Planning our Future Together:

A Strategic Planning Facilitation

California Association of Flower Growers & Shippers

(CalFlowers)June 24/25 2014

Bahia Resort Hotel San Diego, CA

Facilitated By:Stephen C. Carey, Ph.D., CAE, FASAE, Lead StrategistAMMR Association Management Consultants

www.ammr.com 301.530.9066 scarey@ammr.com

Strategic Planning Workshop Overview Welcome / introductions (Mike)

Review methods and process planned during the assessment review and strategic planning session and outcomes (Steve)

Strategic planning key issues, best practices and methods (recap)

Review qualitative, quantitative and scan research and create key issues list. Review and categorize themes and issues within these reports and rank order key issues to ensure all are captured later in the planning phase (table work)

Conduct exercise and discuss a possible alternative future for CalFlowers (table work)

Develop CalFlowers’s core values as an organization (individual and group work) Discuss CalFlowers’s core purpose and vision for the future and mission statement going

forward (group)

Create key goal areas and construct prioritized objectives (strategies)under each of goal

areas (table work)

Primer on creating tactical initiatives for each of the objectives with examples(table work)

Discuss key performance indicators and metrics to evaluate plan’s ongoing success

Logistics—Meet all day Tuesday from 8:45am—4:30pm and Wednesday from 8:30am to 12:30pn (breakfast at 7:45am) .

There will be mid morning and afternoon breaks and lunch2

CalFlowers Facilitation Handouts (TABS)

Qualitative Interview and Focus Group Report (Tab 1)

Quantitative Survey Report (TAB 1A)

Environmental Scan (Tab 2)

Values Exercise (Tab 3)

Sample Strategic Plans with Vision/Mission/Goals and

Objectives (TAB 4)

Tactical Initiatives Examples and Templates (TAB 5)

Monitoring and Evaluating Templates (TAB 6)

About your facilitator and firm—(Final slide in handout)

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PARKING GARAGE Please indicate your issues and turn in this page at the end of the meeting.

Issues to keep in mind for the future: _____________________________________

_____________________________________ _____________________________________

_____________________________________ _____________________________________

_____________________________________ _____________________________________

_____________________________________ _____________________________________

_____________________________________

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Assessment and Strategic Planning Elements & Phases

Phase I--Pre-Facilitation work

Materials Review Board Preliminary Facilitation to Discover Key Issues and Themes In-depth Telephone interviews with Key Leaders & Others Informal Focus Groups via Phone with Industry Segments Environmental Scan -- Discovering Key Trends and Issues Formal Quantitative Needs Assessment Survey

Phase II—research Review and Strategic Planning Facilitation

Review the Qualitative and Quantitative Research by Planning Team Conduct of an Alternative Future Scenario Exercise Review and/or Set Organization’s Values

Review Core Purposes and Vision -- Set or reconfirm the Mission Going Forward Review and Development of Goal Areas and Prioritized Objectives for Each Learn How to Create Tactical Initiatives under each Objective Discuss Metric Evaluation Development and Next Steps

Phase III—Plan build-out—TBA

Committees and staff (as applicable) Review Key Objectives; Create Tactical Initiatives, Timelines and Work Plans

Development of the Business Plan and Work Plans / Review of Plan Progress Train newly Elected Officers on SP Process and Outcomes

Strategic Planning A managerial and leadership process of developing

and maintaining a strategic fit between the organization’s goals and resources and changing

marketing environment and opportunity. It is a semi-formal process involving metrics and scenario building, which is used to examine the organization and its environment, for the purpose of formulating

a general framework for long-range decision making tied to the annual program of work, the

business plan and or budget.

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ValuesValues

Core PurposeCore Purpose

Vision/MissionVision/Mission

GoalsGoals

Prioritized ObjectivesPrioritized Objectives

Tactical Initiatives / Business plansTactical Initiatives / Business plans

ResearchResearch•Qualitative•Quantitative•Scan•Alternative Futures

THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PYRAMIDStrategic planning is an orderly, deliberative and discernful process, which examines the past and present and envisions the future of the organization to prepare and guide it to accomplish the tasks to come.

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General Issues / Challenges Affecting the Strategic Planning Operations of Associations

Transaction Speed- Affects all planning in the organization. Inability to be nimble, to stay strategic and focus on key issues

Technology- Affects the ability to segment and deliver communications, products and services that reaches the members effectively and efficiently.

Competitive Pressures- Underestimating an increasingly savvy competitor or not tracking other groups’ agenda!

True Value & ROI Expectations - Difficulty quantifying, articulating, and delivering unique value in the mind of members and other stakeholders. Increasing apathy and unengaged members.

Economic Factors - Playing it safe, avoiding risks, not applying some reserves as venture capital for future growth / capacity. Key issues generate fear and reluctance on part of Board and Staff for change.

Fewer staff and volunteers to do the work - Volunteers more reluctant today to commit long hours to organization due to work/family life which competes for their time. Fewer volunteers = less capacity, more stress, burnout, and “treading water syndrome.”

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CalFlowers’s Circle of Competition

Competitor A

Competitor B

Competitor C

Competitor D

CalFlowers

Competitor E

Key Volunteer Assets

Meetings, trade shows, education

Transportation carriers

Products, Programs & Services

Other

Key Strategic Planning Pit Falls

No “marriage” between strategic and operational plans

Not understanding the difference between strategy and tactics

No operational or metric evaluation plans created

Insufficient buy-in / communication about the plan to all members

No one assigned as accountable to implement plan components or the infrastructure too inflexible

Volunteers doing staff work and vice-versa; void in leadership and time constraints

Paralyzed focus due to multi-mission and tasking—mission creep—”inch deep—mile wide syndrome”

Leaders with different values, goals and desired outcomes—hidden agendas--politics

Not scanning beyond our borders; staying insulated

Not operationalizing, quantifying, integrating, prioritizing or reviewing objectives and initiatives

Insufficient inclusivity of diverse segments and groups10

Research Reviewand Issues Refinement

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Key Findings from the Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Review with table discussions— each table will discuss selected areas of the research and report out. We will build an issues list from the discussions, which we will carry over to a review of the scan later on. Construct summary findings (key issues) (max 3 key findings in each area) and number each and place on the chart for discussion by the group. We will also compare these findings with Committee of the Whole discussion issues.

Qualitative Research (Interviews and Focus Groups): List key issues from each section (pgs 6/7) and review research based implications from your review areas at the end of the report – beginning on pg 25

TABLE 1—Sections: 1,4,5,6,13

TABLE 2—Sections: 3,7,10,11,12 TABLE 3—Sections: 2,8,9,15,16

Quantitative Research (Member Value Needs Assessment Survey): List key issues and trends affecting the future on each chart on the following pages (see overall findings and suggestions in your areas first on pgs 4-7 and overall demographics on pg 8).

TABLE 1—Tables on Pages: TBATABLE 2—Tables on Pages: TBATABLE 3—Tables on Pages: TBA

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Environmental Scan Review —(TAB 2)Key issues identified within the Environmental Scan will be reviewed and discussed. Each attendee to review several scan areas, develop the priority issues, and report out to the group at large.

1. Internal Issues

2. External Issues

3. Demographic and Geographic Environments

4. Financial and Technological Environments

5. Regulatory, Advocacy and Partner Relationship Environments

6. Strengths of CalFlowers

7. Weaknesses of CalFlowers

8. Opportunities

9. Threats

10. Meetings and Education, Trade Show, Publications

11. Membership, Marketing, Communication, Branding and Transportation Issues

12. Governance and Management Issues

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Alternative Futures Examination Alternative Futures Building

An exercise for generating different, projected futures of the association for the purpose to brainstorm planning sequences,

operational resources, and anticipated “what-if” outcomes if such futures were to come to pass.

Scenario Planning Objectives• To create a variety of uncertain situations in the future• To look for common patterns/threads within them• To identify alternatives that might have made the future more positive, &• To develop constructive take-aways for implementing the association’s current

plan that avoids pitfalls and encourage positive leadership action.

Important questions to ask when creating Alternative Futures: Do projected realities reflect/represent some of the key, hot issues? Is the hypothetical scenario plausible and possible from your view of

the organization? What lessons can be learned in better managing our future forward?

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Alternative Future Scenario Exercise

How will our future look in year 2016?

Discuss at each table how and why this scenario came to pass, what went right and wrong, and if such possible signs are found in the research data?

Discuss what your table foresees as the future after 2016 based on what you think has happened to bring CalFlowers to this point in time.

Create two top headlines reflecting the state of the association that will appear in the 1st quarter’s 2016 edition of the CalFlowers’s Quarterly Update based on this scenario?

What two-three key points/take aways from this scenario we should keep in mind as we review our vision/mission and develop goals/objectives going forward now?

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Lessons Learned from the Alternative Futures Scenario Exercise

List below findings and corrective actions needed to avoid falling victim to the alternative futures scenario provided. __________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

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Next Step—Constructing our PlanThe Elements for the CalFlowers Strategic Plan Construction:

CalFlowers Values

Vision

Mission/Goal Areas

Priority Objectives Tactical Initiatives

Evaluation and Metrics Discussion

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CalFlowers Core Values— See Value listing at TAB 3

Values that are fundamental to our existence, held by the majority of

stakeholders and leaders, and from which we gather strength to

execute our association’s core purpose, vision and mission.

Essential and enduring tenets of the organization

Small set of “guiding” principles to help focus the organization for:

How we treat people

How we work together as staff and volunteers

Assistance in directing us to what is important

Values do not change often!

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PRIORITY CORE VALUES FOR CalFlowersIdentified values fundamental to the core purpose of the organization.

CalFlowers Fundamental Core Values:

_______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

CalFlowers

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CalFlowers Current Strategic Plan Elements CURRENT CORE PURPOSE AND VISION ELEMENTS

N/A

CURRENT MISSION STATEMENT

To get more flowers from California to their destination, fresher and faster.

SUGGESTED GOAL AREAS FOR DISCUSSION (taken from current set of activities and the research)

A. Partnership Relations and AdvocacyB. Membership Development, Engagement and ServicesC. Education, Trade Show and ProgramsD. Communications and Public RelationsE. Governance and Leadership DevelopmentF. Administration, Finance and Operations (AMC management)

Vision Statement Elements

Our reasons for being

A series of brief articulated statements that set up the mission of the organization and provide justification for it

Not part of the plan but sets up our longer range focus and the flow of our mission

Focuses on long-term issues for success

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Core Purpose /Vision Elements Sample

National Association of Music

Merchants

Represent music and music education

Educate our members and others about the industry

Protect our members and their livelihood

Make music accessible to everyone

© AMMR---ALL RIGHTS RESERVED -WWW.AMMR.COM

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Core Purpose / Vision Elements

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

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Our Mission See sample mission and goal area statements at TAB 4a-d

Characteristics of a goal-area mission statement:

1. Represents elements of the vision/mission parameters to work on for the foreseeable future (1-3 years);

2. Enumerates the key, most important and achievable goal areas vital to the organization’s health versus encompassing all ongoing and future projects and programs;

3. Does not set priorities for the organization; and

4. Defines the goal areas (taken from the mission statement) of the organization for the foreseeable future, from which priority objectives and tactical initiatives to accomplish the objectives are developed.

Sample Mission Statements

The mission of the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute is to increase the awareness, acceptance and use of segmental concrete pavement systems in North America.

To grow and enhance the baking industry through public policy advocacy, education and networking opportunities

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Mission Discussion 

CalFlowers Current Mission

To get more flowers from California to their destination, fresher and faster.

Changes?

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What are Goal Areas? See sample mission statements with goal areas at TAB 4

1. Are strategic units, which are chief components of the mission representing major activity areas of the organization.

2. Are not word-smithed statements, but defined “holders/areas” to house prioritized objectives (Most organizations today carve out goal areas such as: advocacy, research, education, etc. and let the objectives within each goal area define the specific work and priorities to take place.)

3. Goal Areas typically have no more than 3 -5 objectives each (any more and they are most likely tactical in nature, and any less perhaps should be combined with another goal area).

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Goal Areas Discussion

CalFlowers’s Goal Areas

A. Partnership Relations and AdvocacyB. Membership Development, Engagement and ServicesC. Education, Trade Show and ProgramsD. Communications and Public RelationsE. Governance and Leadership DevelopmentF. Administration, Finance and Operations (AMC

management)

Changes?

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Developing Association’s Objectives (To develop priority objectives, we must think about current goals and objectives that have not been accomplished as of yet.)

Once goal areas are defined, team must develop several priority objectives in each area. Goal areas are not prioritized, as each represents a broad organization function. However, objectives placed within each need prioritizing since these dictate the focus of the program of work and use of resources for the next 3-5 years.

Based on the mission and goals the team established, the task of developing the objectives and indicating where they fall in funding priority becomes more difficult.

Politics often come into play because resources will be allocated based on the prioritized list. This is why it is critical to review carefully the issue areas discovered in the research to ensure objectivity and focus on data-driven issues and not political footballs.

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Definition and Characteristics of an ObjectiveDefinition = a specific means of achieving a portion of a goal area in terms of size of task, time and responsibility.

Characteristics: (Objectives should have some or all of the following characteristics - see sample plans at TAB 4a-d for ideas)

1. Relates directly to the goal

2. Gives direction to the management company, operating volunteer committee, or Task Force

3. Is prioritized within the overall list of objectives under goal

4. Has a metric measurement or benchmark for the objective or for one of the tactical initiatives that support the objective, against which progress can be measured in the operational or strategic plan.

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CalFlowers Objective Development Exercise

Each table assigned to work on 1 -2 goal areas to create typically 3 -5 prioritized solid objectives under each goal area. After first goal completion, move immediately to the second.

Select table(s) which has a goal area (all goal area tables are listed up on the board) , in which you would like to participate in the discussion and move to that table. Offer any information you want to share, or just join that table if you wish briefly to make a point, etc., at any time during the discussions.

Be sure objectives identified are indeed “objectives,” (not tactics) under which measurable and actionable plans / tactical initiatives can be created later.

Make all objectives start with an action verb. (See examples from TAB 4 plans of how other organizations drafted objectives and within your goal areas to get a better feel.) Just focus on getting the substance of what you want and priorities set during this session and not worry about the language. Examples of a solid objective: Create a comprehensive marketing and communications plan for next spring conference

that incorporates all electronic/social media tools, deadlines, target audiences to grow attendance and in a timely fashion.

Re examine all components of the current educational content and provide recommended changes to Education Committee by______.

Appoint a table spokesperson to review draft objectives in each goal area for the group at large discussion and for any friendly amendment changes.

Finally, a gap analysis of the identified issues discovered in the research will be conducted to ensure all important issues have been captured within the draft objectives.

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Goal and Objectives Worksheet SampleObjectives should be listed in priority order.

Goal Area A: Communications(Strengthening communications to members and external constituencies)

Objective 1.– Build a communication and marketing structure to increase support

of the association’s strategic vision.

Metric_________________________________________________________

Objective 2.– Explore “best in class” IT and web site/social media tools in order to

generate new concepts and ideas for future adoption .

Metric: ________________________________________________________

Objective 3.– Generate an association-wide marketing and promotional plan to

support existing products and services.

Metric_________________________________________________________

Objective 4.– Conduct survey to determine members’ preferences by segment for

delivery of future communications and content.

Metric: ________________________________________________________

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Goal and Objectives WorksheetAll Objectives should be listed in priority order

Goal Area: ___ (number or letter)

Goal Area Title/Name: _______________________

Goal Area Definition:

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Objective 1.--_______________________________________________________________

Metric________________________________________________________________________

Objective 2.--_______________________________________________________________

Metric________________________________________________________________________

Objective 3.--______________________________________________________________

Metric_______________________________________________________________________

Objective 4.--________________________________________________

Metric________________________________________________________________________33

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What are Tactical Initiatives (TIs)?Definition = The link between the strategic plan, the Annual Work Plan and the

Budget. TIs contain the “specifics” of carrying out the objective, outlining an

action plan. They, in combination with individual work plans for specific

programs, should answer the “Who, What, Where, When, and How.”

Characteristics (Each TI should have some or all of the following): Be derived directly from the objective

Provide specifics of how the project should be carried out

Contain a general action plan(s)

Link directly with the annual program of work

Link directly to financial assets

Have a specific metric measurement or benchmark, against which progress can be

measured.

Most importantly, tactical initiatives are the link between the strategic plan (through

objectives) and the annual plan of work that will implement the strategic plan.

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Tactical Initiatives (TIs) Samples

Review TABS 5a-5c.

Select and develop (outline) one tactical initiative

from those we have created using the template at

TAB 5B.

Critique

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Final Steps

Use the tactical initiative templates to complete the work plan

Tie the tactical initiatives to the budget for next year

Develop a means to evaluate your plan regularly

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Evaluating your Plan (See TAB 6 for examples)

A quasi- metric evaluation tool is developed for the board tomonitor its progress

Objective A-3 pts* Objective B-2 pts Objective C-4 pts

TOTAL 9 pts**

Each board member evaluates and the totals are added for the quarterly score!

• *1 pt = Not Begun / 4 = complete• **9-12 pts = good/ 1-3 = problems

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About the Lead Facilitator The facilitator is a former national, international and regional association CEO for 13 years

and has written, published, or edited 100+ articles and several books on nonprofit association strategic planning, marketing, communication, governance and management topics, including several landmark articles on the nature of strategic planning and tying and benchmarking strategic plans to marketing and communications operations, and dues structures. Dr. Carey has touched the professional lives of thousands of nonprofit executives through his writings and teachings over the past 35 years.

Dr. Carey has just published as co-author, Outcomes, Performance, Structure: Three Keys to Operational Excellence,. a guide to trade association operations grounded in Malcolm Baldrige process improvement methods and principles Dr. Carey, also the author of the 2014 Marketing and Communications Planning Guide and the 2014 Strategic Planning and Research Guide, was selected as one of the 12 most influential nonprofit and association executives by the Washington Business Journal, and is among the association industry’s few leading experts on integrated governance, strategic planning, and association management operations.

Dr. Carey is an alumni Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award for Performance Excellence Examiner and a 1986 charter class Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives and recipient of the ASAE and the Center for Association Leadership Chairman’s Award. He also was selected for the 2002, 2004 and 2006 Circle of Excellence Awards from MSAE for his compendium of governance, marketing and strategic planning courses in the field, through which over 5,000 association executives, volunteers and chief staff executives have been trained. Dr. Carey writes regularly for and sits on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Association Bottom Line Briefing, a monthly e-magazine sent to 15,000 association executives nationally, and has written the Association Trends Magazine yearly association trends and issues forecast. Dr. Carey is a retired military officer with a Silver and Bronze Stars and other citations and awards living with his family in the Greater Washington DC area.

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Stephen C. Carey, Ph.D., CAE,

FASAEPresident and

Lead Strategist of AMMR

Association Management Consultants

About AMMR--ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS

AMMR specializes in conducting strategic planning facilitations, assessments, interventions, transition analysis and membership reviews in the key areas of:

Program assessment and analysis Strategic planning and research

Governing board and staff management planning Intervention and transition analysis and assistance

Membership marketing and development Member needs assessments and qualitative research

Volunteer and staff training in governance, marketing and communications Staff retreats and executive search

Marketing & communications research and planning

See website at www.ammr.com for more details

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