MPA 210 Strategic Planning Management

1. LEADERSHIP AND
STRATEGIC
PLANNING
Source: John M Bryson and Barbara C. Crosby,
“Leadership Roles in Making Strategic Planning Work,” in
John M Bryson, Strategic Planning for Public and
Nonprofit Organizations, Revised Edition. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1995, pp. 211-227
Presented by Liza Chan

2. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
“Planning is the organization of hope.”
--Stephen Blum

3. Usually, the main problem with life
conundrums is that we don’t bring to
them enough imagination.”
--
Thomas Moore

4. “Never doubt that a small group of
committed citizens can change the
world. Indeed, it is the only thing that
ever has.”
--
Margaret Mead

5. The following interconnected leadership tasks are
important if strategic planning and implementation are
to be effective:
• Understanding the context
• Understanding the people involved, including oneself
• Sponsoring the process
• Championing the process
• Facilitating the process
• Fostering collective leadership
• Using dialogue and discussion to create a meaningful
process, clarify mandates, articulate mission, identify
strategic issues, develop effective strategies, and
possibly develop a vision of success

6. • Making and implementing
decisions in arenas
• Enforcing rules, setting disputes,
and managing residual conflicts
• Putting it all together

7. UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT
• Appreciate history, but do not be
captured by it.
• Tailor the process to the context.
• Know when to pursue big wins and
small wins.

8. UNDERSTANDING THE PEOPLE
INVOLVED (INCLUDING ONESELF)
• Understand and appreciate diversity
and commonality
• Develop strength of character and
insight.

9. SPONSORING THE PROCESS
• Articulate the purpose and
importance of the strategic
planning effort.
• Commit the necessary resources
to the effort.
• Emphasize at the beginning and at
critical points that action and
change will result.
• Encourage and reward creative
thinking, constructive debate, and
multiple sources of input and
insight.
• Be aware of the possible need for
outside consultants.
• Be willing to exercise power and
authority to keep the process on
track.

10. CHAMPIONING THE PROCESS
• Keep strategic planning high on people’s agendas
• Attend to the process without promoting specific
solutions.
• Think about what has to come together (people, tasks,
information, reports) at or before key decision
points.
• Organize the time, space, materials,and participation
needed for the process to succeed.
• Pay attention to the languages used to describe
strategic planning and implementation.
• Keep pushing the process along.

11. FACILITATING THE PROCESS
• Know the strategic planning
process, and explain how it
works at the beginning and
at many points along the
way.
• Tailor the process to the
organization and to the
group involved.
• Convey a sense of humor
and enthusiasm for the
process and help groups
get unstuck.
• Press groups toward taking
action and assigning
responsibility for specific
actions.
• Congratulate people
whenever possible.

12. FOSTERING COLLECTIVE
LEADERSHIP
• Rely on teams.
• Focus on network and coalition
development.
• Establish specific mechanisms for
sharing power, responsibility, and
accountability.

13. USING DIALOGUE AND DISCUSSION
TO CREATE A MEANINGFUL PROCESS
• Understand the design and use of
forums.
• Seize opportunities to provide
interpretation and give direction in
difficult and uncertain situations.
• Reveal and name real needs and
real conditions.
• Help followers frame and reframe
issues and strategies.
• Offer compelling visions of the
future.
• Champion new and improved ideas
for addressing strategic issues.
• Detail actions and expected
consequences.

14. MAKING AND IMPLEMENTING
DECISIONS IN ARENAS
• Understand the design and use of
arenas.
• Mediate and shape conflict within
and among stakeholders.
• Understand the dynamics of political
influence and how to target
resources appropriately.
• Build winning, sustainable
coalitions.
• Avoid bureaucratic imprisonment.

15. ENFORCING NORMS, SETTLING
DISPUTES, AND MANAGING RESIDUAL
CONFLICT
• Understand the design and use
of formal and informal courts.
• Foster organizational integrity
and educate others about ethics,
constitutions, laws, and norms.
• Apply constitutions, laws, and
norms to specific cases.
• Adapt constitutions, laws, and
norms to changing times.
• Resolve conflicts among
constitutions, laws, and norms.
Norms