A Real Turnaround to

Growth (Just do it!)

GROWING SCOUTING & GUIDING @ THE ACADEMY 2014 ANNA MUNSTERHJELM & PAUL WILKINSON

@annamun #thesgacademy #KeyLearnings

After this session you will (hopefully)

1. Find the obstacles to growth and tackle them. !2. Get started with your own growth plan. !3. Learn how to involve everyone to growth actions. !4. Get inspired and empowered: “Now I want to lead my

organization to growth and I know how to make it.”

How they did it in the UK?

PAUL TELLS:

How they did it in Finland?

ANNA TELLS:

Three years ago Scouting and Guiding in Finland

was like this.

Three years ago• Number of members had decreased for 20 years in Finland.

70 000 -> 45 000. In the Helsinki Metropolitan Area 11 000 -> 8800. !

• We planned more than we worked. We did Scouting and Guiding as we had always done. !

• In fall 2011 we decided to change the direction and made the Growth Plan ”Scouting is for everyone”. 10 000 members was our goal.

Our Growth Plan 1/2Our biggest obstacles to growth:

!• People in our area didn’t know where to do Scouting/Guiding

& how to join. !

• There wasn’t enough scout/guide groups in all neighbourhoods. !

• We didn't have enough active volunteers. It was quite demanding to become a group leader. !

Our Growth Plan 2/2We (as a district) committed to 6 Growth Acts in 2012:

• Launching new web page focused on marketing • Direct marketing sent to first-graders and their parents • Customizable marketing materials for local groups • Founding three new local groups • Campaign for pre-schoolers • Launching a website offering concrete tips of using the Youth Programme for group leaders !

Local groups committed to 3 Growth Acts: • Taking more members (at least one extra group) • Marketing • Doing Scouting better

Growth Plan of a local group

In the First Year of Growth we learned something

• Strategy cannot be outsourced. !

• Change cannot be a project. !

• There is a huge need for Scouting in Finland. But we cannot cover it with our present organization and way of doing.

If you want big changes, you need to make big changes.

We made 3 big changes: !

• Organizational change • External relations, marketing, adult support • More and wider support for local groups !

• Change in the ways we work • Or -> and • Planning -> doing & developing !

• Change in attitude • Welcoming new adults • Not-yet-scouts are invited to all our events

Now we are like this!

Next: Your turn. Take one barrier

and win it!

The Most Simple Growth Plan Template in the World

Why we don’t grow? People do not know about Scouting and how to join. !What should happen that this obstacle would be won?

There should be a lot of information about Scouting available on the internet and in the places potential scouts are.

!What specific actions do we take?

• We produce marketing material for locals groups • We build and launch a new wabpage with proper contact details • We arrange a school campaign • We invite media to our all our events

Growth never happens

if you fix just one thing.

A LITTLE REMINDER

How to involve everyone?

Reasons to resist the growth

1. ”When the numbers go up, the quality goes down.” !2. ”Scouting will no more be Scouting, if a lot of new people

come in. They don't know our history or our traditions. !3. ”I don’t think these are the right ways to grow Scouting. I don’t

know what would be better, but I don’t like these. They are suspicious.”

!4. ”I don’t want to grow Scouting. We are okay as we are.”

How to involve everyone?• Involve everyone in the plans. !

• Let them decide, how to get involved and what to do. !

• Find them a reason to grow Scouting/Guiding. !

• Sell them a vision of something better.

What can you do as a leader

to make the growth happen?

Why the change was successful in Finland?

1. We had one clear goal. 2. We communicated continuosly and in all channels. 3. We did it together. 4. We worked our asses off. 5. We dared to try out uncertain things. 6. We dared to change and let go. 7. We dared to lead. 8. We thought (and did) bigger. 9. We found everyone a good reason to grow. 10. We believed that we can make it.

Let’s take some time for our own

Growth Plans.

The Most Simple Growth Plan Template in the World

1. Why we don’t grow? !2. What should happen that these obstacles would be won? !3. What specific actions do we take?

What are you going to do next?

PLAN IS JUST A PLAN.

Have we reached our goals in this session?1. Find the obstacles to growth and tackle them. !2. Get started with your own growth plan. !3. Learn how to involve everyone to growth actions. !4. Get inspired and empowered: “Now I want to lead my

organization to growth and I know how to make it.”

In three years time

That was it. Thank you!

GROWING SCOUTING AND GUIDING @ THE ACADEMY 2014 ANNA MUNSTERHJELM & PAUL WILKINSON

@annamun #thesgacademy