Dynamic strategic planning

Problem/Situation: The new vice president of large department of a major Boston hospital needed to engage all 60-plus members of his department in a strategic planning effort to generate new sources of funding.

Solution: We set up a virtual conference room to elicit feedback and ideas from all employees throughout the strategic planning process. In a series of onsite workshops, a cross-section of employees and managers agreed on a half-dozen strategic initiatives that promised the greatest ROI. Subteams met several times to generate ideas and map out action plans. Their results were shared through the virtual conference room, via face-to-face focus groups led by internal facilitators and at all-hands departmental meetings. The management team ultimately chose a subset of initiatives to pursue over the next one to three years, guided by a blueprint that reflected input from all.

The result: The new VP quickly established credibility and trust by involving all employees in the planning process. Employees participated enthusiastically, reporting that the process had opened the door to cross-departmental collaboration. Within an elapsed time of just a few months, the management team began acting on a strategic plan that inspired committed participation across the department.

"When we needed to launch a strategic planning initiative, we turned to Guided Insights for help. Nancy quickly weaved together a comprehensive planning process that included many different activities which include participation from all staff with a series of facilitated activities, including an online survey, onsite workshops and brainstorming sessions. Nancy’s ability to gain the trust of the staff enabled our planning process to be creative, with enthusiasm and energy. I highly recommend her to any organization that needs someone who is responsive and an excellent communicator with sensitivity to the work culture." - VP, Development Department