planning and prioritizing for post-pandemic...

Planning and Prioritizing for Post-Pandemic Progress

Mary De Luca, M.A., Vice President

PAM COX-OTTOCEO

CHERYL BROOMPRESIDENT

MARY DE LUCAVICE PRESIDENT

Without taking the time to plan, without taking the time to imagine,

to think about the long-term position, I assure you, you will be busy tackling short-term priorities

and your outlook on the future will continue to be obscured

by the fog of clouded thinking.”

--Stephen Woessner, CEO, Predictive ROI

Let’s take control:

TimeSpendingGoodwill

PART ONE:YOUR TIME

Your time is NOT free.

Measure the REAL cost of ideas.

And PRIORITIZE.

How to Rate Your Work and Measure its Worth

• How much enrollment can it generate?• How time/cost effective will it be to implement?• How much community goodwill will it foster?

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”--Peter Drucker

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How to Speak Truth to Power and Safeguard Your Resources

• Ask for what you need to know now: “What are your priorities?”

• Ask for resources you need to address priorities and be clear about what you will/will not deliver: “If we do X, we can’t do Y and Z.”

• Once you establish the rules, get leadership to support you.

Remember not to let anyone put the entire burden of enrollment on you.

How to Target Your Attention So You Are Not the Target

Focus on big-picture college opportunities based on audience:

• Who’s easiest to reach? • Who’s more likely to stay? • Who will generate most resources?

How to Target Your Attention So You Are Not the Target

Focus on big-picture program-level opportunities:

• Programs that feed in-demand jobs• Programs that are brand new investments• Programs with proven retention track record

Planning Considerations

Be clear on the objectives and intent of the plan.

Set expectations for timing and completion: 24-46 hours, not 4-6 weeks!

Prioritize: • Start with 5-10 great ideas• Distill to 1-2 great ideas with clear action steps

for the next 30 days• Get everyone on the same page• Revisit in 30 days• Make 90-day (3 month) and annual plan to

support strategic (3-year plan)

From First Things First by Stephen Covey

Messaging flowTimeline that allows flexibility and efficacy Multiple media channels An ongoing full-court press of communicationsPersonal touchpoints and engagementClear triggers (calls to action)Tracking and evaluation

CommunicationPlan Considerations

Make sure your actions are:• Specific• Measurable• Attainable

CommunicationPlan Considerations

ACTION AUDIENCE MEDIA MESSAGE OBJECTIVE TIMING BUDGET TRACKING & EVALUTION

OWNER

Description of communication/

activity

Who will receive the

communication

Method of communication

Essential content/

motivators

Call to action When and how often it will

happen

Cost and budget

allocation

How you will measure

Who is responsible

Inquiry email

Inquiry database

email Value and career opportunities

apply Weekly (until applied)

In-house Application conversions

Marketing coordinator

Digital/Social Media

Prospective adult learners conducting career/college searches

Display, Facebook, Instagram

Better job, more money

Visit website 3-month run (June-Aug)

$18,000 (advertising budget)

Impressions, clicks, landing page traffic

Digital media coordinator

Keep it simple

PART TWO:YOUR SPENDING

How to Prioritize Spending

• Do the hard work in terms of prioritizing your time/effort. • Cut out spending that no longer

makes sense.• Determine what you can live

without…potentially forever.• Invest in needed research.• Allocate budget according to plan.

Remember:

Starting small is better than not starting. Good and done is better than perfect and incomplete.Inclusive is better than silos.

“…the lack of a plan only exacerbates disorientation in an already confusing situation.”

– Carsten Lund Pendersen and Thomas Ritter,

“Preparing Your Business for a Post-Pandemic World,”

April 10, 2020, Harvard Business Review

PART THREE:YOUR GOODWILL

Serve your niche by doubling down on being HELPFUL and SUPPORTIVE. Share the best of what you do in a super generous way while others are reacting and frozen still.--Stephen Woessner, CEO,

Predictive ROI

Goodwill Is Always a Priority, Especially in a Pandemic.

Remind the community:• Why you’re different • How you give them hope• How you change lives

Remind your students:• You have their backs• You want them to succeed

Provide them reciprocity!

How Can You Build More Goodwill?

Ask active, open-ended questions:

How can we create new options?What could we teach?How can we be even more helpful?

Words of Encouragement

We have the tools to define our own narratives. It’s our story to tell.

Let go and participate wholly.

Adopt ‘Rule Number 6,’ which is to not take yourself too seriously.

—From The Art of Possibility

Words of Encouragement

Put on your BIG GIRL or BIG BOY pants.

—Dr. Pam Cox-Otto, CEO, Interact

You’ve got this!

Questions?

Planning and Prioritizing for Post-Pandemic Progress

Pam Cox-Otto, Ph.D., CEO, pam.coxotto@interactcom.comCheryl Broom, M.A., President, cheryl.broom@interactcom.comMary De Luca, M.A., Vice President, m.deluca@interactcom.com

Want to talk to our team of experts? Email

info@interactcom.comto get started.

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