Strategic Direction
Janice Melnychuk
Russ Dahms
If you don’t know where you are going
Any path will get you there
VISION : desired future
MISSION : purpose of the organization
VALUES : guiding principles
GOAL : describes the desired result
OUTCOME : is the result
Strategy
Being Strategic
• a high level plan
to achieve goals
under conditions
of uncertainty
• focusing on core
directional choices
that advances
achieving the
organization’s
vision
What is Strategic Direction?
o An organization’s roadmap
o Links organization vision with reality
o Leads to achieving goals and desired results/impact
o Enables:
o Sound decision making
o Effective resource allocation
o Alignment of staff and volunteer effort
o Performance measurement
Strategy or Strategic Direction –
What’s the Difference ?
Strategic Thinking
Generation and application of unique insights and
opportunities
Creates “strategic foresight” capacity for the organization
Done collaboratively among key people who can positively
alter the organization’s future
Explores all possible organizational futures and challenge
conventional thinking to foster decision making today
Strategic Thinking Activities
o define the strategic issue & what success looks like
o analyze the situation - internal /external influences
o formulate alternatives (reach out)
o evaluate alternatives – risk, capacity, sustainability
o implementation – get it done
o monitor and reassess
External Influences
o SWOT : strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats
o census data (demographics, ethnocultural)
o global, national, regional, local economy
o environmental scans – government, industry
o political environment – 2016 election
o themes : innovation and collaboration
o perceptions and reputation of your organization
Internal Influences
o SWOT : strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats
o fierce commitment to a shared vision
o organization culture – enabling or disabling
o collaborative orientation – implications
o the right people? leadership, diversity, skills, knowledge
o sound operational systems and business processes
The Board’s Challenge
o have a systems perspective
o resist distraction
o be in the past, present and future
o be inclusive – reach out
o be open to radical ideas – one thing leads to another
o communicate communicate communicate