance and life’s purpose. Through this rite, the child becomes an adult, taking responsibility for themselves and defining their individual contribution to a healthy society The Vision Quest would generally consist of the following elements:
Physical separation – often the young person would seek an uninhabited area such as mountains, tundra or desert
Spiritual preparation – fasting, prayer and reflection help recipient become attuned to the spirit world
Time – the young person would spend one to four days and nights secluded in nature.
Deep listening – the fundamental purpose The young person would seek deep insight, typically in the form of a dream or vision related directly to their identity, purpose and destiny in life. The Lakota Sioux word for Vision Quest is Hembleciya (ham-blay-che-ya). The word Hembleciya translates to “Crying for a Dream.” This refers to the “Quester” both physically and
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internally crying for a Vision or Sacred Dream. Sometimes this ceremony is called “going up on the hill,” because people would often go to a nearby mountain or butte to complete their Vision Quest. A Vision Statement is a description about what the organization wants to become. The vision should resonate with all members of the organization and help them feel proud, excited, and part of something much bigger than themselves. A vision should stretch the organization’s capabilities and image of itself. It gives shape and direction to the organization’s future. Consider John Kennedy’s compelling vision statement of space exploration:
“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.”
-JFK, Man on the Moon Speech, Joint Session of Congress May 25, 1961 What if the organization was on its mission daily, weekly, and yearly; what would success look like in three years or five years or even ten years? While the mission is generally stable, the vision can change depending on changes in the environment and organizational circumstances. A good organization will revisit the vision at a minimum of once a year. A Clarified Vision is important because everyone needs to have the same understanding of the vision. A good way to do that is to operationalize the vision. The vision should be defined in such a way that it is clear to all who read the vision. The best way to accomplish this is to create measurements that define success. One example could be; ”Employment and Training, with our partners, will help 50 tribal members find long-term employment
averaging $15/hr.”
The ActionStrategy then becomes a description of what (the vision) and how (strategy/strategy drivers) you will
do this as an organization, department or team.
STRATEGIC PLANNING – The Power of Traditional Values
Value statements list the principles and ethics to which an organization adheres. They form an ethical
foundation for the organization. These principles and ethics then guide the behavior of organization members.
They assist organizations in determining what is right and wrong. Members then act in certain ways, using the
values as a guide. Most tribal organizations have a list of values that are formally stated. However, you can
determine what the real values are of your organization by observing:
How do people treat each other as well as tribal members
How they spend their time
How they invest their resources Your organization’s values will then become the definition of your organizational culture. Organizational culture
is the underestimated powerhouse that can determine the success or failure of your organizations mission. A
good organization will highlight a minimum of five values in which organizational members can be proud to
obtain as well as identifying specific behaviors to help express those values. Value statements are particularly
powerful when grounded in the traditional values of the communities. There are common values across many
Alaska Native and Native American communities. Some of the common values are;
Reverence for the Creator
Respect for ancestors, elders, other and the community
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Respectful listening and speaking
Stewardship of land, water air and families
Fatherhood and motherhood are sacred
Courage
Harmony THE VALUES TEST Regardless of what is on the value statement, if tribal members are not treated respectfully when receiving
service – the real value is not respect. Values are revealed by the actions of most of the people most of the
time. Once you have determined guiding values, ask yourselves the question:
If our organization lived these values consistently – what would be different?
One of the most powerful processes we have seen is when groups of leaders confront this question. Leaders,
with humility and courage, will seek misalignments between what they say they value and what they do. They
then identify specific ways to address the misalignments. These changes should be documented in the strategic
plan as part of the ‘cultural drivers’ of change.
YOUR PLANNING FRAMEWORK
One method for streamlining the planning process is to develop a planning framework - a structure to organize your goals and strategic drivers; projects, process improvements, organizational design, policy development, and culture. This framework is often a list of the high level roles, functions or programs; if part of a department or division. This is an example of three variations:
NEZ PERCE TRIBE Education Department
In this example, the managers identify their key stakeholders (by stage of life) then add a goal narrative or high level vision statement.
Ex. 1.0 EDUCATION: PRE-K: Laying the foundation with a solid early childhood education
PONCA TRIBE OF NEBRASKA – All programs in one plan.
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CENTRAL COUNCIL OF TLINGIT & HAIDA Native Lands & Resources – By program and grant areas.
The ActionStrategies are then organized within these categories. For example, The CCTHITA Native Lands and Resources department has organized their grants, projects, policy development, and staff development goals in this framework. Each category can be expanded to see the goal, project or grant, owner, resource, timeline and a status indicator. This represents a best practice in strategy and implementation planning.
STRATEGIC PLANNING – Focus: Establishing Priorities
A list of goals is not a strategy. Strategy means that you have made choices to support and fund some activities
while saying NO to others. A simplified process for establishing focus is as follows:
1. Identify the criteria to evaluate goals/projects against each other. For example, Tribal Council supports
this, tribal members want this, we have the resources to implement,
2. Evaluate the goals against the criteria. We have develop scoring worksheets to automate this process.
Email us at [email protected] for sample scoring worksheets. The scoring process does not make
Your decision, but it should inform your decision.
3. In your plan, reprioritize according to your appropriate strategic focus.
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GOALS ARE NOT STRATEGY
There is often conflict about the terminology used in planning. We find it helpful to keep things as simple as
possible. Below is an illustration of the key differences between goals and strategies:
GOAL (What you want to have happen) STRATEGY (How, Actionable)
Win the basketball game Full court press Zone defense with heavy pressure on their top scorer Exploit mismatch with our 6’4” senior center and their 6’1” freshman center
Fifty Tribal Clients are employed by Dec. 31
Monthly collaboration meetings with TERO, Adult Education, Employment & Training, Community College Develop policy to improve participation in job training Improve process for tracking clients in the system Provide twelve class in energy industry skills
SMART GOALS
“You cannot manage what you cannot describe.”
If you are the administrator and a department manager brought the following goals to you, which one would
have a greater likelihood of getting accomplished?
Goal 1: Increase economic development through improved collaboration with key stakeholders.
Goal 2:
Specific, Measurable Accountability Resources Timeline
Attract 1 new company in the healthcare industry that produces 15 new jobs (avg. $46,000/yr.)
Jim Smith Search firm Xandex Company
January 2014
The second example has the key elements of a SMART goal. Specifically, it is:
SPECIFIC Clear regarding the outcomes. MEASURABLE How many companies? How many jobs? Salary? Let’s you know you are successful. ACCOUNTABILITY Who is responsible for the goal? Accountability is essential for strategy implementation. RESOURCES Who or what will we draw upon to ensure success? TIMELINES With no timeline, there is no sense of urgency. Timelines focus thinking and energy.
An ActionStrategy comprises of a set of prioritized SMART goals aligned with mission, values and your vision.
This plan is also informed by your Strategic Thinking efforts and represents the choices leaders make among
various options. It also lists the Strategy Drivers that you predict will help you accomplish your goals.
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STRATEGY DRIVERS
Eventually, all grand strategies evolve into work. -Peter Drucker
As we wrote earlier – plans do not create results, work does. Actionable strategies describe the work needed
to be completed to achieve your goals. We also refer to these as Strategy Drivers. A strategic driver is a critical
factor that can make or break an organization's strategy. Strategic Drivers are the natural movers of the strategic
plan that implements the strategic direction of a business or organization. Strategic drivers translate the stated
SMART goals in the strategic plan into actionable strategies which are supported by resources that have been
allocated by the organization for that purpose. Five key Strategy Drivers are:
Project
Process Improvement
Organizational Development
Policy
Culture/Behavior Change
Each driver represents a unique discipline and set of tools designed to implement the driver. Below are 5
examples:
STRATEGY DRIVERS TOOLS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT Process improvement is a strategic approach to improving a product, service or process. General steps include:
Identify root causes behind process difficulties.
Examines the impact of the process on inputs and outputs (results).
Identifies delays, bottlenecks and unnecessary steps.
Redesign to improve the results of process efficiencies.
PROJECTS
A project is temporary activity designed to produce a
unique product, service or result. Key elements
include:
Has a defined outcome/result.
Has a defined beginning and end point.
Defined scope and resources.
Is unique – not a routine operations.
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ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN Organizational design is a step-by-step methodology which identifies dysfunctional aspects of work flow, procedures, structures and systems, realigns them to fit current business realities/goals and then develops plans to implement the new changes. The process focuses on improving both the technical and people side of the business.
POLICY The process of developing public policy is an activity that generally involves research, analysis, consultation and synthesis of information to produce recommendations that are:
Fair
Consistently applied
Easily communicated
CULTURE Culture is what most of the people do most of the time. It is the collective behavior of the team or organization. The answers to those questions determine how close the culture aligns with the mission and vision of the organization.
What are the behavioral standards that support the achievment of the organizational vision?
How are those standards promoted? Measured? Tracked?
When people act counter to the desired cultural standards, what do we do?
CULTURE DRIVERS
Leadership modeling
Training
Coaching
Feedback system
Rewards
Removing barriers to performance
Performance management systems
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STRATEGY EXECUTION – Project Planning and Plan Reviews
Without clear leadership that aligned each activity and every project investment to the espoused strategy, individuals will use other decisions rules in choosing what to work on: first in, first out, last in, first out, loudest demand; squeakiest wheel, boss’s whim, least risk, easiest, best guess as to what the organization needs; most likely to lead to raises and promotion; most politically correct; wild guess. – Executing Your Strategy, Morgan, Levitt and Malek
Once goals and strategies are established, the next step is implementing the strategy using the appropriate
discipline connected with the strategy driver. The Strategy Drivers that your organization chooses should align
with the goals that need to be accomplished. This will also allow for greater accountability among participating
project team members and increase the chances of completing your project on time and within budget.
For the purpose of this guide, we will focus on two drivers:
Project and Grant Management
Plan Reviews and Accountability Sessions
These two components are vital in completing any project, whether large or small, in a fashion that brings pride
and further vision to your tribe or department within your tribe.
STRATEGY EXECUTION – Project and Grant Planning
For the espoused strategy to become a reality, it must be converted into packets of work called projects.
Projects are the temporary initiatives that companies put into place alongside their ongoing operations
to achieve specific goals. – Executing Your Strategy, Morgan, Levitt and Malek
The project is the true traction point for strategy execution. Grant work plans are a form of a project plan.
Proper planning, from the beginning, is necessary for a project to run successfully and efficiently. Execution of
your plan can be more easily implemented when you develop specific projects within your plan that allow for
your organization to follow progress easily.
"Tribes are often tempted to "chase grants" due to the great demand for services; however, if we take
time to assess and establish a system to manage our current grants and programs, then, we can
strategically move forward with more focus and success. Next, once you are able to define the grant
goals and an objective, reporting requirements, etc., then accountability becomes manageable, this was
made possible through Action Strategy. As the Tribal Executive Director the project management tool
enabled me to monitor projects and successful milestones to share with the Tribal Council." – Darlene
Lee, Former Tribal Executive Director
An ActionStrategy can help your organization develop more precise budgets and accountability tools that
increase the efficiency of current grants but can also increase the possibility of being awarded more grants in
the future. Government, private foundations, and non-government agencies will look more favorable at your
grant proposal when your organization can provide more detailed accountability, project management, and plan
reviews.
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FOUR PHASES OF PROJECT AND GRANT MANAGEMENT
1. Initiating – Develop a clear SMART project vision – Specific, Measurable, Accountability, Resources Timelines 2. Designing – Assess risk and design the project or work plan 3. Execute – Managing project 4. Assessment - Close and evaluate The following worksheet incorporates these phases into the development of an aligned project plan. For this example, we will develop a project plan for Developing a Tribal Strategic Plan. INITIATING - Understanding stakeholder needs
Identify the project (aligned with your strategy)
List project stakeholders. Ex. tribal members, funders, staff, Tribal Council
Prioritize those who have the greatest stake in the project’s success Project
Develop a Tribal Strategic Plan (note: not very specific project definition. More detail added in next steps)
Stakeholders
Who has a ‘stake’ in the project’s success Priority
Tribal members A
Tribal council A
Managers and staff A
Partners (federal and state agencies, funders) B
For each key stakeholder group, assess their criteria for project success by asking – As you think of the success of this project, what is most important?
Prioritize – ask the stakeholders to prioritize which features are most important. (1,2,3) Stakeholder Needs – Tribal Council (Sample)
As you think of the success of this project, what is most important? Priority
.Provides clear direction 2014-2019 A
Realistic based on our resources B
Strengthens our culture A
Completed by community meetings – May 15 A
Visible to Council and Community B
Available for grant applications C
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1. Define and document the project vision in terms of stakeholder needs, technical performance, time and cost
Project Vision Statement (Specific, Measurable, Accountability, Resources Timeline)
Develop an actionable strategic plan by May 15. The plan will:
Provide clear direction for the next 3-5 years
Strengthen our culture and language initiatives
Improve transparency and accountability
Easy to share with funding agencies and with grantors
DESIGNING THE PROJECT PLAN
2. List potential risks that could undermine project success.
3. Identify how (action) will you address each of the risks and who will own the response.
Risk Assessment Risk Response Owner
Lack of manager buy-in Involve each level in planning, feedback Tribal Administrator
Get bogged down 2 month timeline – clear expectations TA/Dept. Managers
Not connected to real needs Stakeholder assessment, feedback meetings
Self-Governance Mgr.
MAPPING THE PROJECT PLAN Map the project plan with (Work Breakdown Structure)
a. Phases – ex. Community Assessment
b. Tasks – ex. Design Assessment, Administer Assessment
c. Determine sequences
Project
Vision
b.Task
b.Task
a.Phase a.Community Assessment
b.Design Assessment
b. Administer Assessment
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d. Enter phases and tasks into Project Timetable tool (see WBS and Gantt example below)
e .Determine task duration – start date and target finish
f. Document task dependencies
g. Determine resources and budget
WBS view (Work Breakdown Structure)
Gant Chart View – Timelines and Task Dependencies
Budget and Resource View
4. Executing and Controlling – Project and Grant Management a. What needs to be done and by whom? b. When does it need to be done? c. When will the process be reviewed?
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After each military exercise, the US Military conducts an After Action Review. The goal of this process is accountability and learning. Where lives are on the line, the need to learn and adapt is crucial. The same principles apply during the Close and Evaluate phase of your project or grant. The following questions should be asked.
5. Close and Evaluate a. Did the project product the desired outcomes b. What went well, what could be improved c. What did we learn from the process that we can apply in future projects? d. How do we celebrate the completion of this project?
ACCOUNTABILITY AND REVIEW – Conducting Effective Plan Reviews
In leadership, you get the behaviors that you model and tolerate. Herold J. Hudson is a former Tribal Administrator, Operations Manager for the US Army and student at the Army War College. When asked what part of the process was the most challenging, he indicated the plan reviews/accountability sessions. Once the Tribal Council and management team had developed and approved the plan, the key leverage point for implementation was the plan reviews. Before the meeting, he would create an agenda that listed which strategies, projects and grants they would review. He would then project the plan on a screen for everyone to see and begin to discuss plan progress, having the project owners lead the discussion. Sometimes the conversation would go like this: Tribal Administrator: “I see that you have that project at 20% but your due date is in 2 weeks.” Manager: “Yes, we are behind on that. We need to shift some resources.” (and maybe add some excuses) Tribal Administrator: “It looks like it is very important that we meet that deadline - what can we help with?” Because many managers were accustomed to planning sessions where nothing really changed, this process came as a surprise. The unspoken thought is, “Oh, so you are serious about this strategic plan.” Herold made it clear that there would be follow through and the same accountability questions would be asked at the next meeting. The management team’s ‘culture’ began to change and their ability to execute their strategy increased dramatically. This same process works at all levels of the organization. Earlier in the planning guide, we emphasized 3 Strategic Leadership competencies that are critical at this phase of implementation:
Building Trust
Taking Responsibility
Confronting Reality You can see how each is essential in creating an open, candid conversation about performance and strategic plan progress.
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Herold commented that although challenging initially, implementation ‘momentum’ was developed. Recently, he shared the results of this effort: The results were a new cultural resource department, a new mental health outreach office, a youth leadership
program, and a new medical clinic all planned, funded and operational within 12 months. New budgeting
disciplines were implemented increasing cash reserves significantly. Cell phone usage and technology needs were
analyzed resulting in huge annual cost savings. The ActionStrategy project tool became our working strategic
plan and provided us a common picture that Council members, Department Directors and Employees could
access from anywhere to update and monitor progress. This is what kept us focused on what was important. This
process also lead to our first ever community planning session with tribal leaders, city leaders, school leaders,
federal agencies, business leaders and local residents. I wholeheartedly recommend the ActionStrategy system.
The return on investment was phenomenal!
The Plan Review Meeting Agenda template is a tool for leaders to develop focused meetings where accountability and strategic action are the norms. As you prepare for the meeting, pay especial attention to the Effective Meeting Checklist:
PLAN REVIEW MEETING AGENDA Date Time Location EFFECTIVE MEETING CHECKLIST
Clear purpose and agenda (could this have been accomplished without meeting?)
Right people are participating
People are prepared to report on last meetings assignments
Will the discussions and decisions further our strategic priorities?
Each participant should have some system for recording notes and their assignments AGENDA 1. Review updates from previous meetings and previous assignments 2. New agenda items3. Review assignments and method for status reporting
TOPIC
DECISION
ACTION OWNER DUE DATE
4. Schedule next meeting if needed 5. Post meeting – email brief summary
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CONCLUSION
It has been our privilege to work with and learn from many remarkable tribal leaders. We recognize that a well-
developed plan in a good tracking system is an essential step in a good strategy execution process. However, we
have also learned that the missing ingredient is often leadership. Trusting relationships, candor and a high
degree of personal responsibility is critical to plan development and implementation.
Our mission is to develop strategic leaders. We are eager to share what we have learned and hope to support
your leadership and planning efforts as you provide valuable service to your communities.
ActionStrategy was an empowering facilitator of the prioritization process for the Tribe's Strategic Plan. By developing the Strategic Plan, I was enabled to write successful grants to meet the tribe's identified needs. I also found the Action Strategy program was an ideal tool for our Leadership as it allowed them consistent, on-going, focused, informed decision making!
- Teresa Dameron, Former Tribal Planning, Traditional Eagle Solutions, LLC
SOME ORGANIZATIONS WE HAVE WORKED WITH
Central Council of Tlingit & Haida
Yakutat Tlingit Tribe
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
Nez Perce Tribe Education Department
Nez Perce Tribal Enterprises
Ponca Tribe of Nebraska
Spirti Lake Tribe
Sauk-Siuattle Tribe
Fort Peck TERO
Fort Peck Community College
Lame Deer, Pryor and Frazer School Districts
National Park Service – Nez Perce Region
Pascua Yaqui Tribe
Moapa Tribe
Washoe Tribal Council
Navajo Nation Forestry Department
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
U.S. Air Force
FEMA
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ABOUT ACTIONSTRATEGY
Charles Dayton
Charles Dayton is the president of ActionStrategy. He is a practitioner and consultant in the areas or leadership development, strategic planning and execution. He has worked successfully with Fortune 500 clients, federal agencies, the US Military and local governments. His greatest strength is the ability to helping organization’s take complex issues and identify responsive, actionable strategies. Charles draws upon his experience as a consultant and community leader to deliver compelling presentations. He has presented at tribal conferences in Anchorage, Phoenix, Reno and Wisconsin. Recent engagements include:
Montana Office of Public Instruction (School Improvement Grant Implementation)
Uinta Basin Technology College (Training Partner)
Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (strategic planning)
Fort Peck Community College (strategic project/grant management)
Pascua Yaqui Tribe Career Pathways implementation planning work session Dr. Elaine Gagné, Ed.D Dr. Gagné has been an organizational success and leadership results coach in a wide range of contexts for over 20 years. Elaine has taught at the MBA level at The University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA and EADA University, Barcelona, Spain (Coaching as a Management Style). She is the author of ENGAGE! Roadmap for Workforce-Driven Change in a Warp-Speed World (an award-wining organization development process) and co-authored Designing Effective Organizations, Traditional and Transformational Views. Elaine specializes in organizational assessment, design and change including: mission, vision, values, strategy; strategic alignment – integrated accountability systems and scorecard development and performance tracking; executive coaching, leadership training. She has been an adjunct coach with the acclaimed Center for Creative Leadership since 2004.
For more information about ActionStrategy, please go to [email protected] or call 307.220.8542.
Copyright ActionStrategy 2014.