When capital is limited and the possible investment opportunities are numerous, how can organizations select the “best” ones for funding? This is the current environment for most health and human service organizations. The starting point might seem obvious – apply selection criteria and see which projects “score” the best! With tight capital and lower margins, […]
What’s that old saying…the Chinese word for Crisis (Wei Ji) is a blend of Danger (Wei) and Opportunity (Ji)? While the truth in this literal translation is debatable at best, the concept has endured since the 1960s, probably because many have found it to hold elements of truth. The “Dangers” of Tight Capital Emerging from […]
For most organizations, summer is the best time to prepare for Strategic Planning. However, given everything that has transpired in recent years as well as everything that is unfolding, you might be wondering if that is still the case. Here are two good reasons, one internal to your organization, one more externally focused, that you […]
Five years ago this month, I had a chance to do something I had always wanted to do, but never thought I would. The previous Christmas, my family surprised me with a paid pass to the NASCAR Racing Experience: a chance to drive a real race car on one of the championship series tracks. Having […]
More Innovation - Yes Please! In my last post, I talked about the resurgence of interest in innovation. The Covid19 Pandemic, as well as some other factors, contributed to this interest as individuals and organizations who had never worked together before pooled their knowledge and skills to respond to some urgent needs. This “next level” […]
As a Strategic Planning Consultant, I am definitely a “trend watcher”, and one of the reasons is to make sure clients are considering any relevance of what I call the “Strategy du Jour” to their Mission, Vision, and Goals. It seems that there is always at least one strategy (sometimes more than one) that is […]
With Fall being such a popular time for developing a new Strategic Plan, it’s not surprising that after the holiday break, the focus begins to shift to implementation. Most Strategic Plans include the development and deployment of new initiatives, expansion (or contraction) of services, or the execution of Tactics to help achieve one or more […]
In a recent Strategic Planning work session with a client, a Board member asked if the organization was running the risk of “Mission Creep”, which they felt should be avoided. Also called “Mission Drift”, this is when organizations begin to diversify into services or products that are increasingly different from their original purpose and offerings. […]
My Township Office hosts several “Clean-Up” events a year, one usually in the Fall. It’s a great opportunity to dispose of some items, gain some “space” back, and feel a bit more organized. This past weekend, I was there! The event reminded me that Fall is also a great time to “clean-up” some unfinished business […]
Back in the summer of 2015, I suggested that people should start building their “Collaboration Skill Set.” The inspiration for this came from data I was seeing on the rise of collaboration, in particular formal collaborations such as mergers and acquisitions. They had been increasing steadily since 2009 with a noticeably sharper upturn in 2014, […]