TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

School of Public Health

STRATEGIC PLANNING

SOAR SUMMIT September 18, 2020

Main SOAR SUMMIT ZOOM room link

https://tamu.zoom.us/j/95918485901?pwd=aUZ0cW1NeXZYTXdhMTQwekZwUDhCZz09

Activity #3 ZOOM room links

To join a discussion about Data Summary: BSPH & GRADUATE STUDENTS

https://tamu.zoom.us/j/94781237093?pwd=YVlyOGJpKytVajdrUDk5S1Y1bFFwUT09

To join a discussion about Data Summary: EMPLOYEES

https://tamu.zoom.us/j/99460576854?pwd=dW5NZXlESVFkSXFFN1NEVWUvNTVVZz09

To join a discussion about Data Summary: FINANCIAL

https://tamu.zoom.us/j/94959314594?pwd=NGxOZkN6cUZyL1ZaU1FBR09JVkEvZz09

Contact information during the SOAR SUMMIT

Mary Léa McAnally

SOAR SUMMIT Facilitator & ZOOM Co-Host

512.289.2934

Eric Wilson

SOAR Committee Chair & ZOOM Co-Host

979.204.1832

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School of Public Health

Strategic Planning SOAR SUMMIT

Welcome from Dean Shawn Gibbs

On behalf of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, I

welcome you to today’s SOAR SUMMIT. Your participation

is integral as the TAMU School of Public Health crafts our

new strategic plan – and I do mean “our” plan. The

approach we take today is deliberately inclusive because I

believe every SPH voice counts. Together we can create

something of lasting impact for our School, TAMU, Texas,

and the world. Thank you for being here.

Strategic Planning Steering Committee

CHAIR Eric Wilson

Assistant Dean for Accountability and Strategic Initiatives

MEMBERS

Jerry Carrino Shawn Gibbs

Interim Department Head & Instructional Professor Dean

Health Policy & Management

Natalie Johnson Erin Schneider

Associate Professor Assistant Dean

Environmental & Occupational Health Office of Student Affairs

Crystal Vinal Mary Léa McAnally

Director Strategic Planning Process Consultant

Office of Cultural Competency, Diversity and Inclusion Mays Business School

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School of Public Health

Strategic Planning SOAR SUMMIT

Agenda

TIME EVENT LOCATION*

9:00 AM Welcome and Introduction to the SUMMIT Main SUMMIT meeting

Activity #1 Inquire into our Strengths and Opportunities Breakout (2 per room)

Break: 10 minutes

SUMMIT Regroup Main SUMMIT meeting

Activity #2 Strengths: Breakout Room Debrief Breakout (6 per room)

SUMMIT Strengths: Discussion Main SUMMIT meeting

Break: 10 minutes

Activity #3 Data Harvest Virtual Carousel Activity #3 ZOOM Rooms

SUMMIT Regroup Main SUMMIT meeting

Activity #4 Opportunities: Breakout Room Debrief Breakout (6 per room)

SUMMIT Opportunities Discussion Main SUMMIT meeting

Break: 10 minutes

Activity #5 Visions and Aspirations for our Future Breakout (Variable)

SUMMIT Sharing our Dreams and Aspirations Main SUMMIT meeting

1:00 PM Next steps and SUMMIT farewell Main SUMMIT meeting

* See the inside front cover for Zoom links

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SOAR SUMMIT OBJECTIVES

We come together today to:

▪ Discover what is best about our research, our teaching and learning, our service, and our impact.

▪ Uncover the factors at play when our faculty, students, and staff are engaged and productive.

▪ Identify opportunities and aspirations for the School of Public Health.

▪ Create shared images of a future that we are inspired to live into.

▪ Engage the whole SPH community in a shared purpose.

Guidelines for our SOAR SUMMIT Engagement

Commit to the whole SUMMIT.

▪ Each part of our day today builds on prior parts. Early departures can break the continuity.

▪ We will use ZOOM breakouts to work in groups during the retreat — your group needs you.

Stay engaged.

▪ Put aside mental distractions and silence your phone.

▪ Set an out-of-office message on your email accounts.

▪ We will have a break each hour during the SUMMIT so that you can attend to business.

Listen deeply.

▪ Listening takes energy but it’s worth the effort.

▪ Often what is unsaid is more important than what is said. Listen with more than your ears.

Dare to be vulnerable.

▪ Speak your thoughts to add to the collective understanding.

▪ Refrain from judging as others dare to be vulnerable.

Suspend self-interest.

▪ The School of Public Health is greater than the sum of its parts.

▪ Think about the School of Public Health from a bigger perspective.

ZOOM etiquette

▪ Mute yourself when you are not speaking.

▪ Unmute yourself when you wish to speak or when you are called on.

▪ Keep your video turned on so that others know you are present.

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The Appreciative Inquiry Approach

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is an approach to organizational change that differs from traditional problem-

solving strategies. The basic assumption of problem-solving is that people and organizations are

fundamentally “broken” and need to be fixed. The process usually involves:

• Identifying the key problems

• Analyzing the root causes of failure

• Searching for possible solutions

• Developing a remedial action plan

In contrast, the underlying assumption of appreciative inquiry is that people and organizations are

generative. They are always evolving, growing, and moving toward the future. AI focuses the whole

organization on identifying its “positive core” – its greatest assets, capacities, capabilities, resources, and

strengths – to create new possibilities for change, action, and innovation. The steps include:

• Discovering the organization’s root causes of success

• Envisioning bold new possibilities for the future

• Designing the organization for excellence through dialogue

• Co-constructing the future

Where did Appreciative Inquiry come from?

Dr. David Cooperrider at Case Western Reserve University, Weatherhead School of Management,

Organizational Behavior School, developed Appreciative Inquiry in the late 1980’s as a new approach to

helping organizations change and grow. AI has been used successfully in small- and large-change projects

by hundreds of organizations worldwide.

DISCOVER

Appreciate

the best of

what is

DREAM

Imagine

what could

be

DESIGN

Determine

what

should be

DELIVER

Create

what will

be

Appreciative Inquiry

4-D Cycle

TAMU School of

Public Health

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The SOAR Framework

The SOAR framework adapts Appreciative Inquiry (AI) to a strategic planning setting. AI and SOAR take a

positive approach to uncover the best of an organization and determine how to get more of that!

What does “SOAR” stand for?

Strengths: What can we build on?

Opportunities: What are our constituents asking for and what does the world need?

Aspirations: What do we care deeply about?

Results: How do we know we are succeeding?

What is SOAR?

“SOAR is a strategic planning framework with an approach that focuses on strengths and seeks to

understand the whole system by including the voices of the relevant stakeholders.”

“… SOAR conversations center on what an organization is doing right, what skills could be enhanced, and

what is compelling to those who have a ‘stake’ in the organization’s success.”

“A SOAR strategic plan is a collective understanding of the organization’s goals, so that everyone at every

level can make informed adjustments to decisions and actions when needed.”

“SOAR creates a strategic thinking and dialogue framework … to guide the system during strategic

formulation, planning, and implementation.”

Jacqueline M. Stavros & Gina Hinrichs, The Thin Book of SOAR

Organizations that have successfully implemented the SOAR framework

-TAMU School of Veterinary Medicine -Head Start Agency -North American Steel

-British Airways -Lawrence General Hospital -Roadway Express

-Cleveland Clinic -Lovelace Health Systems -Scandinavian School District

-Delta Airlines -McDonald’s -United Nations Global Compact

-Environmental Protection Agency -Merck -U.S. Navy

-Fairmount North America -NASA -World Vision Relief

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Inquire into our Strengths and Opportunities

ZOOM & TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS

On your ZOOM screen, you will receive a prompt to go to a breakout session. Click to join the breakout.

If you arrive at the breakout room and your interview partner is not there, please wait 1 minute. Then,

return to the SOAR SUMMIT and you will receive additional instructions.

You have 20 minutes to complete each interview for a total of 40 minutes.

At the end of the interview time, you will be prompted to return to the SOAR SUMMIT.

General instructions • There are five (5) multi-part interview questions on pages 7 through 12

• Person A interviews Person B completely, covering all the pages 7 through 12.

• AFTER 20 MINUTES, switch roles: Person B interviews Person A.

• Remember, we’re not trying to solve a problem — so you might have to let go of any closely held

“problem-solving paradigms.”

Interviewer (person A) instructions • When you are interviewing, read the question as written, listen carefully, and take brief notes

about what you hear in the space provided below each question. We will return to our notes in

other activities today.

• Feel free to “probe” — asking your own follow-up question to get the person you’re interviewing

to tell stories. Real stories. Stories that include time and place and them — they had to have

been physically present for the story to “count” (no conceptual responses).

• Have a pleasant conversation together, an inquisitive dialogue.

Person being interviewed (person B) instructions • When you are being interviewed, just talk. Think. Tell stories.

• Make sure you are telling real stories — with time, place, and people. You have to have physically

been there!

• Don’t overthink your answers. Trust your instinct. For most of these questions, the first answer

that comes to mind is a good answer.

Once you’ve read these instructions, go to the next page and begin the interview.

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Interview Questions

My interview partner’s name is _______________________________

Question 1: Introductions

Keep Question 1 brief, just a few getting-to-know-you facts.

Q1A Let’s start with something about you and your work — what is your role with the TAMU School of

Public Health?

Q1B How long have you been with the School? With A&M?

Q1C What were your initial excitements and impressions of the School of Public Health?

Keep this brief, just a few getting-to-know-you facts.

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Question 2: High-Point Experience

As you look over your experience at A&M and the School of Public Health, there have likely been ups and downs, peaks and valleys, highs and lows. I’d like you to reflect on ONE memorable high-point moment related to your involvement with A&M and the School of Public Health. Think about a specific event that stands out as a ‘high point’ for you — a moment when you were particularly effective, alive, delighted, engaged, or really proud working at the School of Public Health or being affiliated with one of its departments. Q2A Please share the story of your experience.

• What happened? When? Where was it? • What were your feelings during the experience? Or after? • What are your insights from that experience?

Q2B Thinking about your high-point story, tell me what made it possible. What conditions were critical to the positive outcome?

• What was the environment like? • What other factors contributed to this event? Think about other people, resources,

research collaborators, or other partnerships. • What did you value about other SPH staff / faculty / students involved in the story?

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Question 3: Strengths

Q3A Now, beyond your high-point story, let’s imagine I had a conversation with people who know you

quite well. I asked them to share your two or three best strengths, your super power when you are at your best. What would they say?

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2

3

Q3B Thinking more broadly about our School, what would you say are one or two or three key

strengths (or values) of the School of Public Health? These could be related to any aspect of our organization.

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2

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Q3C Every organization must change – often constantly. However, great organizations know how to preserve the core of what they do best, even as they innovate and change. As we move into a new and exciting future, if you could keep ONLY ONE strength that currently exists at the School of Public Health what would that strengths be?

(Either write it below or indicate it on the list of 3 strengths above.)

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Question 4: Differentiating Capabilities and Opportunities

Q4A The School of Public Health needs to be known for something that sets us apart. Thinking about our collective strengths, how should SPH define itself?

• What should our student body look like?

• Who should our staff and faculty be?

• What should our curriculum and instruction look like?

• What sort of research and practice should we be engaged in?

Q4B How should the SPH differentiate itself from other schools of public health?

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Question 4: Differentiating Capabilities and Opportunities (continued)

Q4C What do you consider some of the most significant trends, events, and developments shaping the future of Public Health? (Interviewer – go for a quick bullet point list here.)

Q4D What do you think are the most promising opportunities that the School of Public Health could explore in the next five years? (Interviewer – go for a quick bullet point list here.)

Q4E As we recraft what we do and how we do it, what would you want the School of Public Health to

keep doing, let go of, or do differently over the next five years?

Keep doing:

Let go of:

Do differently:

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Question 5: Aspirations for our Future

Assume that you fall into a sound sleep tonight, a tremendously long sleep, that lasts till 2025. When you awake in 2025, the School of Public Health is the school that you have always wished and hoped it might be. During those 5 years while you’ve slept, many positive innovations and changes occurred. The SPH and its Departments have capitalized on opportunities that you had only dreamed of. It really is a miracle! Now, someone is about to take you on a tour of the School so that you can really see the amazing place you’ve woken up to. As you enjoy the tour of the School of Public Health in 2025, what do you see? Describe what you experience with as much detail as possible. [Interviewer: probe for more details using any, or all of the following prompts.]

• What is happening?

• How is the world different?

• How is the School of Public Health contributing to this new world?

• How did this happen – what opportunities did the SPH take advantage of that enabled such success?

STOP HERE. Switch Roles. If you finish both interviews before time expires, go back and PROBE for more depth

and/or more brainstorming where needed. Use the time productively, please.

You will be prompted on your ZOOM screen when it’s time to return to the SOAR SUMMIT.

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Strengths: Breakout Room Debrief

ZOOM & TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS

There should be six (6) people in your ZOOM breakout room. If that is not the case, have one person in the

breakout room LEAVE the breakout room and return to the SOAR SUMMIT for additional instructions.

You have 20 minutes to accomplish four (4) tasks.

At the end of the breakout room time, you will be prompted to return to the SOAR SUMMIT.

Task 1: Self-Management and Breakout Room Leadership Roles

Each breakout room manages its own discussions, data, time, and reports. Below are useful roles for

managing your breakout room. You will need these roles for several activities today. Roles can rotate

during the SOAR SUMMIT. Divide the work up as you choose.

• Discussion Leader

Notes the breakout room number. Keeps the breakout room on track to finish on time. Ensures

that each person who wants to speak is heard within the time available.

• Timekeeper

Keeps the group aware of the remaining time. Respectfully signal people taking too much time.

• Scribe

Opens the GOOGLE sheets and navigates to the TAB with the breakout room number. Assists

others in the breakout room to access the correct GOOGLE sheet. Takes notes in the GOOGLE

sheet during Task #3 and Task #4 during this breakout session. After the SUMMIT, the SOAR

committee will access the GOOGLE sheets and analyze all the collected data.

• Reporter

Delivers a report, as instructed, to the SOAR SUMMIT.

Turn to the next page for further instructions.

We are in Breakout Room #_______

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Task 2: High-Point Experience Story Summaries

OBJECTIVE: Share our HIGH-POINT stories.

General instructions

1. In the boxes, add the names of the 4 people in your room OTHER than you and your partner.

2. Take turns and summarize your partner’s story from “Question 2: High-Point Experience” on

page 8. Briefly relay the story highlights, not the details.

3. You have 2 minutes per person. Timekeepers — set a 2-minute alarm and keep the group on time.

4. Others in the breakout room, listen for the key elements of the story, the values and strengths

that come through. List 3–5 elements, values, or strengths per story in the boxes below. These

key elements, values, or strengths can be about the person, the SPH, partnerships, resources, etc.

Name: ____________________

Name: ____________________

Name: ____________________

Name: ____________________

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Task 3: Aggregating our Strengths

OBJECTIVE: Make a complete list of the STRENGTHS at the School of Public Health.

Consider this question: When people in the School of Public Health are at their best and when our School is strong, what is driving the energy?

• Refer to your notes on the previous page.

• Also, look back at the answers you wrote to Question 3 (all parts) on page 9.

Together make one big list of ALL of the strengths you identify.

SCRIBE: Use GOOGLE sheet (in the TAB for your breakout room number) to capture all of the strengths named by group members. Share your screen of the GOOGLE sheet if any group members do not have access to the sheet itself.

Task 4: Prioritizing our Strengths

OBJECTIVE: As a group, determine the FOUR MOST IMPORTANT strengths of the School of Public Health.

SCRIBE: Continue to use GOOGLE sheet and share your Zoom screen of the GOOGLE sheet.

General instructions

1. Select the four “MOST IMPORTANT” strengths by voting.

2. Vote in the GOOGLE sheet or use the ANNOTATE feature to vote on the shared screen that

displays the GOOGLE sheet.

3. Each person in the group can vote three times.

4. Use your votes to indicate which strengths you personally think are the most important. Consider:

If this strength were no longer present in the School, could we be as successful?

REPORTER: Be prepared to report your group’s top four strengths at the SOAR SUMMIT.

STOP HERE. Return to the SOAR SUMMIT when your breakout room closes.

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Data Harvest & Virtual Carousel

Data Harvest

OBJECTIVE: Consider the important facts about the School’s internal and external environment.

Consider the three DATA SUMMARY sheets located at the SOAR SUMMIT website.

Reflect on the following:

• What stands out for you?

• What do you notice that is relevant and important for the School to be ready for the future?

Virtual Carousel

OBJECTIVE: Discuss critical data and important trends about the School’s environment with others.

General instructions

1. Leave the SOAR SUMMIT Zoom meeting.

2. Join an Activity #3 Zoom meeting of your choice, there is one Zoom meeting for each of the DATA

SUMMARY sheets. Find the Activity #3 Zoom meeting codes at any of the following locations:

▪ On the inside front cover of this manual

▪ At the SOAR SUMMIT website

▪ In the reminder email you received earlier this week

3. Discuss the facts with others – see the questions, below.

4. At your leisure, rotate to another NEW Zoom meeting to discuss another DATA SUMMARY sheet.

5. Rotate as many times as you like – remember there are three separate Zoom rooms.

6. Return SOAR SUMMIT at the end of the 20 minutes.

Carousel discussion questions:

• What do you think are the key pieces of data that everyone at the SUMMIT needs to know?

• Which facts are most relevant to the future of the School?

• As we begin to think about images of our future and achieving our vision, how might these facts influence our choices and actions?

STOP HERE. Return to the SOAR SUMMIT after 20 minutes TOTAL time.

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Opportunities: Breakout Room Debrief

ZOOM & TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS

There should be six (6) people in your ZOOM breakout room.

You have 15 minutes to accomplish three (3) tasks.

Task 1: Breakout Room Management

Assign the same roles as you did for Activity #2. Consider rotating jobs!

~~~~ Discussion Leader ~~~~ Timekeeper ~~~~ Scribe ~~~~ Reporter ~~~~

Task 2: Aggregating our Opportunities

OBJECTIVE: As a group, make a complete list of OPPORTUNITIES for the School.

General instruction Allow each person in the group to briefly report all the opportunities their partner named during the interview. (See Question 4 on pages 10 & 11 for notes about the opportunities your partner mentioned.)

SCRIBE: Use GOOGLE sheet (in the TAB for your breakout room number) to capture all the opportunities named by group members. Share your screen on Zoom as needed so all can participate.

Task 3: Prioritizing our Opportunities

OBJECTIVE: As a group, determine the FOUR MOST IMPORTANT opportunities for the School.

General instructions

1. Vote in the GOOGLE sheet or use the ANNOTATE feature to vote on the GOOGLE sheet. 2. Each person in the group can vote three times. 3. Use your votes to indicate which opportunities you personally consider the most important. 4. To determine your personal “TOP” opportunities, consider potential impact:

If the School responded strongly to this opportunity, could it be a game changer?

REPORTER: Be prepared to report your group’s top four opportunities at the SOAR SUMMIT.

STOP HERE. You will be prompted to return to the SOAR SUMMIT.

We are in Breakout Room #_______

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Visions and Aspirations for our Future

ZOOM & TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS

There should be at least three (3) people in your ZOOM breakout room. If that is not the case, send a CHAT

message to one of the co-hosts and you will receive instructions.

You have 20 minutes to accomplish three (3) tasks.

Task 1: Breakout Room Management

For this activity, assign the following roles:

~~~~ Timekeeper ~~~~ Scribe ~~~~ Reporter ~~~~

Task 2: Breakout Room Discussion

OBJECTIVE: Share visions and aspirations for the School of Public Health.

General instructions

As a group, imagine that it is 2025 and all your dreams and aspirations for the SPH have come to pass. What is happening at the School from the perspective of your breakout room’s opportunity area?

1) Discuss this future version of the School of Public Health – from the perspective of your specific opportunity area.

• What activities do you see?

• How did this come about – what helped it happen? (Leadership, resources, hiring, etc.)

• What makes this vision exciting?

2) Capture your group’s vision in an ASPIRATION STATEMENT. An aspiration statement is:

• Desired – it reflects what you really want. If you got this, you would want it!

• Bold and provocative – it is a stretch that will attract other public health professionals.

• Affirmative – it is stated as if it’s happening right now.

• Grounded – it is a real possibility, albeit a big vision that will require resources & energy.

• Unconditionally positive – it brings out the best in our staff, faculty, students, and for the School of Public Health.

SCRIBE: Open GOOGLE Slides and make sure everyone in the breakout room has access to the slide. Write your group’s ASPIRATION STATEMENT on the GOOGLE slide. Use LARGE FONT (36 or bigger) so that it’s easy to read when you share your screen at the SOAR SUMMIT.

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Task 3: Breakout Room Activity

OBJECTIVE: Creatively capture your vision and aspiration for the School of Public Health.

Imagine that your vision comes to pass and the School of Public Health meets all your ASPIRATIONS.

Now, imagine that one of the following happens in recognition of the School of Public Health’s success:

• A research-related award is presented to the School of Public Health. It could be an award for

science or a humanitarian prize that recognizes the public-health impact.

• An article in a leading Public Health education journal describes the School’s curricular success.

• The media (eg: NPR or CNN or FOX News or the New York Times) get ahold of a current event

story involving the School of Public Health and run a story.

General instructions

As a group: use your GOOGLE slide to create PICTURES and/or GRAPHICS that captures your vision and aspiration. It could be any of the following:

• A depiction of the award

• The cover of the journal or magazine

• A screen shot of the media coverage

Tips for creating your slide:

• Collaborate – GOOGLE slides allows all of you to work on the picture at once.

• Use the GOOGLE slides shapes and colors to enliven the picture.

• Go to the internet for graphics or pictures.

• Use the entire slide – leave no white space on the slide.

TIMEKEEPER: Watch the clock and make sure you have enough time to accomplish both tasks, the

ASPIRATION statement and the picture / graphic.

REPORTER: be prepared to

1. Share your screen in presentation mode at the SOAR SUMMIT.

2. Read aloud your ASPIRATION STATEMENT and show your pictures & graphics to everyone.

3. Explain how your pictures & graphics conveys the aspiration you have for the School of Public

Health in your specific opportunity area.

HAVE FUN! BE CREATIVE!

STOP HERE. You will be prompted to return to the SOAR SUMMIT at the end of the Activity time.

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Individual Reflection

Consider everything you have heard, said, and experienced so far today. Reflect on:

• What you learned

• What you heard that excites you about the future of the School of Public Health

• How you would like to be personally involved going forward

Notes: Use this spot to take your own personal notes about your experiences.

Stay Tuned

TODAY WAS A GREAT START – and we are not finished. In the coming weeks and months, watch for news

about the Strategic Planning Process and how you can continue to be involved.

QUESTIONS? Please contact one of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee members listed in this

booklet.

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

School of Public Health

THANK YOU

FOR PARTICIPATING