2017 ActionStrategy Planning Guide

for
Tribal Leaders

Introduction
You are a strategist. You have leadership responsibilities as a tribal council member, director, department or
program manager. When you accepted this role, you took on the responsibility for the direction and results
produced by your organization.
This planning guide is designed to help you fulfill your role as a strategist in 2017. In this guide, we explore a new
paradigm of strategic planning, and provide a framework and tools for developing a comprehensive plan to
produce immediate results for both your organization and community. This framework includes four fundamental
phases of developing an ActionStrategy. They are:

Strategic Thinking
Strategic Planning
Aligning People and Processes
Strategy Implementation

What is an ActionStrategy?
An ActionStrategy is a one or two-page plan that integrates best practices of leadership, strategic thinking,
planning and execution. This guide represents our 15 years of experience in helping tribal leaders and managers
develop clear goals and strategies that build organizational capacity and improved results. This framework has
been used successfully to develop a broad range of plan types, including:

Organizational and program strategic plans

Tribal Action Plan (TAP)

Integrated Resource Management Plan

Comprehensive Economic Development
Plan (CEDS)

A New Paradigm
Brian Chesney, CEO of Airbnb, wrote that "If you can't fit your plan on a page, you're not simplifying it enough.
This approach represents a new way of thinking about how plans are developed and managed. Instead of 100page plan stuck in a binder on someones shelf, an ActionStrategy represents a concise, online document that
streamlines the goal, project and grants management process.
The ActionStrategy system provides leaders the flexibility to dynamically make adjustments to the planning and
implementation process and monitor progress and results. A good ActionStrategy incorporates the best tools in
strategic planning and management, including:
One Page Business Plan
The Balanced Scorecard
The Work Itself - Goal Cascading

Open Book Management

Project Portfolio Management
Business Model Canvas

You will see examples of the online ActionStrategy system throughout this planning guide.

Traditional vs. Modern Strategic Planning

Traditional Strategic Planning

ActionStrategy Planning

Takes too long to complete (months)

Inflexible
Lacks concrete implementation planning
Too expensive

Planning Framework represents

key organizational roles

Navigation to mission, vision,

values, scorecard, goal cascading,
professional development plans
and reports

Streamlined development (1-3 days)

Integrates strategy and implementation
planning
Track progress of key goals, projects and
grants (click here for example)

SMART goals, projects and

grants with detailed work plans

Includes owners, resources,

timelines, notes and attachments

Status indicators provide visible

indicators of progress

An ActionStrategy comprises of a set of prioritized SMART goals aligned with mission, values and your vision. This
plan is also informed by your Strategic Thinking efforts and represents the choices leaders make among various
options. It also lists the strategy drivers and action plans that you predict will help you accomplish your goals.

GETTING STARTED: The ActionStrategy Organizational Capacity Assessment

The first step is to evaluate your team or organizations capacity to develop and implement a solid strategy. Take
a moment to complete this assessment using the following scale: 1-strongly disagree, 6-strongly agree. Your
overall score could be a good predictor of how well you will execute your 2017 strategic plan.
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Confront Reality. Our leadership team is candid about the challenges and opportunities 1 2 3 4 5 6
in the workplace and do not avoid difficult topics or situations.
Build Trust. They have the leadership skills to follow through on all their jobs and 1 2 3 4 5 6
demonstrate high character in all their interactions.
Take Responsibility. They focus on those things that they can impact, and avoid blaming 1 2 3 4 5 6
other people and departments for subpar performance.
STRATEGY THINKING AND PLANNING
Environmental Trends. We consistently follow trends that represent challenges and
opportunities to our organization. We develop plans to adapt to those changes.

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Stakeholder Needs. We understand the needs of our key stakeholders and consistently 1 2 3 4 5 6
meet those needs.
Focus. We have a clear set of prioritized goals that represent progress and specific 1 2 3 4 5 6
strategies to accomplish our goals. Everyone understands our goals and strategies.
ALIGN PEOPLE AND PROCESSES
Roles and Responsibilities. Leaders and employees understand their roles and 1 2 3 4 5 6
responsibilities for implementing the team and organizational plans.
Process Improvement. Our leaders and employees have the skills to consistently 1 2 3 4 5 6
improve processes and systems.
Service. Our clients say we are easy to do business with.

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STRATEGY EXECUTION
Project Management. Our projects are consistently completed on time and on budget.

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Goal Management. Our goals are achieved on a consistent basis.

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Effective Meetings. Our meetings are effective. Decisions are made in a timely fashion.

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TOTAL SCORE
If your total score is 60-72, you have a high likelihood of achieving your goals. A score of 36-48 represents signifiant
risks to successful implementation of your plan. Less than 36 indicates that a number of changes will need to be
made to successful strategy implementation.

STRATEGIC THINKING: Addressing Problems and Opportunities

A common misconception is that goal setting is the optimal starting point for good strategy. Instead, we advise
leaders to first focus on Strategic Thinking, where you identify key issues, problems and opportunities that need
to be addressed as you carve out your plan.
Your team should begin by asking the following questions:

What are our biggest problems?

What are our biggest opportunities?
Do we have the organizational capacity to address these issues?
How will we develop this organizational capacity?
Who are our primary stakeholders and what is most important to them?
What changes in our environment might we need to prepare for?
How do we fully utilize our assets (people, partnerships, resources, facilities, etc.)?

Your plan will invariably detail the answers to these questions, but its still important to keep them in mind. These
questions clarify how your organization is going to work together to address these problems and capitalize on
your opportunities, helps you identify what issues need to be addressed, and how and when you are going to
address them.
STRATEGIC THINKING TOOLS: The Business Model Canvas for Tribal Organizations
One of the recent innovations in organizational planning is the Business Model Canvas (BMC). It was initially
developed by Alexander Osterwalder based on his work with business models and scenario planning. This
template has also been adapted for government services, and helps identify the relationships between
stakeholders and the internal systems required to deliver consistent results. The BMC includes:
Customer and Stakeholder Needs
Value proposition
Customer relationships
Service and communication channels
Customer segments

Department or Program Delivery Systems

Key partners
Key activities
Key resources
Funding streams and cost structure

The Process
Organizational, department and team leaders begin by asking and answering the questions related to Customer
and Stakeholder Needs. They then move to the questions related to the service delivery mechanisms (left side.)
As opportunities, challenges and potential strategies emerge, the planning team documents specific actions to
bring better alignment between the internal systems and capabilities and the needs to the stakeholders. We find
that these discussions are most valuable when they involve team members who represent different perspectives.

BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS Public Sector

STRATEGIC THINKING TOOLS: Internal and External Perspectives

There are other powerful assessment tools that can be utilized during the Strategic Thinking phase:

Stakeholder Assessment Gather stakeholder feedback regarding needs

Organizational Capacity Assessment Click here for a sample assessment
Tribal Council Self-Assessment Based on the key roles of an effective governing body
PEST Analysis Analyze political, economic, social and technology trends
Asset Mapping Identify and develop strategies to improve asset utilization
Strategic Partnerships Leverage relationships with people and organizations with similar missions
Financial and Program Audits Locate professional reviews of financial health and program systems

Assessment and Action Planning

Organizations spend significant time and money on assessments. If the data isnt translated into actionable
insights, the assessment can be a form of FAKE WORK. Assessment on the Shelf (AOTS) is no more helpful than a
Plan on the Shelf (POTS). During the assessment review process, strategic leaders need to identify the implications
for action and develop action plans to address the issues identified. For example, if key stakeholders express
frustration with the lack of transparency and communication, what specific strategies will you develop to address
that gap? If employees indicate that they dont understand the organizations priorities, what specific steps will
you take to improve their understanding? A good action plan will include the action, owner, resources and timeline
for each project task.

STRATEGIC PLANNING: Develop a Compelling Purpose Mission, Values and Vision

Everything on the earth as a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission.
- Mourning Dove
A good mission is generally brief and inspiring. Apaches serving Apaches is one aspect of the San Carlos Apache
Education Department mission. What does that look like in reality? As they are expanding their health services,
they have made a concerted effort to train health professionals within the tribal ranks. They are a great example
of an organization operationalizing its mission. A good mission is brief, clear and compelling. Our mission is to
develop strategic leaders in tribal organizations. We believe that strategic leaders are instrumental in bringing
hope to the communities they serve. We see the Creators hand working through good leaders.

The Power of Traditional Values

Value statements list the principles and ethics that guide the behaviors and decisions of the organization. These
values then become the definition of your desired organizational culture. Value statements are particularly
powerful when grounded in the traditional values of the communities. There are common values across many
Alaska Native and Native American communities that have been instrumental in survival and flourishing for
millennium. These values include:

Reverence for the Creator

Respect for ancestors, elders, other and the
community
Respectful listening and speaking

Stewardship of land, water air and families

Fatherhood and motherhood are sacred
Courage and Harmony

There is often a gap between what we say we value and what we do or what our clients experience? It is difficult
to convince our community members that we value respect when they experienced delayed, unresponsive
service and poor communications. One of the best tests of whether we are living these values within our teams
and organizations is to ask this question:
What would let our clients and community members know that we lived these values consistently?

If there are gaps between our values and the service our tribal members experience, what specific changes can
we make to address the gaps? How do we develop an action plan to implement those changes?
Developing a Clear Vision
A vision should describe a desired, future state in vivid terms. Whereas a mission statement is focused on the
present and defines the organizations objectives, a vision statement is future focused and defines the
organizations goals for the next three to ten years.
The vision statement can also change depending on changes in the environment and organizational
circumstances. A good organization will revisit its vision throughout the year. Vision is important because all
stakeholders need to be able to clearly see your future state.
How do we know we have achieved our vision? The best way is to translate the vision into measurable goals that
define success. For example:

Ultimately, your ActionStrategy then becomes a description of what (the vision) and how (strategy/strategy
drivers) you will do this as an organization, department or team.

Translating Vision into SMART Goals or Projects

You cannot manage what you cannot describe.
A SMART goal defines a future state as measurable desired outcomes such as:
Increase employment by x %
Stay within budget for new clinic
1000 acres under weed management
SMART stands for:
Specific: It is clear regarding what you want the outcomes to look like?
Measurable: How many companies or jobs? How much salary? The key: clearly define your success.
Accountability: Who is responsible for the goal? No accountability = no strategy implementation.
Resources: Who or what will you draw upon to ensure success?
Timelines: Without a timeline, where is the sense of urgency? Timelines focus thinking and energy.

Lets illustrate a SMART goal in action. Which of the following goals would you have a greater likelihood of
accomplishing?
Broad Goal: Increase economic development through improved collaboration with key stakeholders
SMART Goal:
Specific, Measurable

Accountable
(Owner
Attract one new company in the healthcare Sam Billie
industry that produces 15 jobs (av.
$40,000/yr.)

Resources
Economic Development
Workforce Services

Timelines

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DEVELOPING A SCOREBOARD
In a tight basketball game, players, coaches and fans glance constantly at the scoreboard to evaluate how they
are performing against the clock and their competitions. This scoreboard indicates whether they are winning or
behind. Take the clock and scoreboard out of the gym and people quickly lose interest. To develop a team or
organizational scoreboard, you first need to answer the question, what lets you know that you are winning?
In the previous SMART goal example Attract one new company in the healthcare industry that produces 15 jobs
how will you know whether you are on track to achieve it? One of the best ways is to track metrics that can help
predict the outcome. For example, you may determine that you need to have five meetings a month with
healthcare companies to attract a new company by December 31, 2017.

The ActionStrategy scoreboard indicates the project plan completion percentage and shows that during the Fall
months, five or more monthly recruitment meetings are taking place on a consistent basis. This tool helps leaders
visualize performance and relate the actions to the goals.

By following the project plan and holding meetings consistently, you will have a greater chance of accomplishing
your goal. However, in the process of tracking key metrics, you might determine that you selected the wrong goal
or the wrong strategy to accomplish the goal. Plans are often best tested by research, benchmarking and exploring
alternative options. By adopting these three strategies, you will can easily make adjustments to your plans more
quickly and preserve valuable resources and maintain strong employee morale.
ALIGNING PEOPLE AND PROCESSES
Once your goals are established, you determine the type of work needed to achieve your goals. This work can
typically be divided into 5 disciplines or drivers. Most plans contain a heavy portfolio of projects (60%-80%),
process improvement initiatives, policy development, organizational design and work culture.
Projects and Grants
Process Improvement
Organizational Design
Policy
Work Culture

A project is a temporary activity designed to produce a unique product, service or

result. A project has a starting point and end point.
Process improvement begins with as is process steps and then redesigns the
process according to the desired outcomes
Organizational design is a methodology for aligning work flow, structures and
systems with your desired outcomes.
Good policy describes how individuals respond to various situations to product
fair and consistent outcomes. Good policy is easily communicated.
Work Culture represents the collective behavior of a team or organization. Drivers
include training, coaching, and most importantly, leadership development.

Work culture is an overarching force and can ensure success or undermine your best efforts. For example, if the
overall culture is one of its not my job, it could be challenging to introduce new services or implement new
projects which require a great deal of collaborative effort.

Observe how the following ActionStrategy seamlessly incorporates three of these drivers types into a plan.

Each of these drivers should align with the goal they are intended to help accomplish. This also signals to leaders
and staff, what strategic activities they should spend their time on.
Aligning People with Strategy
When you completed the ActionStrategy Organizational Capacity Assessment, how did you respond to the
following two questions?
We have a clear set of prioritized goals that represent progress and specific strategies 1 2 3 4 5 6
to accomplish our goals. Everyone understands our goals and strategies.
Leaders and employees understand their roles and responsibilities for implementing the 1 2 3 4 5 6
team and organizational plans.
One of the most significant barriers to strategy implementation is when the individuals responsible for
implementing a strategy:
1. Dont know the goal or the strategies to achieve the goal.
2. Dont know what they need to do personally to achieve the goal.
3. Dont want to achieve the goal.
The most effective way to engage employees in the implementation of the plan is to involve them in its
development. This helps them understand the rationale behind the decisions that are made and helps hold them
accountable to following through on the plan. The following is a ActionStrategy planning process to dramatically
improved employee engagement, reduce conflict and improve strategy implementation:
1. Gather feedback from the community, tribal leaders, directors, managers and staff regarding the direction
of the organization (see sample assessment)
2. Tribal leaders, directors and managers develop a comprehensive ActionStrategy (2 days)
3. Departments and teams review organizational ActionStrategy and develop their own team-level
ActionStrategies where each individual is clear about which goals, projects and grants they own. (1-2 days)
4. Plans and progress are reviewed on a monthly or quarterly basis. This is perhaps the most important step
of moving to a reality-based, high accountability process.

STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION: Project and Grant Planning

The most common strategic driver in tribal government is some form of a project. The project is the true traction
point for strategy execution. Grant work plans are a form of a project plan. Proper planning, from the beginning,
is necessary for a project to run successfully and efficiently. Execution of your plan can be more easily
implemented when you develop specific projects within your plan that allow for your organization to follow
progress easily.
"Tribes are often tempted to "chase grants" due to the great demand for services; however, if we take time to
assess and establish a system to manage our current grants and programs, then, we can strategically move
forward with more focus and success. Next, once you are able to define the grant goals and an objective, reporting
requirements, etc., then accountability becomes manageable, this was made possible through Action Strategy. As
the Tribal Executive Director the project management tool enabled me to monitor projects and successful
milestones to share with the Tribal Council."
Darlene Lee, Former Tribal Executive Director
There are hundreds of books written about project and grant management. For the purpose of this guide, we are
staying at a high level description of projects and where they fit within a strategic plan. For a more detailed outline
of the project initiation process and planning templates, please click here to request the ActionStrategy Project
Toolkit. It will include information about tools such as Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Gantt charts used
for visualizing project timelines.
Sample Grant Work Plan

An ActionStrategy can help your organization develop more precise budgets and accountability tools that increase
the efficiency of current grants and also increase the possibility of being awarded more grants in the future.
Government, private foundations, and non-government agencies will look more favorable at your grant proposal
when your organization can provide more detailed accountability, project management, and systematic plan
reviews.

STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION: ActionStrategy Plan Reviews

As a leader, you get the behaviors that you model and tolerate.
Herold J. Hudson is a former Tribal Administrator who implemented this planning process and tool. Once the Tribal
Council and management team had developed and approved the plan, the key leverage point for implementation
was the weekly plan reviews. Before each plan review meeting, he would create an agenda that listed which
strategies, projects and grants they would review. He would then project the plan on a screen for everyone to see
while the project owner would lead the discussion on plan progress.
The results were a new cultural resource department, a new mental health outreach office, a youth leadership
program, and a new medical clinic all planned, funded and operational within 12 months. New budgeting
disciplines were implemented increasing cash reserves significantly. Cell phone usage and technology needs were
analyzed resulting in huge annual cost savings.
Herold stated that, the ActionStrategy project tool became our working strategic plan and provided us a common
picture that Council members, Department Directors and Employees could access from anywhere to update and
monitor progress. This is what kept us focused on what was important. This process also leads to our first ever
community planning session with tribal leaders, city leaders, school leaders, federal agencies, business leaders
and local residents. I wholeheartedly recommend the ActionStrategy system. The return on investment was
phenomenal!

THE FINISH LINE

Once your plan has been completed and approved by the appropriate governing bodies, you will continue to
review and adjust your plan on a continual basis. As a practice, we recommend a formal plan review either monthly
or quarterly. The more consistent your review process is, the easier it is to establish a cultural norm of
accountability. Another reason for constant review is that you will learn more by implementing your plan than by
developing your plan. Unforeseen issues, barriers and opportunities are often only visible once we have begun
the journey.
As we said in the beginning, you are a strategist. You are responsible to promote strategic thinking, strategic
planning and good strategy implementation for the benefit of your organizations and communities. This
methodology represents a paradigm shift, an entirely new way of approaching strategy development and
implementation planning. We are eager to share what we have learned and hope to support your leadership and
planning efforts as you serve your communities.
NEXT STEPS
If you would like more information about developing a robust ActionStrategy, click here and request a free 25minute consultation. We also offer the following resources to help you evaluate this approach.

Complete an online sample team assessment

An online overview of the planning process with sample plans from tribal organizations
A 15-day trial of the ActionStrategy system
Participate in a one-day ActionStrategy workshop
Participate in the ActionStrategy Facilitator and Coaching Certification