This afternoon’s session addressed aspects of strategic planning. There were three presenters: Diane Strock- Lynskey, Chana Kotzin and Joe Coen. Each shared their experiences with the process. Key themes that emerged were:
Begin by doing an environmental scan to understand how your organization relates to the bigger picture (e.g. an archives department- how does that fit into the library, fit into the University, fit into higher ed challenge)
Communication- with key stakeholders and staff
Participatory process- to have buy in and a sense of communal ownership as many people as possible in the organization must be involved with the process
Have a contingency plan for those unforeseen changes in the landscape
There must be benchmarks to measure progress and to make corrections during the implementation phase
Flexibility is key
Have a mission and vision to which you can connect priorities
The planning document that the presenters discussed from their institutions had three main parts to each priority:
Priority
Goal
Actions needed
Resources required
We’re undergoing strategic planningas a library now and are about 2/3 of the way done with the process. I’ve enjoyed being a part of planning for the future of our organization. This is such an exciting time to be in our field!
What have been your experiences with strategic planning?