Planning for SuccessPlanning for Success

Module Eight

Reflecting on the Previous Session

• What was most useful from the previous session?

• What progress have you made since the previous session (such as homework activities)?

• Any other comments or questions about the previous session?

Session Overview

• Refining the Goal• Identifying the ABCs of Success• Selecting Strategies• Planning for Action

Refining the Goal

Elements to Consider

RegionalGoalsPast &

Potential Strategies

Past & Potential

Strategies

Regional Assets

Regional Assets

Community Input

Community Input

Potential BarriersPotential Barriers

National & Regional

Data

National & Regional

Data

Identifying the ABCs of Successful Planning

Making Changes that Matter

Do You Know Your ABCs?Do You Know Your ABCs?

Short Term Intermediate Long Term

OutcomesOutcomes

Moving Forward:Start with the End in Mind

Successful planning means

thinking with the end goal in mind.

Condition: Long-Term Outcome

Conditions are the overarching changes that you hope to see as a result of your efforts.

Changes in conditions

take the longest to achieve.

How long to achieve? Typically 5 or more

years

Examples of Regional Conditions

• Reducing the unemployment rate• Reducing outmigration of youth• Reducing rate of poverty• Improving the high school

graduation rate• Expanding entrepreneurs/small

businesses activities• Increasing the number of jobs

paying good, livable wages

Your Plan:Start with the End in Mind

• Imagine that you have been successfully addressing your regional goals for 5 years.

• What do you hope is different in your region?

• What condition do you hope to change?

Behaviors: Intermediate Outcomes

Behaviors are concrete actions that individuals or groups take. Conditions change as a result of changed behavior by individuals or groups.

These require doing something.

How long to achieve?Typically 1-2 years

Behavior Changes May Involve:

• Individuals

• Businesses

• Government

• Communities

• Nonprofits

Examples of Individual Behaviors

Individuals may need to:

• Finish High School

• Complete Job Training

• Practice Effective Job Skills

Examples of Business Behaviors

Businesses may need to:• Develop a web presence• Join and participate in a

business network or cooperative

• Advertise effectively

Examples of Government Behaviors

Government may need to:

• Offer incentives for new/expanding businesses

• Create incubators to foster new business growth

• Expand services to existing businesses

Your Plan:Go back to the condition you identified.

What behaviors need to change to reach that condition?

Who needs to participate in those changes?

Attitudes, Knowledge, and Skills: Short-Term Outcomes

Attitudes, knowledge and skills

are elements that individuals or groups can learn or develop in a rather short time.

These require “brain power” or new learning.

How long to achieve?Typically within the first 6-12 months

Individuals May Need To:

• Believe in the Value of a High School Diploma

• Know How to Access Job Training

• Learn Job Skills

Work Toward Finishing High School

Enroll in Job Training

Practice Effective Job Skills

In Order To:In Order To:

In Order To:In Order To:

In Order To:In Order To:

Attitude/Knowledge/SkillAttitude/Knowledge/Skill BehaviorBehavior

Businesses May Need To:

Develop a Web Presence

Participate in Business Alliance or Cooperative

Advertise Effectively

• Learn How to Create and Manage a Website.

• Understand the Benefits of Business Networks

• Learn How to Conduct a Market Analysis.

Attitude/Knowledge/SkillAttitude/Knowledge/Skill BehaviorBehavior

In Order To:

In Order To:

In Order To:

In Order To:

In Order To:

In Order To:

Government May Need To:

• Know how to structure incentives

• Value the importance of entrepreneurship/ small business development

• Learn common factors that concern existing businesses.

• Offer incentives for new or expanding businesses

• Create incubators to foster new business growth

• Expand appropriate services to support existing businesses.

Attitude/Knowledge/SkillAttitude/Knowledge/Skill BehaviorBehavior

In Order To:In Order To:

In Order To:In Order To:

In Order To:In Order To:

Your Plan: One More Step Back

In order to get to the behaviors that you want to change, what attitudes, skills or knowledge need to change?

Selecting Strategies

Outputs: What We Do

Our Regional

Team

Does ThingsDoes

Things

To/for/with

People

To/for/with

People

• Workshops• Counseling• Technical Assist. • Materials

• Clients• Stakeholders• Partners• Businesses

OutputsOutputs

ABCsABCs

Strategies: Key QuestionsWhich ones will:• Come closest to producing the desired

outcomes (ABCs)?• Be most appealing to your target

audience?• Make the best uses of resources and

strengths (assets)? Help overcome key barriers?

• Maximize positive and minimize negative impacts for the region?

Your Plan: Select Best Strategies

• Weigh all possible strategies

• Select best fit to your regional ABCs

• Double check the solutions against your asset mapping

Connecting the Pieces

Strategy

Should Tell a Logical Story

Example

Strategy

Should Tell a Logical Story

Web training & tech assist.

Your Plan: Checking the Story

• Does your strategy match your ABCs?

• You should be able to tell a logical story that moves from your strategy, through your ABCs, to the success you anticipate.

Inputs: The Engine

Inputs = Assets

Individuals, organizations, and resources that you will need in order

to implement your strategy

Your Plan: Inputs

• Identify your Inputs: What organizations are contributing? What individuals are contributing?

• Are there missing pieces? If so, who can help with these?

Planning for Action

Developing a Plan of Action

Four Key Elements:•Specific steps to be carried out

•Person who will take leadership for each step

•Realistic timetable for completion of each step

•Regular checkpoints to ensure progress & address barriers

Your Plan: Gearing Up for Action

Final ReflectionsWhat are the takeaways from this module?

• What topics did you find most helpful?• What did you find confusing?• What do you hope to implement as

part of your regional team’s activities?• Other items you want to mention?

Homework

For each regional goal, complete a:

• Planning Chart

• Plan of Work

These will form the foundation for the final Module: Measuring for Success.

Looking Ahead: Module Nine

• Exploring the Value of Measuring

• Deciding What to Measure

• Using Measures to Promote Success

• Tracking Appropriate Measures

• Creating a Regional Plan for Measuring Success