Success Success Without Laying an Egg Without Laying an Egg

at your Strategic Planning at your Strategic Planning Meeting Meeting

by Lynn Shigekawaby Lynn Shigekawa

Why is Strategic Planning Why is Strategic Planning Important?Important?

“You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going,

because you might not get there.” Yogi Berra

Strategic planning is an attempt to answer four basic questions:•Where are we now?

•Where do we want to be?

•How big is the gap?

•What will it take to get there in terms of time and resources?

Which Process is best for your Which Process is best for your foundation?foundation?

How many eggs can a chicken How many eggs can a chicken lay in a day?lay in a day?

• How many things can you How many things can you accomplish in one strategic planning accomplish in one strategic planning session?session?

• What if everyone can’t attend?What if everyone can’t attend?

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One BasketBasket

• Strategic planning should occur year Strategic planning should occur year round.round.

• It should be performance based with It should be performance based with measureable objectives.measureable objectives.

• It can help you to recognizeIt can help you to recognize

and energize your board.and energize your board.

Reasons to Change Strategic Reasons to Change Strategic Planning ParadigmPlanning Paradigm

• Your board is made up of volunteers, Your board is made up of volunteers, not employees.not employees.

• Your members don’t necessarily all Your members don’t necessarily all know each other well.know each other well.

• External forces can change at a rapid External forces can change at a rapid rate.rate.

• Opportunities can be fleeting.Opportunities can be fleeting.• Energy and commitment of individuals Energy and commitment of individuals

can vary over time.can vary over time.

Would you go on a wilderness Would you go on a wilderness camping trip without knowing:camping trip without knowing:

• the destination or location?the destination or location?

• the length of the trip?the length of the trip?

• the terrain, weather, time of year?the terrain, weather, time of year?

• the other members of the camping group?the other members of the camping group?

• the talents, background, experience and the talents, background, experience and trustworthiness of the other campers?trustworthiness of the other campers?

• the provisions of food and equipment?the provisions of food and equipment?

A Crack in the Egg: A Crack in the Egg: Single SessionSingle Session

Planning Pitfalls Planning Pitfalls

• Your board is made up of three Your board is made up of three laying chickens.laying chickens.

• Your strategic planning resulted in a Your strategic planning resulted in a performance goal of producing one performance goal of producing one dozen eggs a day.dozen eggs a day.

• What now?What now?• This happens a lot. This happens a lot.

Which came Which came first… the chicken first… the chicken or the egg?or the egg?

Four handouts:Four handouts:Boards as TeamsBoards as TeamsSample AgendasSample AgendasDiscussion TopicsDiscussion TopicsSeven HabitsSeven Habits