Between our hybrid work policy and doing client work all over the place, the entirety of The Spark Mill team is rarely in the office at the same time.  So, on Monday mornings the entire TSM team gathers around a table together to catch up personally and walk through all of our projects - creating a game plan for the week and working through any complicated moments clients might be experiencing. Recently, during this time together we have discussed what feels like a little disappointment around the lack of excitement in some recent strategic plans and I thought it might be helpful to talk through the different types of plans and how an organization might end up with one versus another. 

Engaging the Community

When TSM guides our clients through a strategic planning process, it is internal and external stakeholder feedback that primarily paves the way for the plan. We take into consideration factors such as your organizational capacity; your budget; your mission, vision, and values.

•  What do your community/clients/participants want and need?  Are your current services aligned with their wants and needs? If so, that’s great! If not, what can/should you do to get aligned?

• How about your staff? What are their pain points and dreams?

• What does leadership envision for the future? Is this aligned with the community and the staff?

• How about volunteers, donors, and funders? What do they want to see from you? What will they support?  

Oftentimes, the majority of feedback aligns in a similar direction. In other instances, what the community wants and needs does not completely align with what the board or leadership want to do. This is one of the major reasons we center community engagement in our work. We know that strategic planning that keeps the end client/customer at its core is stronger and more relevant.

What Plans Might Look Like

Sometimes strategic planning leads to transformational plans that feel exciting and perhaps even a little bit scary. This can look like a major shift in programs, organizational structure, or even a reimagining of the mission.

Sometimes it leads to plans that will set an organization up for the next strategic plan to be transformational. This might mean there are internal or external factors that indicate an organization isn’t ready for a major change…yet. But the interest is there and there are things to work on over the next few years that will enable them to get ready.

 And sometimes it leads to a plan that calls for an organization to simply stay the course. Often, this means an organization is already doing what the community wants or needs them to do. Maybe it means offering the same services to more people, or streamlining internal processes to ensure more efficient and effective delivery of high-quality services and programs. Maybe this looks like investing in marketing and fundraising or strengthening community engagement. Your “keep going” plan may be an indicator of your own health or recent progress.

They Won’t All Be Sexy

We are grateful to work with passionate people, and know it’s that passion that makes you crave big plans. So, we understand that option two or three may feel disappointing, particularly if your leadership team or your board hoped for something bigger and bolder. Just know that every strategic plan can’t be transformational - it wouldn’t really be healthy or prudent for an organization to make major shifts every 3 years. Admittedly, investing your time and resources in a strategic plan and landing with a “keep going” plan isn’t sexy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t great. After all, it is based on what your stakeholders said they want and need from you, and isn’t that what it’s really all about?  

Of course, at the end of the day, it is your plan. The Spark Mill is simply the guide, and we thank you for your trust in the process.