Using Visioning to Lead
Organizational Change and
Strategic Planning
Dr. Austin A. Lane
President
Steve Scheffler
Dean
Dr. Chris Tkach
Sr. Analyst/IE
Visioning Process
Setting the Stage
Lone Star College System:
Overview
• Lone Star College System: serves
more than 75K students
• Campuses: North Harris, Kingwood,
Tomball, Montgomery, CyFair,
University Park
• Mixed racially and ethnically: (39%
White, 28% Hispanic, 18% Black, 6%
Asian)
• Mixed Age Groups: (26% under 20;
36% 20-24; 38% over 24)
• Unprecedented growth: over past 3
years (nearly 40% since Spring 2009)
• Annual budget: $250,700,000
LSCS Locations
LSC-CyFair
LSC-Kingwood
LSC-Montgomery
LSC-North Harris
LSC-Tomball
LSC-University Park
LSC-University Center
LSCS Enrollment Growth
Lone Star College System Student Growth
75,680
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Lone Star College-Montgomery:
Overview
LSC-Montgomery: Overview
• Founded 1995
• Large Urban Associates
College (13,230 students)
• 151 full-time faculty, 318
adjunct
• Total of 900 employees
• The Woodlands, Texas (30
minutes north of Houston)
• Feeder ISDs - Conroe,
Montgomery, and Willis
• Top transfer destination- Sam
Houston State Univ.
• $20 million annual budget
Why Visioning?
LSC-Montgomery in 2009
• New President (after one year with an interim
president)
• Systemwide strategic planning process
• Intense enrollment growth over past three years
• In the middle of large campus expansion (3 new
buildings + center)
• Give everyone a voice
• Affirm/refute SWOT analysis conducted by
leadership team
• Lay the groundwork for new Unit Effectiveness
Process (UEP)
Visioning Process
Getting it Done
Visioning Steps
• Decisions (location, dates, times, format, budget)
• Promotion
• Facilitation
• CFO (“Chief Facilitation Officer”)
• Small Group Facilitators
• Facilitator training
• Supplies/”Day of” logistics
• Scribe
• Combining session
• Communicating the results
• Integration into strategic plan
Promotion
Facilitator Training
We picked facilitators who:
• were representative of all
areas of the college
• were good listeners
• were politely forceful
• were quick writers
Visioning Sessions – AGENDA FOR FACILITATOR
TRAINING
11:00
Lunch
Welcome and Intro
11:30
NGT Training
12:00
Facilitator Demonstration/NGT
12:30
Agenda of Visioning Sessions
Q&A
The Visioning Sessions
4 Sessions:
Sept. 29: 48 participants (26 staff, 17 faculty, 5 students)
Sept. 30: 49 participants (20 staff, 23 faculty, 6 students)
Oct. 13: 23 community participants
Oct. 13: 15 participants (7 staff, 1 faculty, 7 students)
Combining Session
Oct. 20: 32 participants (20 staff, 11 faculty, 1 student)
Visioning Session
Agenda
Visioning Sessions – AGENDA
8:30am
8:45 – 9:00am
9:15 – 10:45am
11:00 – 11:30am
11:30 – 11:45am
President’s Welcome—
· What I ask you to do today
· Why?
Full Group VMC—Introduction to NGT process
Breakout groups (5 of 10 each)
· How does LSC-Montgomery look now?
o Voting is 10/4
Full Group
· Presentations
· Prioritizing
o Voting is 5/2
11:45am-12:30pm
Lunch
12:00 – 12:30pm
NEW Group – Training session for participants not
Attending a morning session.
12:30pm
12:45 – 2:45pm
Full Group—VMC—Be Creative in P.M.
Breakout groups
· What does LSC-Montgomery look like in 3 years
3:00 – 3:20pm
3:20 – 3:45pm
Full Group
· Presentations
· Prioritizing
o Voting 5/2
3:45 – 4:00pm
Set up for presentations/presentations to the president
4:10pm
President’s comments
4:20pm
Round Robin
Visioning Session
“Flow”
The Gathering
The Breakout Session
The Big Group
Presentation to
Dr. Lane / Wrap-Up
Output – Top Ideas
“Current/Future State”
Visioning Process
Analysis to Action:
The Vision Comes Alive
Visioning:
Analysis to Action
Assessment Form
Taking their input and turning it into action
Planning: Description
Goal
Implementing Evaluating and Closing
Monitoring
the Loop
Expected Method of
Accomplishments/
SO SP Objectives Action Steps Start End Outcomes Assessment Owner
Outputs
Results
Next Steps
Visioning:
Analysis to Action
Assessment Form
• Assessment Plan Key Points
• Objectives (specific)
• Actions Steps (things you need to do in order to
accomplish objective)
• Timeline
• Ownership
• Take the time to do it (Build it into process)
“The Maverick Way”
“The Maverick Way”
Academic Plan (Ann Kirch, VP Instruction)
• student learning outcomes
• faculty hiring
• section management
• faculty/staff professional dev.
• program advisory committees
• dual credit emphasis
SEM Plan
(Wendell Williams, VP Student Success)
Built Around 7 Critical Points:
• recruit back
• building a college-going culture
• end of 1st year
• point of entry
• transition
• 1st 6 weeks
• alumni involvement
Campus Master Plan (Jim Taylor, VP Administration)
• building/construction priorities
• capital improvement plan
• traffic flow
• equipment/furniture
Visioning:
Analysis to Action
Continuous Improvement
Planning: June – September
Planning Sessions
Document Interventions
Planning
Implementing
Implementing: August- May
Implement Interventions
Initial Results
Update Progress (Jan.)
Evaluating
Evaluating: May – June
Results of Interventions
Year-end Update (Accomplishments/Recommendations)
Closing the Loop (May)
Visioning Process
Continuous Improvement of
the Visioning Process
Visioning: Improvements
Feedback on Process
• Asked participants about the process
• 97% Positive rating
• 41% Very satisfied
• 56% Satisfied
• 97% Would participate again
• Majority of 2011 facilitators participated in 2009
Visioning: Improvements
Feedback on Process
What went well?
• 25% - The process
• 20% - Camaraderie/Teamwork
• 16% - Having a Voice
• 15% - Ideas Generated
Visioning: Improvements
Feedback on Process
What could be improved?
• 34% - Constructive Criticism (minor e.g., shorter sessions)
• 21% - More Participants/Greater Representation
• 19% - Voting Process (# of Priorities)
•
7% - Food/Room Temperature
Visioning: Improvements
Lessons learned
• Recruit hard (especially students and community)
•Pick the right facilitators (and use a CFO)
•Stay true to the NGT process
• Be flexible
•President MUST be actively involved – and
present!
•Act on the output
The Visioning Sessions
Quotations from Participants
Brainstorming sessions. Everyone had a voice w/o criticism.
Able to discuss/express ideas w/o ridicule.
Everyone had the opportunity to contribute.
Organization. Facilitators.
Collaboration as a team. Respect-Professionalism.
Teamwork.
Empowering experience!
The Visioning Sessions
Keeping the Vision Alive
Visioning Process
Thanks! Questions?