LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGIC PLANNING Source: John M Bryson and Barbara C. Crosby, “Leadership Roles in Making Strategic Planning Work,” in John M Bryson, Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, Revised Edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1995, pp

The following interconnected leadership tasks are important if strategic planning and implementation are to be effective:  Understanding the context  Understanding the people involved, including oneself  Sponsoring the process  Championing the process  Facilitating the process  Fostering collective leadership  Using dialogue and discussion to create a meaningful process, clarify mandates, articulate mission, identify strategic issues, develop effective strategies, and possibly develop a vision of success

 Making and implementing decisions in arenas  Enforcing rules, setting disputes, and managing residual conflicts  Putting it all together

UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT  Appreciate history, but do not be captured by it.  Tailor the process to the context.  Know when to pursue big wins and small wins.

UNDERSTANDING THE PEOPLE INVOLVED (INCLUDING ONESELF)  Understand and appreciate diversity and commonality  Develop strength of character and insight.

SPONSORING THE PROCESS  Articulate the purpose and importance of the strategic planning effort.  Commit the necessary resources to the effort.  Emphasize at the beginning and at critical points that action and change will result.  Encourage and reward creative thinking, constructive debate, and multiple sources of input and insight.  Be aware of the possible need for outside consultants.  Be willing to exercise power and authority to keep the process on track.

CHAMPIONING THE PROCESS  Keep strategic planning high on people’s agendas  Attend to the process without promoting specific solutions.  Think about what has to come together (people, tasks, information, reports) at or before key decision points.  Organize the time, space, materials,and participation needed for the process to succeed.  Pay attention to the languages used to describe strategic planning and implementation.  Keep pushing the process along.

FACILITATING THE PROCESS  Know the strategic planning process, and explain how it works at the beginning and at many points along the way.  Tailor the process to the organization and to the group involved.  Convey a sense of humor and enthusiasm for the process and help groups get unstuck.  Press groups toward taking action and assigning responsibility for specific actions.  Congratulate people whenever possible.

FOSTERING COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP  Rely on teams.  Focus on network and coalition development.  Establish specific mechanisms for sharing power, responsibility, and accountability.

USING DIALOGUE AND DISCUSSION TO CREATE A MEANINGFUL PROCESS  Understand the design and use of forums.  Seize opportunities to provide interpretation and give direction in difficult and uncertain situations.  Reveal and name real needs and real conditions.  Help followers frame and reframe issues and strategies.  Offer compelling visions of the future.  Champion new and improved ideas for addressing strategic issues.  Detail actions and expected consequences.

MAKING AND IMPLEMENTING DECISIONS IN ARENAS  Understand the design and use of arenas.  Mediate and shape conflict within and among stakeholders.  Understand the dynamics of political influence and how to target resources appropriately.  Build winning, sustainable coalitions.  Avoid bureaucratic imprisonment.

ENFORCING NORMS, SETTLING DISPUTES, AND MANAGING RESIDUAL CONFLICT  Understand the design and use of formal and informal courts.  Foster organizational integrity and educate others about ethics, constitutions, laws, and norms.  Apply constitutions, laws, and norms to specific cases.  Adapt constitutions, laws, and norms to changing times.  Resolve conflicts among constitutions, laws, and norms.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER  “Planning is the organization of hope.” --Stephen Blum  “Usually, the main problem with life conundrums is that we don’t bring to them enough imagination.” --Thomas Moore  “Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” --Margaret Mead