Strategic Planning

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Strategic Planning

• Chester County Library System
• Strategic Planning Steering Committee
• November 14, 2008
• Gail Griffith

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Agenda

• Introductions
• Strategic planning methods
• Search conference
• Other parts of the process
• Role of steering committee members
• Next steps
• Timeline

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Strategic Planning
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Why Search Conference?

• Very high community and staff involvement
• Produces results using a short time frame and
  limited budget
• Excellent process for Chester Countys needs

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What is a Search Conference?

• A planning meeting that helps people move from
  ideas to action very quickly
• Task-focused
• Gets the whole system in the room
• Based on 50 years of research and practice
• Used in all sectors of society, and in cultures
  around the world
• Adapted from information provided by the Future
  Search Network

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Conditions for Success

• Get stakeholders from throughout the system in
  the room
• Large group process
• Group members should be able to commit to action
  without seeking further permission
• Explore the whole elephant before acting on any
  part
• Keep common ground and future focus front and
  center.
• Differences and conflicts are information, not
  action items
• Encourage self-management and responsibility for
  action by participants before, during, and after
  the conference

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Conditions for Success

• Participants attend the full conference
• Meet in healthy, comfortable conditions
• Allow enough soak time
• Scheduling options
• Ask for voluntary public commitments to action
  before participants leave

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Methodology

• Day One A.M.
• 1. Focus on the Past
• Timeline of key events
• 2. Focus on the PresentExternal Trends
• Mind Map to identify trends and select key trends
• Stakeholder groups describe what they are doing
  now in relation to key trends and what they hope
  to do in the future

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Methodology, continued

• 3. Focus on the Present
• Stakeholders report what they are proud of and
  sorry about in the way they are dealing with the
  library
• Day One P.M.
• 4. Ideal Future Scenarios
• Diverse groups put themselves into the future and
  describe their preferred future as if it had
  already occurred

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Methodology, continued

• Day Two A.M.
• 5. Identify Common Ground
• Diverse groups post themes they believe are
  common ground for everyone
• 6. Confirm Common Ground
• Individuals organize into groups by
  self-selecting a goal they want to work on

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Methodology, continued

• Day Two, P.M.
• 7. Action Planning
• Goal groups write a goal and objectives
• Each group presents its work and receives
  feedback
• Groups have the opportunity to upgrade their work

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In a typical process

• Participants produce a plan that is about 85
  complete
• Participants have a commitment to the results and
  will support moving the work forward
• A designated small group refines and completes
  the document, preserving the groups original
  intent

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For More Information

• Future Search, by Marvin Weisbord and Sandra
  Janoff
• Discovering Common Ground, edited by Marvin
  Weisbord
• Future Search Network, www.futuresearch.net

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Other Steps /Sources of Data

• Online surveys for staff
• Brief, engaging, test ideas
• Focus group (or larger group) discussions with
  community members
• Ensure important stakeholder groups are included
• Interviews with key stakeholders
• For example, community leaders who cant attend
  Search Conference
• Best Practices
• Knowledge of staff, community, Board, Steering
  Committee, consultant

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Community communication

• HIGH level of communications within and external
  to the library throughout the process
• Transparent process
• Wiki

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Whats a wiki?

• Web software designed for collaboration
• Wisdom of the Crowds
• Easy to use
• No special software knowledge or training
  required
• Can add text, photos, movies, more
• Can set the desired levels of control and access
• Can keep private or make public
• Can distribute and share passwords for permission
  to create, edit, or moderate
• Anyone can comment without having a password
• From the Hawaiian, wiki-wiki means quick
• Wikipedia is an example

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Why a wiki for this project?

• Large number of people involved
• Lots of research, data produced
• Want to be able to share it widely
• Can use a variety of visual and audio media to
  share information
• Easy to update
• Anyone can participate, share opinions (you
  determine who and how much)
• Can use it to publish a portfolio

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Roles of key players

• Library Director
• Steering Committee members
• Key Staff
• Consultant

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Timeline and Milestones

• Data Collection
• Surveys
• Focus Groups
• Interviews
• Search Conference
• Location to be determined
• Dates
• Develop list of stakeholders to invite
• Communications
• Wiki?
• Steering Committee Meetings