practical ways to put your plans into action
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Practical Ways to Put Your Plans into Action. League for Innovation in the Community College Sunday, March 10, 2013 Dallas Kathleen A. Paris, Ph. D. Interim Campus Manager Madison College, Madison, WI [email protected]. Planning in Your Organization. Just getting started - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Practical Ways to Put Your Plans into Action
League for Innovation in the Community College
Sunday, March 10, 2013 Dallas
Kathleen A. Paris, Ph. D.Interim Campus Manager
Madison College, Madison, [email protected]
Planning in Your Organization
Just getting started
Have a plan, but not much action
Have a plan and lots of action
Please add your dot on the flip chart!
The Power of Focus
“The purpose of planning is not to create plans, but to create results.”
Patrick J. BelowAuthor and Consultant
Strategic Planning
An organized process through which members of an organization reflect upon the challenges, opportunities, capabilities and resources of the unit, and the needs of their constituents, and identify priorities, future-oriented plans, goals, and action steps.”
Professor Brent Ruben Rutgers University
Strategic Planning Is
Establishing major directions for the organization
Concentrating resources in a limited number of major directions in order to maximize benefits to stakeholders
Ensuring that the budget dollars follow the plan rather than vice versa.
Paris
Your Thoughts?
Why do you think most strategic plans are never implemented?
What We Learned About Planning at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison
Six Practices Correlated with Success
1. Meetings to get input prior to planning
2. Collective review of data
3. Meetings to review proposed plan
4. Identifying measures of success (metrics)
5. Identification of annual or short-term goals
6. Periodic checks on progress
Benefits of Facilitation
Those using professional facilitators were more likely to report higher levels of benefit than those using ad hoc facilitators or no facilitators.
5 Stages for Successfully Implementing Your Plan
1. Creating
2. Evaluating
3. Communicating
4. Executing
5. Budgeting
1. Creating the Plan
The seeds for implementation are sown in how the plan is created.
Involve stakeholders
Stakeholders = Those who will be affected
Why involve stakeholders? You need information about their needs
to create an effective plan.
You need their support for implementation.
“Involving stakeholders is not a courtesy, it’s a necessity.”
Who are your stakeholders?
Use a smaller committee
with multiple ways for many people to have input into the process.
Representative Model
Stakeholders have designated representatives on the Strategic Planning Team whose responsibility it is to communicate with their stakeholder group and bring back feedback.
Example: faculty, teaching staff, clerical support staff, administrators, employers, community representative.
World Café for SWOT
Great graphics for reports
http://theworldcafe.com/book.html
Bring in Fresh Ideas
Study the data together:
Where are we strong?Where are the gaps?What action is suggested?
Require participants to interact with the data, not just listen to a report.
Review and refine plan before finalizing Formal hearings Brown bag sessions On-line feedback Listening sessions
Board members sign plan
Tweet what you learned!
Learned about __________ # 145 #INND13
Formally adopt the plan
2. Evaluating the Plan
Long and Short Term Elements1. Mission (Purpose)
2. A long term vision (3-5 years out)
3. Priorities or goals that are updated (and reported on) every year
Questions to Ask
Is this doable in the timeframe?
Is it a focused plan or a catalogue of all the things we are doing?
Has someone’s “to do” list taken over?
Are the goals measurable?
What can we stop doing or do very differently?
The plan is a contract…
Leader: I will ensure that resources are available for what we are planning to do
Everyone else: I will do my part to achieve the goals in the plan.
3. Communicating the Plan
Different versions for different audiences
If you can’t fit the plan onto one page, it’s not done yet….
2010Arts & Sciences Strategic PlanMadison College
Mission/Purpose The Madison College School of Arts and Sciences exists in order to serve a diverse community with quality and flexible learning opportunities that support:
• General Education for occupational and technical programs • The Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees• Seamless transfer to baccalaureate programs • Lifelong learning
Vision for 2013
Cultivating the spirit of innovation and a shared sense of purpose throughout A & S
Strategic Priorities
A. Effective advising for students B. Physical space matches growth C. Higher proportion of full-time faculty D. Innovative and flexible learning optionsE. Data based decision making F. Producing global citizens
The Power of the Visual!
Strategic Plan Web Site
Service Learning and Community-Based Research
http://www.chancellor.wisc.edu/strategicplan.old/graphs06/serv-learning.html
Use Visuals to Show Progress
http://www.visual-literacy.org/periodic_table/periodic_table.html
Wordles
An Inspiring Name for the Plan
Sharing
Make it easy to see plans from the whole campus—all departments, services units, administrative units.
Use in public speaking
Champion your plan priorities whenever possible
Keep the message consistent
Encourage everyone to do the same
Find appropriate ways to communicate the message
• On the back of business cards• Banners• Table drapes• Bookmarks• Pens• Notepads• Coffee mugs and water bottles • Mouse pads and flash drives• What else?
4. Executing the Plan
The point person
• Ensures that the goal is moving forward•Connects people working toward the goal•Serves as the “go to” person for ideas•Reports on progress•Does not necessarily have functional authority over the players
•Create a “pull” rather than a “push”
Break down big goals VISUALLYinto manageable steps
Tree diagrams
Step Charts
.
Tree Diagram
Find out what exists now
Create new joint program
Provide joint learning events
Evaluate new program
Find out what “XYZ” offers now
Find out what we offer now
Identify gaps
Hold work session to develop learning materials
Editing/review of materials
Publicize dates/times
Offer classes
Compile evaluations
Make changes basedon feedback
Develop joint professional development program for post docs with XYZ department
Goal:
Planning Process Step Chart
Check on progress
Structure regular staff meetings around individual priorities
Hold formal check events mid-year on the plan
Report annually on progress
Priorities Status Comments required for any warning status’ or key issues
Priority A on track
Priority B
caution
Priority C
on track
Priority D on track
Priority E
caution
Priority F
warning
A Dashboard to track Progress
H.R. Linkages
Modify organizational structure Change or add positions Update position descriptions Create professional development cohorts Allocate conference and meeting funds Align format for reporting activities with
plan Use the plan to guide hiring decisions
Technology Can HelpWeb-based execution management systems:• Require performance agreements from all
employees from the CEO on down with at least one link to organizational initiatives.
• Create a structure and process for communication
• Utilize real time checks of progress and feedback
• Create reports, charts, graphs
KeyneLink is a good example
5. Budgeting for the Plan
Build the budget based on the plan
(not the other way around)
“…budgets are a series of goals with price tags attached.”
Aaron Wildavsky (1984)
Questions?
Tweet what you learned!
Learned about __________ # 145 #INND13
Poll
What are some ideas have you heard today that you can you use?
Contact Information
Kathleen A. Paris, Ph.D. Interim Campus Administrator Madison College [email protected] 608-246-6460