strategic planning if i had one hour to save the world, i would spend 55 minutes defining the...

STRATEGIC PLANNING

If I had one hour to save the world, I would spend 55 minutes defining the problem and only five minutes finding the solution.

- Albert Einstein

Thinking critically about this story…why do we plan?

Thinking critically about this story…why do we plan?

• Develop comprehensive understanding of the mission.

• Rigorously discern requirements: ways and means.

• Facilitate informed decisions regarding mission, vision, objectives, tasks, resources, risk.

• Discern disconnects between expectations and reality.

• Facilitate effective and efficient execution.

• Allow focus on adapting plan to unexpected events, vice planning, during execution.

Overview

Key Elements of Strategic Planning

5 Step Planning Process

Best Practices

Insight: Adopt an ‘unconstrained’ perspective !


Planning Cycle:

• 5 year plan• Updated annually• Comprehensive planning – Even years• Refinements – Odd years

Sep MayFebAssess

Progress ReportED’s IntentBoard Guidance

Plan

ED Present PlanBoard Approve Plan

Budget

ED Present BudgetBoard Approve Budget

Frame the ConsiderationsHuman TerrainMissionVisionGuiding Principles FactsAssumptionsConstraintsRestraints

1

2 Develop the DirectiveObjectivesCritical TasksSequence

Enable ExecutionResource RequirementsSupport RequirementsOrganizational StructureAuthorities

3

Validate ViabilityFinancial Risk

4

Write the Plan5



Steps in the Planning Process

Map the Human Terrain.

• Groups are our access points.• Every group becomes a potential objective in our strategic plan.• Enables purposeful decisions about which groups to engage.• Focuses recruiting on Leaders that can gain access.• Entities that can facilitate access can be identified and engaged to help.• Leaders can expect youth “needs” and be equipped accordingly.• Activities can be tailored to the group to ensure effectiveness.• Informs our Vision and defines “mission complete”.

Why is mapping the Human Terrain important?

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YFC USA Mission Statement: YFC reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other likeminded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their Godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement.

Conduct a Mission Analysis in the context of the Human Terrain.

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Insight: A rigorous mission analysis leads to a shared understanding of our mission.


“YFC”:

Together, we are a ‘brand’ of youth ministry with brand stewardship responsibilities and a ‘brand promise’ – we conduct relational ministry in a safe environment.

“...reaches”:

We ‘connect’ through authentic relationships that are established and nurtured between a leader and young person.

“...young people”:

11-19 year olds.


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“...everywhere”:

All 11-19 year old demographics throughout the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, our Protectorates, and US military bases overseas.

“...working together with the local church and other likeminded partners”:

Responsibility to reach all young people everywhere is shared with the body of Christ – we do not have to do it all by ourselves. We can also work with partners to evangelize and disciple those specific youth YFC is called to reach.


1


“...to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus”:

We evangelize 11-19 year old young people, and after they accept Christ as their Savior, we disciple them.

*****This is the singular purpose of our mission*****

“…who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement”:

Our discipleship inspires them to be “in the world but not of the world” demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit and obeying the Great Commission.


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• A shared understanding of our mission unifies the local, regional and national entities that compose YFC USA.

• It provides a hedge against mission drift.• It protects our brand and brand promise.• It sets conditions for leveraged ‘effectiveness and efficiency’ initiatives. • It increases donor and partner confidence that we will deliver the

expected return on investment.

Why is a shared understanding of our mission important?

Insight: Introduce local Mission specificity in the Executive Director’s Intent section of the Strategic Plan.


YFC USA Vision Statement: As part of the body of Christ, the vision of Youth for Christ is to see every young person in every people group and in every nation have the opportunity to make an informed decision to become a follower of Jesus Christ and become a part of a local church.

Insight: Describe the Chapter’s mission complete condition in enough detail that you will recognize it when you get there!

Insight: We’re an open system…

State your Chapter’s Vision in the context of the Human Terrain.

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Why is your Vision Statement important?• Understanding the full spectrum of opportunities to reach young

people facilitates decisions among bad, good, better and best objectives.

• Understanding the full spectrum of opportunities to reach young people facilitates our sensitivity to the urging of the Holy Spirit!

• Guides strategic planning and related decision making.

State your Chapter’s Vision in the context of the Human Terrain.

1

Insight: Introduce local Vision specificity in the Executive Director’s Intent section of the Strategic Plan.


5 Essentials to Establishing Ministry Sites

• Widespread Prayer - We deliberately engage lots of Christians to intercede on behalf of the Ministry Site.

• Loving Relationships - We consistently pursue lost kids and engage them in life-long relationships with Jesus.

• Faithful Bible Teaching - We accurately handle Biblical truth, regularly coaching kids to apply it in their lives.

• Collaborative Community Strategy - We intentionally work together with local churches, agencies and other partners to provide sustainable youth and family ministry.

• Adults Who Empower - We strategically develop leaders to reach young people from every people group.

State your Chapter’s Guiding Principles.1


Are there Guiding Principles at work in YFC other than the 5 Essentials?

• Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with urgency.• Share the Gospel in the most culturally acceptable means.• Provide discipleship for each new believer.• Work in partnership with others that have the same mission.• Reach young people with a relational model: Gain Access, Meet

Needs, Share Gospel, Equip, Send.• Steward the YFC brand.• Others...


More and better leadersin authentic Christ-sharing relationships

with unsaved youth

Insight: Our mission is accomplished within the context of a Christ-sharing relationship between one leader and one unsaved youth.


A Key Guiding Principle: We will conduct our mission with a ‘Unified Focus.’



Why are Guiding Principles important?

• Provide boundaries on the ways and means by which the Chapter moves forward to achieve its Vision.

• Enhance coherence of YFC USA activities.• Differentiate YFC from other organizations!



Identify relevant Facts. Things we know for certain.

1

Identify relevant Assumptions. Essential things we must assume to be true to

proceed with planning.

1

Identify relevant Constraints. Things we cannot do.

1

Identify relevant Restraints. Things we choose not to do.

1


1



3


4

Write the Plan5




How do we decide what objectives to pursue ?

• Use a “Decision Matrix” to decide among potential objectives.• Develop a list of attributes to be considered in making the decision and

score each objective.• Select the highest scoring objective.

Develop Objectives for the next 5 years.2

Insight: Pray over every step - potential objectives, attributes, scores, final selection.


What attributes should be considered when deciding what group of unsaved youth should

be the focus of a Chapter’s growth?• Access facilitators and impediments.• Leader availability - Volunteers, Staff, Indigenous, accredited.• Leader training requirements – YFC basics and specific needs of youth. • Potential Partners.• Infrastructure requirements.• Cost.• Potential Donors.• Risk – liability and safety.


Attribute Weight Juanita HS Crips Gang Fifth Ward

AccessFacilitators

8

AccessImpediments

7

LeaderTraining

5

Ability to meet needs

8

Facilityrequirements

3

Potential Partners

1

Cost 5

Potential Donors

6

Holy SpiritUrging



Another important tool: ‘Effects-based’ Thinking !

Insight: Provides discipline in developing objectives and related critical tasks.

Effects-Based Thinking

Objectives are conditions we want to achieve: • Physical environment • Organizational structures • Organizational cultures • Processes• Relationships • Individual hearts

Effects are incremental changes in the current condition

Objectives are achieved through a sequence of tasks that achieve relevant effects

Tasks are actions taken to achieve effects

OBJECTIVE

T T T+ +

T

Effects-Based Thinking

Utility of Effects-Based Thinking:

• Promotes Effectiveness: Tasks should be carefully crafted to achieve desired effect.

• Promotes efficiency: Assigned tasks should create effects that make observable progress toward the objective.

• Facilitates comprehensive understanding of resource requirements – man-hours, infrastructure, material and funding.

• Facilitates sequencing and synchronization of our work.

Campus Life City Life

Executive Director

Ministry Dir., CFO, COO, Devel. O

…etc Parent Life

Representative

ExampleBoard

City Life

Executive Director


…etc Parent Life

Board

Objective: Better

Leaders

Representative

Example

Campus Life

City Life

Executive Director


…etc Parent Life

Board

Every Board Member, Staff Member and Volunteer is a leader !

Representative

Example

Campus Life

City Life

Executive Director


…etc Parent Life

= Leader Development Target for every position, e.g. City Life Volunteer or Parent Life Staff. Each Target will have many common elements with other targets, but will have unique elements related to the position’s specific tasks.

Board

Spiritual WholenessPersonal Ministry

Positional competence

Representative

Example

Campus Life

Leader Development Target

Spiritual WholenessPersonal Ministry

Positional competence

Representative

Example


Task: Refine the basic content of the “Leader Development Target.”

Task: Develop a comprehensive list of tasks for every position in the Board, Chapter and Ministry Sites.

Task: Allocate each task assigned to a position to the respective Target bullseye, or sphere of influence, or one of the 12 segments… according to its primary effect.

Task: For every position, develop rigorous knowledge and practical experience specifications required to competently accomplish each task assigned to the position.

Task: Develop the curriculum for each Target.

Task: Develop the ‘lesson guide’ for each ‘equipping event’ in the curriculum for each Target.

Develop Critical Tasks for each Objective.2Task: Develop an efficient delivery system to ensure all leaders are properly equipped according to their specific Target requirements.

Task: Import relevant current equipping actions into the new ‘Target System’.

Task: Eliminate current ‘off-Target’ equipping to enhance organizational effectiveness and efficiency.

Task: Identify the optimum Chapter organizational structure and/or supported/supporting relationships to effectively and efficiently develop, implement, execute/oversee, periodically assess, and continuously refine the ‘Target System’.

Task: Develop a system that collects, vets, refines, standardizes and proliferates Best Practices.


• Consider what “performance deficiencies” are having the most harmful impact.

• Plan to develop the rigorous knowledge and practical experience required to more competently accomplish such tasks early in the 5 year plan.

• Develop the sequence of all ‘milestones’ to be accomplished.

• Identify the calendar date when each ‘milestone’ is to be accomplished.

• Dates should be

based on a rigorous analysis of the critical tasks necessary to accomplish each ‘milestone’, the time required to accomplish each critical task, and the availability of the resources required to accomplish each critical task.

RecruitingDonor DevelopmentFinancial Stewardship

Sequence the Critical Tasks for each Objective.2

DP

2016

JJM

Campus Life

City Life

XXXNew

2015 20182017

GrowSustainTerminate

YFC Partnerships

Main Effot

Supporting Efforts

Recruiting

Training

Donor Development

Chapter Culture

MBLin

ACRGrow

Start

2019

Develop all Objectives / Critical Tasks and Sequence.2

DPNewport Grow

DPBellevue Terminate

DPSammamish Sustain

DP

2016

Campus Life

2015 20182017

Main Effort

MBLin

ACRGrow

DPJuanita Start

Preparation Launch Execution Terminate

2019


20162015 20182017MBL

inACR

DPJuanita Start

Preparation Launch Execution Terminate

Representative Preparation Tasks:• Obtain blessing to operate from stakeholders.• Identify impediments and develop mitigation.• Inspire Donors.• Hire staff.• Recruit volunteers.• Train staff and volunteers.• Build Partner coalition.• Develop and agree Covenants for the supporting contributions - NSC, NFD’s,

Chapter’s, Partners.• Obtain/prepare infrastructure.• Tailor legacy activity program / create new program (vet and norm).

Effects:Environment is conducive

to reaching youth.Chapter is prepared to

execute.

2019



1



3


4

Write the Plan5




How does Effects-Based Thinking help?

• Resource requirements flow from tasks!• Provides a comprehensive list of tasks.• Provides the sequence of tasks, facilitating allocation of man-hours,

infrastructure, material and funds.

Insight: Never perform or resource a task that someone elsewill do for you ... But there’s a caveat !

Develop resource requirements.3

Assign resource requirements to ‘Supporting’ YFC entities and Partners as appropriate.

3


How does Effects-Based Thinking help?

• Optimum structure flows from tasks!• Supported/Supporting relationships are often a good alternative to

hierarchical relationships when tasks are well defined and sequenced.

Insight: Never reorganize to solve a problem before understanding the root cause ... investigate the task responsibility, authority, accountability,

resourcing chain first !

Refine your Organizational Structure.3


• Delegate authority to positions commensurate with their assigned responsibilities / tasks.

Describe and delegate required authorities.3


1



3


4

Write the Plan5




• Analyze the cost of critical tasks considering both total cost and cash flow requirements…adjust the plan as required.

• Analyze the sensitivity of the critical tasks to schedule delays caused by potential funding shortfalls…adjust plan as required to provide funding/cash flow margin.

• Develop ‘offset list’ of critical tasks that can be delayed to fund the more schedule sensitive critical tasks.

• Clearly state risks and actions to be taken to mitigate those risks.

• Consider – Safety, liability, financial, etc.

Verify financial affordability of the plan.4

Address Risk Management.4


1



3


4

Write the Plan5



Youth for Christ Strategic Plan2015 – 2019

Overview Mission

“YFC reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other likeminded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement.” Vision

“As part of the body of Christ, the vision of Youth for Christ is to see every young person in every people group and in every nation have the opportunity to make an informed decision to become a follower of Jesus Christ and become a part of a local church.” Executive Director’s Intent

{Comment: 2-5 paragraphs that convey an executive summary of local Mission/Vision specifics, how the objectives are organized in ‘Lines of Effort’; the specific objectives; and how each will be accomplished in chronological sequence over the 5 years covered in the plan.}

Insight: Overview sets the context for the rest of the plan.

Write the Plan.5

Planning Considerations Guiding Principles

{Comment: Not 5 Essentials…Practical principles that guided development of the plan.}

Facts

{Comment: Things we know for certain.}

Assumptions

{Comment: Essential things that we must assume to be true to proceed with planning.}

Constraints

{Comment: Things we cannot do.}

Restraints

{Comment: Things we choose not to do.}

Insight: Planning Considerations record the relevant considerations that shaped the plan. Changes may merit an adjustment to the objectives, critical tasks, sequence or resourcing.

Write the Plan.5

Objectives, Milestones and Critical Tasks Line of Effort 1: Facilitate Ministry Sites’ effectiveness, efficiency and growth.

Objective 1-1:Milestone:

Critical TaskMilestone:

Critical TaskCritical Task

Objective 1-2:

Etc., Etc.

Line of Effort 2: Enhance Chapter effectiveness and efficiency.

Line of Effort 3: Enhance YFC brand stewardship.

Line of Effort 4: Lead the ‘Youth Ministries’ community.

Write the Plan.5

Insight: Objectives, Milestones and Critical Tasks convey what the Chapter intends to achieve in logical Lines of Effort, how it will achieve it, and over what timeframe.

Key Enablers Resources

{Comment: Summarize manpower, infrastructure, material and funding requirements.}

Organizational Adjustments

New Roles/responsibilities/tasksSupported/Supporting RelationshipsOrganizational StructureAuthorities

Oversight

{Comment: Specify the required Assessments and Reports; address accountability.} Risks

{Comment: Summarize financial, liability, etc. risks to the plan and intended mitigation}

Write the Plan.5

Insight: Key Enablers convey what the Chapter requires to effectively/efficiently accomplish its objectives and the related critical tasks. Risks describe the risks that jeopardize achieving the

objectives and how they will be eliminated or suitably mitigated.

Strategic Planning Best Practices

1. Start with a comprehensive Assessment of the preceding year:• Did you do the right things?...did you pursue the right objectives?

• What additional opportunities exist today?• What new opportunities will manifest in the future?

• Did you do things right?... Were your ways and means effective?• Did you achieve expected progress / performance?• If not, why not?

2. Don’t start with a blank sheet of paper. • Executive Director solicit non-binding Board inputs.• Executive Director develop the “preliminary strategic plan”.• Convene Planning Team to inform/vet/refine and develop ownership.• Convene Board to vet/refine/approve.

3. Use the 5 Step Planning Process.4. Use the tools:

• Initially adopt an ‘Unconstrained Perspective’.• Decision Matrix / Effects-Based Thinking.• Opportunity Cost ‘analysis’.

5. Write the plan!I’m to busy to plan !

Overwhelmed?? Help is on the way !!

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Ephesians 6:12

strategic planning if i had one hour to save the world, i would spend 55 minutes defining the...

Documents

vice planning

mission complete

rigorous mission analysis

young people

adapting plan

brand of youth ministry

human terrain important

young person