All posts by MICHAEL PEARSON

Nutshell

Strategic Planning in a Nutshell

General Management, Strategic Planning, ,

Here are some questions that your strategic planning process should answer:

  1. What is your vision for the future? You should have this memorized before you even start. This vision rarely changes because it is the reason for your existence. It is usually stated in vague terms. It should contain no strategies, goals, nor values. This is a view of the outside world, not a description of your organization.
  2. What does the future look like in three to five years? This is specific. This is your practical vision. These comments represent the criteria you use to judge the rest of your plan. What do you expect to see, hear, feel? What is taking place?
  3. What are the roadblocks that keep you from achieving the practical vision? What are the kinks in the hose, the dragging brakes? What must change to achieve the practical vision?
  4. What innovative, substantial actions will deal with the underlying contradictions (the roadblocks) and move you toward your vision? These will give you your broad strategic direction. They typically build on your strengths.
  5. What will be your specific, measurable accomplishments in the first year? What will you accomplish in each quarter?
  6. What will you do in the first 90 days? Who will do these actions? When will they do them? What resources will they have? Who is responsible for tracking progress?

Now you have your strategic plan. Document it. Add it to your Operating Plan.

Now go do it.
Strategic Workshop Overview

The Thinker

Do You Really Want to Update Your #Nonprofit Strategic Plan?

General Management, Strategic Planning, , ,

It seems that about every three years nonprofits get an itch to update their strategic plan.

But do they realize what they are asking?

They are asking to scan the external environment for changes that impact their approach to achieving their vision. Then they review their current strategies to see if they are accomplishing their mission efficiently and effectively.

But this is worthless unless they put into place some Strategic Actions that are innovative and substantial.
Continue reading Do You Really Want to Update Your #Nonprofit Strategic Plan? →

Negotiate or Flight-or-Flight II – Emotional Traps

General Management, Negotiation, ,

Last week, I described a framework for making a decision to either negotiate or to flight-or-fight. This framework was developed by Robert Mnookin and detailed in his book, Bargaining with the Devil. His framework is meant to be used totally rationally, without recourse to emotion or intuition. But that is silly. Recent research has proven that nearly all decisions are made emotionally, then justified using logic and reason. Continue reading Negotiate or Flight-or-Flight II – Emotional Traps →

Negotiate or Fight-or-Flight I

General Management, Negotiation, ,

It has been observed that one of the differences between the “street-wise” and the rest of us is that we often negotiate our way out of difficult circumstances while the street-wise rarely negotiate and will choose to either fight or flee.

Robert Mnookin has written a book, Bargaining with the Devil, that gives a formal framework for the negotiate or else decision. He is the chair of the Program on Negotiations at the Harvard Law School, so he is a pretty good source.

His basic framework is that you need to dispassionately (emotions always get in the way of logic) think about five points:

  1. What are my interests and what are my adversaries interests?
  2. What are my alternatives to negotiation and what are my adversaries alternatives? [Understand your, and his, BATNA’s.]
  3. Is there a potential deal that is better than the BATNA for each of us?
  4. What will it cost me to negotiate? Not all costs are in dollars. Time, emotion, reputation, and self-image are also factors.
  5. If we reach a deal, is there a reasonable prospect that it will be carried out? You can always put penalties for nonperformance from third parties in the deal.
Think about these before you make a fight or flight decision.
Impromptu Wedding Toast

How to Give an Impromptu Speech

General Management, ,

We all have had that terrifying moment when we were suddenly called upon to speak in front of others: the wedding host asks us to give a toast, the conference leader asks us to introduce a speaker, the meeting facilitator (or your boss) asks, “What’s your opinion about this?”

You don’t have to run away screaming; freeze in panic; or shrink into a corner sucking your thumb while rocking back and forth. Continue reading How to Give an Impromptu Speech →

How to Use the Cause Effect Chain

Grant Applications, Strategic Planning

Nonprofits start with the recognition of a problem, a vision of the problem solved, and a mission to achieve the vision and solve the problem. This is basis foundation for strategic planning and is the key to winning donors, grants, and volunteers. One of the biggest problems in grant applications is not properly stating the problem, or, more commonly, not stating the right problem.

Everything is driven by the definition of the problem. Once you get that right, the rest comes much more easily. But defining the problem is more complex than it looks. Continue reading How to Use the Cause Effect Chain →