Staying Strategic in aDetail-Oriented ProfessionPresented by:Jeff Arnold, MAM, CAE jeff@leadingassociations.com

At the end of this session, you’ll be able to:• Think strategically• Act strategically• Stay focused, follow-up and follow-through• Build a visionary staff that focuses on strategy as well

as operations• Work with clarity of purpose and direction

Key outcomes

Three Areas of Focus Today

PersonalDepartmental/Divisional

Organizational

What it Means to Lead Strategically

Maintaining abroad perspectiveon every aspect of

your daily work.On a personal level,thinking strategicallymeans. . . Which requires:

• Understanding yourorganization’s strategic vision

• Aligning your team

• Aligning yourself

Why Every Manager Needs to ThinkStrategically

• Ensure your group’s work aligns with the overallorganizational strategy

• Make smart long-term decisions that align with thegoals of the rest of the organization

• Gain your team’s commitment to supporting yourdecisions

• Boost your group’s performance and results• Focus your daily work

Why is Strategic Thinking So Hard?

“I DON’T HAVE TIME.”

Don't just do something.Sit there.

Strategic Thinking

Q2

Q3 & Q4

Q2

Q1

Strategic thinkingRelationshipsSelf-DevelopmentRecreationUnnecessary meetings

Surfing the internetMost email

Pressing IssuesKey deadlines

On a daily basis, focus on the “Big Rocks” first(Quadrant 2)

Personal Traits of Strategic Thinkers

• Curiosity• Consistency• Agility• Future focus• Outward focus• Openness• Breadth• Questioning

Are You aStrategic Leader?

Agile and Consistent

Unfocused Strategic

Unreliable andUninspired Rigid

Agility

Consistency

Low

Low

High

High

3 Key Strategy Myths

Myth #1

Being strategic requires having aStrategic Plan.

Three Elements of Strategic Leadership

Strategic Intent Strategic conversation Aligned action

Myth #2

Creating strategy is about makingoperational improvements.

x

ProcessImprove-

ment

• Options• Decisions• Processes• Outputs

Strategy

• Possibilities• Choices• Priorities• Outcomes

What’s the Difference?

Myth #3

Having a strategic plan is the same as“being strategic”

Outcome-Focused Approach

“Begin with theend in mind”

The key to strategicthinking, strategicmanagement andstrategic leadership

What IS is irrelevant.

What is POSSIBLE is what matters.

Build what you want,not what you know.

“In thebeginner'smind there aremany possibilities.In the expert'smind there arefew.”- Shunryu Suzuki

Purpose of Strategy

Anticipate changesand position theorganization to

respond

Develop an edgethat differentiatesyour organization

from others

“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life

depended on the solution, I would spend the first

55 minutes determining the proper question to

ask, for once I know the proper question, I could

solve the problem in less than five minutes.”—ALBERT EINSTEIN

Operational vs. StrategicOperationalQuestions:

WhoWhat

WhereWhenHow

StrategicQuestions:

WhichWhy

Strategic decision-making is about analyzingand prioritizing your choices (which), thenjustifying (why) you made those choices

Negligible Moderate Major GameChanger

Core Competency

High

Moderate

Low

None

Alig

nmen

t

Impact

Some things to allpeople

All things to allpeople

Some things tosome people

All things to somepeople

Less is More

Where Do I Start?

Strategy isn’twhat you say, it’s

what you do.

Alignment

Everyone Has a Role

Performing that role well means asking:

1. What is the strategic intent of the leadership?2. What are the key choices that I make in my

area?3. How do I align my choices with those in

leadership?4. How can I best align my team with those

choices?

Event Department Mission Example

Our mission is toprovide the finest

service, eventplanning, and

creative cuisineavailable.

Strategy Development Process

GatherData

Strategize

Execute

Adjust orSustain

• Evaluation ofdepartmentprocesses

• Customerfeedback

• Surveys• Focus groups

• Sales data• Website statistics• SWOT analysis• External Trends

GatherDataSample Data Sources

Strengths: Programs have changed, but identity of

camp has remained consistent Welcoming community/nurturing

environment Place of Acceptance, true self emerges Beautiful lake-front property Loyal, hard-working staff Devoted alumni Commitment to providing

scholarships/affordable rates

Weaknesses: Lack of cohesion between camp and the

diocese Lack of cohesion between camp and

diocesan churches Facilities in need of major improvement Lacking a sustainable financial model Low salaries are a risk to staff retention Alumni devotion can lead to sense of

closed community

Opportunities: City Camp development Adult programs to increase connection to

camp Parish collaborations Persistent need for retreat and respite

in/from modern life Environmental education

Threats: Over reliance on diocesan funds Increasing secularity of culture/relevant

vision in society Competition with other

camps/opportunities Competition with generally over-

scheduled lives

Situational Analysis: SWOTSample from Episcopal Conference Center

Issue Identified Potential Strategies to Address IssueDeclining state funding for higher education Increasing need to be entrepreneurial and self-sufficient

Increasing competition from private and publicorganizations, including other university units inthe state

Continually uncover new markets and capitalize on existingproducts and services, as well as need to focus on businesspractices and data management

Rising customer expectations Streamline business processes to be responsive to customer needs

Increasing focus on accountability and theability to report measurable data

More sophisticated data management system

Significant commitment to extending ourprograms nationally and globally

Demands utilization of existing and new technologies to moreeasily connect with a global audience

Need for a more diverse and skilled workforce Reach out to different markets, providing encourage professionaldevelopment, increase cultural knowledge’s, language skills andmarketing, understand and develop programs acrossgenerational working and learning styles

View of the center within the universitycommunity as only a place and not a place withprogram content expertise

Seek more program collaboration and educational partnershipopportunities within the university

Internal Environmental Assessment – Sample from a state university

External Environmental Assessment – Sample from a state university

Issues Identified:• State government is focusing increasingly on efficiency,

customer service, cost effectiveness and accountability• Changing demographics and an increasingly multicultural

environment• Rising customer expectations• Cyclical nature of the US and world economy• Increasing competition from private and public

organizations• Increasing technology capacity and demand• Increasing energy costs

What makes youdifferent?

Strategize

9Differentiators

Market Responsiveness

Product or Service Superiority

Production Efficiency

Natural or Human Resources

Market Dominance

Short Term Profit

Method of Sale

Distribution Methods

Technological Advantage

What trends arereshaping the

marketplace and arewe positioned to

succeed?

Successful Meetings 2018 Meeting Trends

1. Keeping up with the evolution of meetingstechnology

2. Providing quality meetings on limited budgets3. Managing safety and security risks4. Creating compelling meeting content5. Proving ROI for meetings6. Negotiating with suppliers

ACCED-I Member Trends

• Influx of hotel building• Privatization of dorms, parking lots, food service, etc.• Co-opetition with other campuses• Becoming multi-hatters in our jobs• Lots of options for education• Youth protection/minors on campus• Government requirements-NCAA, Title IX• Campus safety

What are keystrategic issues

facing yourinstitution?

Now That YouHave a StrategicMindset. . .

Strategy vs. TacticsStrategy

involves the “bigpicture” – the choicesthe organization hasmade to achieve itsgoals and objectives

Tacticsare the actual ways in

which the strategicchoices are acted

upon

Execute

3 Key Elements for Execution

• Outcomes• Owners• Timelines

Goal 1: Enhance collaboration and engagement with our global business partners.

Ownership: University Conference Center staff

Timeframe: April 2019

Key Objectives/Milestones:

1. Broker significant and timely collaborations with the university’s other branches to strengthen theUniversity’s outreach impact in the state.

Timeframe: 3 primary units, Dec 20182 Secondary units, Oct 2019

Owner: Branch Relations Director

2. Seek business relationships and collaborative partnerships in order to expand the reach of ourprograms and services.

Timeframe: October 2018

Owner: Center Director

Sample Goal/Objectives Format

Strategic focus should include nomore than 3 or 4 areas – less is

better

Strategic Conversation: It’s NotJust for Retreats Anymore

Staff Meeting Agenda

Welcome/Introductions

Follow up from previous meeting

Strategic focus areas discussion:1. New market segment2. Unique service offering3. Specialized staffing

Adjustor

Sustain

Strategy Pacing Calendar

January February March April May JuneFinal Budget Approval

July August September October November DecemberStaff PerformanceReviews

Strategic PlanningRetreat

Goal 1, Objective 1 duedate

Goal 2, Objective 1 duedate

Goa1 3, Objective 1due date

Draft budget presented

Green = Strategic PlanBlack = Operations

Align Strategy and Resources

Business Plan

Budget

Staff Priorities

Strategic Focus Area