Subject: Cass 'Charity Talk': strategy development AND implementation
Strategic planning and implementation - thinking through where your organisation should be heading, and how, followed by checking on success - has become widespread good practice. Funders demand it and beneficiaries deserve it. But too often the plans stay on paper and not a lot changes.
Samaritans Chief Executive Catherine Johnston spoke about what they have achieved with their recent change strategy, and what they would do differently. Tobias Jung from the Cass Centre for Charity Effectiveness then talked about successful strategic planning and implementation techniques.
If you attended, what did you make of the issues raised by the speakers? Even if you didn't attend, what are your tips for successful strategy development and implementation?
Whow! What a great couple of speakers to start the series, with nearly 200 people packed into the auditorium. Catherine, Samaritan CEO, was so down to earth, "just get on with it"; and she managed to avoid almost all of the militaristic jargon so often associated with strategy speak eg hitting targets, attacking problems etc. And Tobias, under that brilliant humour made us just uncomfortable enough to nudge us to re-think some of our cosy assumptions about strategy - and his description of the model by Hadley et al will be very useful - it will be up soon on the Cass CCE website with the other slides from both speakers
http://www.cass.city.ac.uk/research-and-faculty/centres/cass-centre-for-charity-effectiveness/news-and-events/charity-talks
I'd be interested in hearing other people's favourite strategy models/guides
Ian (Bruce)
Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline, said that a true learning organisation is one which
creates its own future.
That is ultimately what strategy is all about: deciding on a long-term goal and pursuing it come hell or high water. That menas focusing on a few key issues. When you produce the final version of your strategy why not add an appendix about options which you discussed and rejected? You've done the hard work by considering them -- six months later when you may need to review progress, you may only have a hazy recollection of why you decided on x rather than y or z.
I wasn't at the debate but, as a Strategic Consultant for the Voluntary Sector, the gulf between planning and implementation is ever present.
I really like Robin Speculand's book: Beyond Strategy: The Leader's Role in Successful Implementation
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