BADGES: An Approach to Strategic Planning That Produces Amazing Results

Over the years, I have worked with many organizations whose previous strategic plans were flat documents that didn’t embolden them, ignite their imaginations, or inform their daily decision-making.  One of the reasons was that they were applying a 20^th century model to 21^st century problems.  They invested a great deal of energy in word-smith-ing a mission statement, a vision statement, a long list of values, and then goals, objectives and action steps.  This approach of breaking everything into smaller and smaller units (remember learning: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species?) preceded the Industrial Age, was perfected during it, and continues to be ubiquitously used by even the most cutting edge organizations when they plan.

A more dynamic approach that creates amazing results engages participants and stakeholders in conversations about what makes them unique, factors that may influence their future, and the most valuable services or products they can produce.  They identify strategic issues their organization needs to address in order to reach its fullest potential.  At this point, traditional planning would water down this rich, steamy soup into pages and pages of goals and objectives which would lie lifeless on the page until the next strategic planning effort.

Instead, the process I’ve found so successful draws on an experience most people have had as youth—that of earning badges as a scout, 4-H’er, a campaign worker, or through other club or team activities. Organizational leaders are challenged to design 3 Strategic Initiatives, or “badges” that address as many of the strategic issues their organization faces as possible.  Rather than their plan resulting in a laundry list of goals and objectives that nobody can remember, implement, or track, participants create a bit of magic by synthesizing all of the factors they’ve been exploring into just a few “badges” or initiatives, each of which they give a name.  They easily identify the criteria needed to “earn” each badge, ways the badges fit together, and who will do what by when in order for the badges to be earned.  If you’ve ever worked on any kind of campaign, you remember the sense of urgency and clarity about the goal (to “win”) that this approach generates. 

Although I’ve witnessed it now many times, it’s still breathtaking to watch leaders shift out of old modes of thinking and approach their shared future with clarity about the results they want to achieve and the steps they will follow to achieve them.  They blossom creatively and find renewed commitment to the organization, connecting with one another in unprecedented ways.  They have a high degree of ownership of and enthusiasm for their “badges.” An added bonus is that when leaders communicate these initiatives to members, they find members ready to pitch in and join the fun.  

The next time you face a challenge either personally or organizationally that requires a plan to achieve it, try this variation and experience for yourself the power of breaking out of the familiar, lackluster mode.  You’ll be amazed at how eagerly and naturally people work together to achieve badges they’ve identified and committed to earn together.

Organizational Flowers and Gardeners

A friend’s analysis of relationships is that every relationship needs a gardener.  According to him, two gardeners can make it; a gardener and a flower can make it; but two flowers will never make it.  Gardeners can't help themselves--it is their nature to try to improve whatever is within their influence to do so.  His analysis came to mind this morning while I was walking my dog past the beautiful gardens of neighbors Val and Dottie Hawkins.  They have not only beautified their corner of Old Town, they have created and tended breathtaking borders of iris, roses, and peonies along an adjacent parking lot, shown in the photo.  Really, now, how many people would do that?  And their gardener ethos is visible in the many boards on which they serve in our community, the numerous people they have helped, and the wise leadership and vision they have generously given our city.

Just like relationships, organizations need gardeners—people who will till and plant and weed and water until the fruits of their labor materialize.  Gardeners are often not the highest profile individuals in their organizations, yet organizations could not thrive without them.  Imagine hiring and nurturing people who will find potential to be tapped and do whatever is necessary to bring that potential to bloom.

Identify the gardeners in your organization, connect them with one another, encourage them, and see what grows. Strive to be more of a gardener than a flower, looking for ways you can contribute, using untapped resources within and around you.  You will find personal satisfaction in knowing you have created something beautiful and useful out of very little, regardless of whether others recognize and praise your accomplishment.  Here’s a salute to the unsung heroes of every relationship, organization, and community—gardeners like Dottie and Val whose nature is to give more than they take.

How A Website Can Transform An Organization

Many of my clients are struggling with how to make their websites more interactive, how to find the resources to upgrade their websites, and how to use their websites to build membership, member participation, and leader development. Read how Chorus America's website is transforming their entire organization:

http://www.chorusamerica.org/management-governance/how-building-website-can-transform-organization

In a time when demonstrating value to members is more important than ever, Chorus America has used its website as a means of connecting members with one another, big ideas, resources, services, and their shared purpose. They put untold hours into this initiative, and it has paid off.

Women Harnessing and Sharing Their Power

Yesterday I had the great fortune to work with 27 amazing women entrepreneurs from developing nations around the world through a Vital Voices partnership with Fortune and the U.S. State Department. Our session was the kick-off of an intense month in the U.S. for each of them as they work with high-powered mentors in their fields. One of the great strengths of the Vital Voices leadership model is that it emphasizes their responsibility to share what they learn when they return home and mentor other women in their own countries.

Each of these women has a unique and compelling story, whether she's from Kazakhstan, Bosnia, Burma, or Nigeria, and whether she's founded a nonprofit to help poor children, a mining company, or her own financial services organization. What was most striking, however, was how much these women, meeting one another for the first time, had in common. Each had strongly-held values about honesty, integrity, and helping others. Each felt called to "do more," had overcome extreme adversity, and yet remained enthusiastically optimistic.

These women are building a network among themselves and with the U.S. leaders they meet over the coming weeks that will expand their connections in unimaginable ways. Vital Voices has wisely applied the research on how "weak ties"--those we connect with beyond our immediate circle, are often the source of new ideas and opportunities.

These courageous women are the embodiment of connective change. In our opening session, they identified the traits of the best social systems they have experienced, and as you'd guess, in spite of their different backgrounds, they agreed on what makes a connective organization on any continent and in any industry--one characterized by trust, cooperation, encouragement, accountability, fairness, clear goals, and positive feedback.

I can hardly wait to see what impact each of them has as a result of her experiences in this program. Already successful, each will blossom in unexpected, positive ways. Thank you, Vital Voices, for again giving me the privilege of working with your amazing participants in this program.

Lessons from Share Our Strength

Billy Shore, the force behind Share Our Strength, that amazing organization that mobilizes people, nonprofits, and industries to end hunger in our country, shared the keys to their recent success. Their lessons apply to all nonprofits in this environment: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fow.ly%2F9oafw&h=fAQF6Gpk_AQHD9GZguJG3WUveWWh3evgwO_ExsDn20EO6_A

The Alexandria Waterfront

For the last six months, I facilitated meetings of the City of Alexandria-appointed Waterfront Plan Work Group. Because there was so much controversy about a plan for the waterfront developed over the last few years by City staff with citizen input, the City appointed this seven member Work Group to identify areas of agreement and disagreement and offer recommendations they believed could strengthen the plan and unify the community.

This morning at a press conference at City Hall, the Work Group released its report, which can be found on the City of Alexandria's website (along with videos of all of our meetings) or at http://bit.ly/sxiqpt

In spite of very differing views among members of the group, the Work Group's report does highlight some important areas of agreement as well as offers the City Council some specific suggestions for focusing their deliberations when they meet next month to consider approval of the plan.

This certainly was an opportunity for me to witness connective change in my own backyard. Citizens appointed to the Work Group were all volunteers, and it was fascinating to see how they worked with one another as well as with City staff to produce a report that would be useful to Council. Sadly, I also had a front row seat to some of the most uncivil behavior I've seen anywhere in the world, leaving me wondering if this is a microcosm of what is going on in communities throughout our country and hoping it's not a foreshadowing of things to come.