66 | June 2015 www.universitybusiness.com Strategic planning complete. Now what? A nyone who has worked in higher education knows that harness-ing and harmonizing many disparate voices representing different academic disciplines and administrative perspectives can be a challenge. That was our experience at Monmouth University during the more than 10-month process to develop our new strategic plan. By the time the plan was endorsed by our board of trustees, hundreds of hours of open forums, discussion, debate and deliberation helped to shape the guiding principles that emerged from the process. That probably sounds idyllic, but at the beginning of the process even asking the campus community to trust that the development of a new plan would be truly different was a challenge. Communicating and successfully sharing the results of the plan also re- quired more effort than an administra- tive email from Mt. Olympus. Too often, such messages are instantly disregarded or deleted by faculty and staff who either feel no sense of ownership or worse— who think that the process is over, when it is really just beginning. We publicized the plan to alumni stakeholders as well as to our internal community, along with a clear message: Without your participa- tion, this plan will not succeed. Developing a clear strategic plan and communicating it effectively certainly wasn’t easy, but it was much easier than the effort that will now be required for a holistic implementation process that puts our vision into action. Changing team members One immediate challenge we faced was a change within senior administrative personnel. Near the end of the planning process, our provost returned to a faculty position. While the new provost brought extensive strategic implementation ex- perience from her prior post, she was not party to nuanced deliberations that shaped our plan. Provost leadership is critical to realizing the shift in emphasis the plan requires—along with improving the areas identified during the process as needing further attention or investment. How would we ensure continuity in the process while making sure that the voices that helped shape the plan are championed? Fortunately, we were able to persuade the strategic planning steering committee to continue to serve as members of an implementation com- mittee as we transition to our next stages. Their deep familiarity with the spectrum of issues raised during the planning pro- cess provides important continuity and ensures that the opinions expressed along Moving from planning to implementation is just the beginning By Paul Brown the way will remain at the forefront of ongoing initiatives. Asking the members to continue to serve wasn’t a simple deci- sion. Would keeping the same leadership team in place cause others to feel shut out of the next steps? Based on the incredible weight that the team places on inclusive- ness and engagemen.

1. 66 | June 2015 www.universitybusiness.com
Strategic planning complete.
Now what?
A nyone who has worked in higher education knows that
harness-ing and harmonizing many
disparate voices representing different
academic disciplines and administrative
perspectives can be a challenge. That was
our experience at Monmouth University
during the more than 10-month process
to develop our new strategic plan.
By the time the plan was endorsed by
our board of trustees, hundreds of hours
of open forums, discussion, debate and
deliberation helped to shape the guiding
principles that emerged from the process.
That probably sounds idyllic, but at the
beginning of the process even asking
the campus community to trust that
the development of a new plan would
be truly different was a challenge.
Communicating and successfully
sharing the results of the plan also re-
quired more effort than an administra-
tive email from Mt. Olympus. Too often,
such messages are instantly disregarded
or deleted by faculty and staff who either
feel no sense of ownership or worse—

2. who think that the process is over, when
it is really just beginning. We publicized
the plan to alumni stakeholders as well
as to our internal community, along with
a clear message: Without your participa-
tion, this plan will not succeed.
Developing a clear strategic plan and
communicating it effectively certainly
wasn’t easy, but it was much easier than
the effort that will now be required for a
holistic implementation process that puts
our vision into action.
Changing team members
One immediate challenge we faced was
a change within senior administrative
personnel. Near the end of the planning
process, our provost returned to a faculty
position. While the new provost brought
extensive strategic implementation ex-
perience from her prior post, she was
not party to nuanced deliberations that
shaped our plan. Provost leadership is
critical to realizing the shift in emphasis
the plan requires—along with improving
the areas identified during the process as
needing further attention or investment.
How would we ensure continuity
in the process while making sure that
the voices that helped shape the plan
are championed? Fortunately, we were
able to persuade the strategic planning

3. steering committee to continue to serve
as members of an implementation com-
mittee as we transition to our next stages.
Their deep familiarity with the spectrum
of issues raised during the planning pro-
cess provides important continuity and
ensures that the opinions expressed along
Moving from planning to implementation is just the beginning
By Paul Brown
the way will remain at the forefront of
ongoing initiatives. Asking the members
to continue to serve wasn’t a simple deci-
sion. Would keeping the same leadership
team in place cause others to feel shut out
of the next steps? Based on the incredible
weight that the team places on inclusive-
ness and engagement, we concluded that
continuity was worth the risk.
Eager for change
One consequence of inclusive participa-
tion is that the expectations are high,
and after so many months of discussion
across campus, there is palpable desire for
immediate change. The provost and the
committee continue to meet weekly with
an eye on programs or new procedures
that can be implemented quickly.
While some endeavors will require
time and a methodical approach for
implementation, there are others that
can be more quickly organized and sup-

4. ported. We are evaluating mechanisms
for a comprehensive inventory of pro-
grams and best practices that align with
the broad objectives of our plan. Just as
important is determining the appropriate
metrics so we can benchmark our prog-
ress and measure our success.
Our planning process succeeded
because every area of campus provided
feedback. Likewise, successful imple-
mentation will require involvement and
shared responsibility from the whole uni-
versity. After the planning has finished,
the real work begins.
Paul R. Brown is president of Monmouth
University in New Jersey.
The expectations are high,
and after so many months
of discussion across
campus, there is
palpable desire for
immediate change.
PROFESSIONAL OPINION
UBmag.me/strategic
Copyright of University Business is the property of Professional
Media Group, LLC and its

5. content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted
to a listserv without the
copyright holder's express written permission. However, users
may print, download, or email
articles for individual use.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
COMMUNICATING THE PLAN
Jarret, Joseph
PM. Public Management; Nov 2009; 91, 10; ProQuest Central
pg. 18
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.