Strategic Planning Course Outline

Value of Planning Planning and Budgeting How does your organization plan? Types of plans Defining of Strategic Planning Projects toward a desired outcome Keys to Strategic Planning Four Strategic Planning models ! "o#n Bryson $! %ar& 'allace (! )pplied Strategic Planning *! +enter for Pu,lic Safety -.cellence Applied Strategic Planning /nine steps0 ! Planning to Plan
a! 1eader selection ,! Team mem,ers c! 2esources

$! Values Scan
a! Dr! "ac& %c+onnell 3ideo

,! %s! )lice +oles 3ideo c! %r! )aron Feuerstein 3ideo

(! %ission formulation 4 '#y us? *! Strategic Business %odeling

+urrent reality 5 creati3e tension6 Power of 3ision6 Bac&wards t#in&ing 5 t#e %erlin factor6 How to de3elop 3ision6 '#y creating 3ision is difficult6 Power of 3ision6 Disco3ering strategy6 +ritical success factors 5 critical success indicators a! %odel comparison ,! Vision acti3ity c! Vision 3ideo clips

7! Performance )udit
S'8T analysis

9! :ap )nalysis
;s it feasi,le? ;s t#ere a c#allenge?

<! ;ntegrating )ction Plans

8t#er plans6 policies and procedures

=! +ontingency Planning
Buford as a contingency planner

>! ;mplementation 4 Project %anagement

Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning is t#e process ,y w#ic# t#e guiding mem,ers of an organization envision their future and de3elop t#e necessary procedures and operations to ac#ie3e t#at future! Strategic Planning has the potential of empowering individuals and teams to create their chosen futures. This is not a course on predicting future events. Instead, strategic planning creates the ideal future for individuals, organizations and communities. Historically, this type of planning has overcome the impossible, united people with common aspirations and accomplished modern marvels. The course offers instruction of a nine-step model that see s to identify a process that transforms preferred outcomes into current reality. This model is adapted from !"pplied Strategic Planning! by #eonard $oodstein, Timothy %olan and &illiam Pfeiffer. During t#e fi3e4day course deli3ery6 mem,ers of your organization will recei3e instruction on t#e fundamentals of Strategic Planning! T#is training is ,ased on t#e two4 wee& -.ecuti3e Planning course deli3ered at t#e ?ational Fire )cademy /?ational -mergency Training +enter0! 2ecognizing time and tra3el constraints6 students will recei3e instruction on t#e most important module of t#e -.ecuti3e Planning course6 t#e process of de3eloping a strategic plan! T#e training focuses on t#e )pplied Strategic Planning model t#at is currently utilized ,y ?ational Fire )cademy! T#e model is especially 3alua,le wit# its emp#asis on vision and t#e a,ility to #a3e personal control in determining one@s ideal outcome! Project management pro3ides t#e means of implementing t#e strategic plan! ;t offers t#e planner a num,er of tools to identify t#e wor& to ,e completed6 a sc#edule to t#e monitor t#e wor&6 a responsi,ility matri.6 a contingency ta,le and t#e application of %icrosoftAs Project %anagement!
A need for strategic planning

8rganizations are e.pected to impro3e t#eir ser3ices to ,etter ser3e t#eir customers! 'it# time6 conditions c#ange! Some #azards and t#reats su,side w#ile new ones surface! To ,etter ser3e t#e customer6 organizations de3elop and implement new programs to counter t#ese new t#reats! T#e process of de3eloping and implementing a new program is e.pensi3e and time consuming! ;n addition to t#e costs6 it is often critical t#at t#e 3ery ,est program is selected to #a3e t#e greatest impact! ;n today@s competiti3e en3ironment solutions t#at Bcome closeB to resol3ing pro,lems are no longer accepta,le! T#e incremental approac# wastes resources6 misses opportunities and fails to #a3e t#e most desira,le outcome! To assist in identifying t#e true pro,lem and su,seCuently selecting t#e ,est solution6 leaders need a ,etter process! T#at process is Strategic Planning!
How the problem is being addressed

%any organizations pro3ide t#eir personnel wit# little information to guide t#em in strategic planning and project management! ;n many cases6 current programs are designed ,y testing6 e3aluating outcomes and testing again! T#e impact of suc# programs tends to #a3e incremental ,enefits as opposed to a more compre#ensi3e6 sustaining outcome! Due to t#e urgency of percei3ed #azards6 programs are Cuic&ly de3eloped to appease complainants! 'it#out t#e training and commitment to strategic planning6 t#e proposed programs often function in a piecemeal manner! T#e intended results ne3er seem to #a3e t#e most desira,le outcome!
Creating the Future

Strategic Planning is designed to c#allenge todayAs super3isors! T#e 3alue of strategic planning is found in its process! T#is process reCuires students to systematically consider w#ic# scenario will result in t#e prefera,le outcome! T#e student is guided t#roug# a series of discussions6 dialogues and e.ercises to see& appropriate solutions to t#eir pro,lem and to implement actions t#at ena,le t#em to reac# t#eir goal! Historically students #a3e ,een conditioned to identify a solution wit#out analyzing t#e pro,lem and its causes! T#ey commit to a solution t#at may not address t#e actual

pro,lem! T#e s#ortfall encountered in t#is traditional approac# is t#e missed opportunity to consider w#at outcome was most desira,le! Strategic t#in&ing reCuires an indi3idual to act deli,erately6 to create a desired future in contrast to predicting w#at will #appen and positioning oneself for t#at anticipated e3ent! 8ne approac# actually creates t#e future and t#e ot#er forecasts t#e future! Due to t#e organizational culture6 policies6 guidelines and regulations6 many super3isors #a3e ,ecome more comforta,le wit# predicting t#e future as opposed to creating t#eir future! T#e )pplied Strategic Planning model offers indi3iduals a process to create t#at ideal future!

The Applied Strategic Planning Model

Strategic planning concepts are illustrated wit# t#e )pplied Strategic Planning %odel! -lements in t#e model include a 3alues audit6 re3iew of mandates6 en3ironmental monitoring6 creating t#e 3ision6 resource analysis6 gap analysis and contingency planning! -mp#asis is placed on s#ared 3alues and t#e need for inno3ation and creati3ity to create an ideal future!
A Special Style of Leadership

Special leaders contri,ute to successful planning outcomes! )lt#oug# t#e course is not intended to ,e a course on leaders#ip6 3arious leaders#ip Cualities are e.amined! Students are encouraged to compare and contrast t#e s&ills needed to ,e successful in strategic planning and project management! Strategic planning reCuires a defina,le set of leaders#ip Cualities! ;nno3ation6 creati3e t#oug#t6 encouraging Cuestions6 a3oiding judgments6 protecting team mem,ers6 maintaining t#e team focus are all elements instilled in t#e strategic planning leader! T#e course design incorporates numerous acti3ities designed to increase self4awareness! )cti3e learning tec#niCues are employed t#roug#out t#e course to o,tain a #ig# le3el of new &nowledge retention!

ideo ! Case Studies

BT#e 1ast Place on -art#B is a 3ery successful 3ido series tracing t#e story of two teams of e.plorers /-nglis# and ?orwegian0 racing to ,e first to reac# t#e Sout# Pole! 8ne tape is s#own eac# day at t#e ,eginning of class! To relate t#e story to t#e course o,jecti3es6 students are reCuired to identify t#e planning issues6 #ow t#e project was managed6 t#e impact of two leaders#ip styles and #ow t#ese issues affected t#e final outcome of t#e mission! T#e 3ideo series #as ,een 3ery effecti3e in con3eying t#e importance of planning6 team management and t#e continual need to focus on outcomes! ) second 3ideo is used to con3ey important concepts in managing projects! T#e 3ideo BFat %an6 1ittle BoyB is t#e story of t#e %an#attan Project! T#e 3ideo is not 3iewed in its entirety ,ut selected scenes are 3iewed to

initiate discussion! T#is 3ideo pro3ides an e.cellent e.ample of successful project management! T#e course 3ideos clearly identify t#e need for maintaining focus6 protecting t#e team4mem,ers6 and t#e recognition t#at in critical endea3ors6 failure is not an option! T#e course o,jecti3es are met as students recognize #ow muc# ,etter our ser3ices would ,e if t#ey utilized t#e same s&ills6 commitment and teamwor& as presented in t#ese case studies!

The following questions were submitted to former Fire Chief Rocco Forte of the Minneapolis Fire Department concerning his experience with the NFA Executi e !lanning course "hat did you personally gain from your attendance in the #P Class$

; #ad a wor&ing &nowledge of ,usiness planning ,efore attending t#e course6 ,ut t#e modules #elped clarify some components t#at are included in a good ,usiness plan! ; found t#e wor& we did wit# project management and :)?TT c#arts to ,e especially #elpful to me! "hat did your organi%ation gain from your attendance in the #P Class$ 8ur organization #as sent * managers to t#is course o3er t#e past = mont#s! T#is #as allowed us to refine our ,usiness planning process to t#e point t#at we #a3e ,ecome t#e model department wit#in t#e city w#en it comes to planning! 8ur ,usiness plan #as ,een circulated t#roug#out t#e city and e3ery ot#er department is now in3ol3ed in t#e planning process! T#is process #as ,ecome t#e dri3ing force ,e#ind t#e annual ,udget at t#e department le3el as well as citywide! How ha&e the efforts at Applied Strategic Planning paid off for your organi%ation$ ;n $DD(6 t#e %inneapolis Fire Department faced t#e most critical ,udget c#allenges since t#e :reat Depression! 'e were forced to lay off ** firefig#ters6 or a,out D percent of t#e wor&force! Since we #ad completed t#e Strategic Business Plan just prior to t#is ,udgetary layoff6 we were a,le to use t#e initiati3es and contingency plans to re#ire ($ of t#ese firefig#ters after only 7 mont#s! T#e plan ga3e us t#e tools to pursue new re3enue sources almost immediately! Because t#e +ity +ouncil could see t#at we #ad a 3ia,le plan a#ead of time6 we were allowed to &eep all of t#e new re3enue produced ,y t#e &ey initiati3es contained in our Strategic Plan! How ha&e the efforts at Pro'ect Management paid off for your organi%ation$ T#is is one area w#ere we were wea&6 ,ut t#e s&ill and tec#niCues learned during t#is course allowed us to de3elop a project management plan and assign specific responsi,ility to indi3iduals for t#eir part of t#e o3erall planning effort! T#is process ga3e us a ,etter end product and we were a,le to ac#ie3e our goals muc# faster wit# e3eryone wor&ing off of t#e same project management matri.! Project management is anot#er area w#ere t#e w#ole city #as ,enefited from t#e &nowledge we ,roug#t ,ac& from t#is course! "hat &alue do you place on the ability to send se&eral members to one class to attend as a team$ 'e #a3e ta&en ad3antage of t#is a,ility to send t#ree teams of four or fi3e managers to t#e course at one time! T#is allows t#em to learn t#e s&ills as a group and interact wit# eac# ot#er regarding specific c#allenges faced ,y t#e %inneapolis Fire Department! T#is a,ility to send more t#an one person at a time #as also allowed us to train our entire management team and get e3ery,ody on t#e same page muc# more rapidly t#an would #a3e ,een possi,le if we were limited to one attendee per course offering! ; would #ig#ly recommend t#is policy ,e continued for ot#er departments for t#is course!

"hat would you say to your fire ser&ice colleagues that might be sitting on the

fence about whether to attend or not$ T#is course #as made a world of difference for our department! 'e #a3e ,een a,le to de3elop a strategic plan for t#e ne.t fi3e years t#at supports our ,udget reCuests as well as gi3es us a tool to demonstrate t#e impact of ,ot# future ,udget reductions and future ,udget increases on our a,ility to pro3ide a Cuality fire department for t#e citizens of %inneapolis! By t#is ; mean t#at elected officials can see clearly t#e impact of spending decisions on t#e le3el of ser3ice we can pro3ide! Fire +#iefs as well as +ity %anagers s#ould seriously consider sending a group of four or fi3e managers to t#is course and t#en implement t#is planning process! ; am sure t#at t#e time and effort in3ol3ed will reap many times t#e in3estment in ,enefits for any department w#o ta&es t#is planning process seriously!

Vision wit#out action is a dream! )ction wit#out 3ision is simply passing t#e time! )ction wit# Vision is ma&ing a positi3e difference!
Joel Barker

Alice( )'#ic# way s#ould ; go?E Cat( FT#at depends on w#ere you are going!E Alice( F; don@t &now w#ere ;@m goingGE

Cat( FT#en it doesn@t matter w#ic# way you goGE

Lewis Carroll

;f you don@t &now w#ere you are going6 any road will ta&e you t#ere!