1. WORKING AS ONE
SCRIPT:
First, I want to thank all of you for taking the time to be with us today to participate in this planning activity for our club. We are so happy you could be here today as we think about our past, our present and our future.
Today, we are going to walk through the steps of Working As One, an exercise that will help us to think about our work and optimize the way we use our resources.
Our organization is approaching its 100th anniversary! I think we all know that in 2021, we will turn 100! Your 100th birthday is a time for reflection – a time to honor and celebrate our past while planning for our future. Soroptimists today have a unique responsibility and opportunity – to plan how we can keep our organization healthy and vibrant for another 100 years.
Created by:
Jennifer Spear
@workunscripted

2. Our Big Goal
Increased collective impact: being better known for the impact we have on women and girls through our Dream Programs.
SCRIPT:
A Big Goal helps an organization drive greater focus, impact and success.
Consistently, clubs have told us that to be successful, they need support with membership and recognition. To secure our successful future – and the impact we have on women and girls – we need to be better known for our work. After much research, we found the most effective way to do this is to be focused on the same programs with the same goals and impact – Live Your Dream Award and Dream It, Be It. We cannot tell our story if our story is different in the 1,300 communities where our clubs operate.
Since , our big goal has been “increased collective impact” which we have defined as being better known for our work empowering more women and girls. To achieve this big goal, we identified the need to work differently, moving from clubs taking individualized action in their own communities to one where we work as one to build the collective impact of our organization through our Dream Programs.

3. Our Next Big Goal
Invest in the dreams of half a million women and girls through access to education.
SCRIPT
While we are focused on achieving our current big goal of increased collective impact, we are also preparing for our next Big Goal that will kick off with our anniversary and last for ten years from Over the past several years, we have had the opportunity to help plan for our next century through the Barriers and Solutions exercise, the two Big Goal Exercises, convention exercises and our member survey.
Increased recognition of the impact of our Dream Programs will bring us more members, supporters and funders. And this will allow us to reach more women and girls. To do this, we must be clear about our impact so others can understand how we are improving the lives of women and girls.

4. Honoring our past and planning for our future.
Working as One
Honoring our past and planning for our future.
SCRIPT:
To achieve increased collective impact and prepare for our next Big Goal, we will have to change the way we work.
What can our club do to help our organization move from fragmented program activities across clubs to collective programs and deep impact that will help us gain more recognition for our organization and maximize our social impact?
What can our club do to reconsider how we spend our time and resources to shape Soroptimist’s future and the future of the women and girls who need our help?
What we’re considering today does not discredit the legacy or achievements of our existing projects.
Our board of directors and other organizational leaders recognize that we joined this organization because our hearts connect with our mission. Those same leaders have heard us state that we need greater recognition for our work. In order to achieve global brand recognition, we need to be focused on the same programs with the same goals delivering the same impact.
We will need to set aside some of our attachments to certain club activities regardless of how long we’ve been doing the project, how much we like a project, the legacy of a project, and the obligations we feel towards community partners.
We have to approach this activity from a business perspective and may need to make some tough decisions to help all of Soroptimist work together as one organization. This means thinking critically about what logically fits with our Big Goal.
This is going to feel uncomfortable. We’re a club – a whole organization – of helpers! We want to be able to meet all the needs of our community and contribute globally. But limited resources – funding, volunteer hours, declining membership rates – means we need to shift our thinking to be a little bit “selfish” in also focusing on the success of our own organization.
We’re all in this together. All organizations must have planning conversations, even though they can be tough conversations to have. And it’s vital to have the conversations at every level of Soroptimist – clubs, regions, and federation – because we need to be in this together to ensure Soroptimist thrives in our next century.

5. Reflect…
If our target population of women and girls who have faced obstacles such as poverty, violence or teen pregnancy had more access to education…
What would the IMPACT be
on our community?
INSTRUCTIONS:
Read the script below and ask the group to think about both short and long term impact. Then depending on the size of your group, you can either:
Have a few people offer their thoughts to the whole group
Have people discuss in their small groups
Have people discuss in their small groups and then briefly report out to the larger group
SCRIPT:
Our organization has spent countless hours examining our work, the work of other organizations and research about what is most needed by women and girls who face obstacles to their success. Global agencies, both governmental and non-governmental alike, agree that a quality education, more than any other intervention, holds the greatest potential to transform the lives of women and girls. Education can lift women and girls out of poverty, decrease morality rates, increase overall health, decrease incidences of violence, and increase the chances that their own children earn an education.
And we know this matters to our clubs as well because they made it a focus of our next Big Goal: Invest in the dreams of half a million women and girls through access to education. And our Dream Programs not only provide education to women and girls, but they also fill a needed gap in services – support to women with dependents and to girls who do not have other role models or mentors. And we have identified that 20 million women and girls are eligible for our programs in our 21 countries and territories.
What if our target population – women and girls who face obstacles to their success – had even more access to education? What would our impact be on our community? What about the world?

6. Our Vision
Women and girls have the resources and opportunities to reach their full potential and live their dreams
SCRIPT:
Our organization has a vision that women and girls will have the resources and opportunities to reach their full potential and live their dreams.

7. Our Mission
Soroptimist improves the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment
SCRIPT:
And our mission is to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment.
These are broad statements about how we want the world to be as the result of our work and how we will achieve it. Our strategic plan provides more information about how we will make that happen.

8. SCRIPT:
The Strategic Challenge Map allows us to see our entire Strategic Plan on one page. This allows it to be easily understood and communicated by anyone in the organization.
We have the Vision at the top and then the Mission to achieve the Vision and then the Big Goal to reach the Mission and the Strategic Outcomes to reach the Big Goal and the Objectives to reach the Strategic Outcomes and the Strategies to reach the Objectives.
We ask “Why” as we go up and we ask “What’s Stopping Us” as we go down.
So, if we are looking at one of the Objectives we would ask “why would we want to do this?” The answer is because it will help us achieve our Strategic Outcomes. Then we could ask ”Why would we want to achieve this Strategic Outcome?” And the answer is because it will help us achieve our Big Goal. And “why do we want to achieve our Big Goal?” Because it will help us achieve our mission. We could then ask “why would we want to achieve our mission?” And it is to help us achieve our overall Vision.
If we start at the top and look at the Vision, we would ask “What is stopping us from achieving our Vision?” And the answer would be because we haven’t yet achieved our Mission. We could then ask “What is stopping us from achieving our Mission?” and the answer is that we haven’t yet reached our Big Goal. We could ask “What is stopping us from reaching our Big Goal?” is that we haven’t yet achieved our Strategic Outcomes. We could then ask “What is stopping us from achieving our Strategic Outcomes?” and the answer would be that we haven’t yet achieved all of our Objectives.
We then ask “What is stopping us from achieving our Objectives?” and THAT is the question that we are here to answer. Each club is responsible for implementing Strategies, Tactics or Action Items to help our organization achieve our Objectives, and that will allow us to accomplish our Strategic Outcomes, and that will allow us to achieve our Mission, and ultimately our Vision.
Once we fill in the strategies and tactics on the Challenge Map, anyone should be able to look at this Strategic Plan and see where they fit, see how WHAT they are working on will support achieving the Mission. Every tactic is important and will be needed in order to ensure that we can help improve the lives of women and girls through our Dream Programs.
This one page Strategic Plan is also a great tool for decision making and resource allocation. When our club is faced with a decision, we can ask “why would we want to do this?” Will it increase the Impact or Engagement of the Dream Programs? If yes, then it might be an easy decision. If no, then we have to question why we spend our valuable resources on something that is not going to support us in achieving the Mission.

9. SCRIPT:
Today we are going to focus on one of the Strategic Outcomes (IMPACT), because we believe this is a critical piece for the success of our club, our region, and our federation.

10. Challenge Map Steps Why would we want to do that?
As you move up:
Why would we want to do that?
As you move down:
What’s stopping us from doing it?
INSTRUCTIONS:
Tape the Vision, Mission & Objectives to the wall to look like the Map on slide 8.
VISION
MISSION
OBJECTIVE – OBJECTIVE – OBJECTIVE - OBJECTIVE
Read each one to the group.
Then go to slide 11 – “Strategic Objectives” to ask them about what the Objectives mean.

11. Increase the Impact of our Live Your Dream Awards Objective SCRIPT:

12. Increase the Impact of Dream It, Be It Objective SCRIPT:

13. Increase Engagement in our Live Your Dream Awards Objective SCRIPT:

14. Increase Engagement in Dream It, Be It Objective SCRIPT:

15. What does it mean to increase our impact?
Strategic Objectives
What does it mean to increase our impact?
What does it mean
to increase
our engagement?
INSTRUCTIONS:
After you have pasted the Objectives on the Wall and read each one out loud, ask the group:
What does it mean to increase IMPACT?
(Hints: creating measureable change in the lives of women and girls; reaching more women and girls, working together; following the same strategy; reaching for the same goals; focusing on our common mission and programs)
What does it mean to increase our ENGAGEMENT?
(Hints: involving more people in our mission, more club participation, new clubs, new members, improving the member experience)
And then let the group discuss and come to an understanding. As facilitator, you may need to step in if necessary, ask for clarification, or make sure everyone understands and agrees.
Allow at least 5 minutes for discussion.
Then you will move to the next slide and you will demonstrate the Map you have taped on the wall.

16. Challenge Map Steps Why would we want to do that?
As you move up:
Why would we want to do that?
As you move down:
What’s stopping us from doing it?
INSTRUCTIONS:
You will now demonstrate the “Why” “What’s Stopping Us” with the Vision, Mission and Objectives taped on the wall.
Place your hand on the first Objective and read it out loud “Increase the Impact of our Live the Dream Awards” then ask ”Why would we want to do that?” Then place your hand on the Mission and ask “would it help us improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment?” Get them to agree.
Then move your hand to the next Objective and read it out loud “Increase the Impact of Dream It, Be It” and then ask “why would we want to do that?” Then move your hand to the Mission statement and ask “would it help us improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment?” Get them to agree.
Then move your hand to the next Objective and read it out loud “Increase Engagement in our Live Your Dream Awards” and then ask “why would we want to do that?” Then move your hand to the Mission Statement and ask “would it help us improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment?” Get them to agree.
Then move your hand to the last Objective and read it out loud “Increase Engagement in Dream It, Be It” and ask “Why would we want to do that?”, then move your hand to the Mission Statement and ask “would it help us improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment?” Get them to agree.
Now put your hand back to the line of Objectives and ask – “What is stopping us from achieving our Objectives?

17. Challenge Map Steps What is stopping us from achieving the objective?
(List all the possible reasons!)
INSTRUCTIONS:
ASSIGN EACH GROUP A DIFFERENT OBJECTIVE
If you have more than 4 groups you can have multiple groups working on each Objective. Give them 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes see if the groups need more time, if they do, give them more time here and if necessary cut another activity short, this is an important activity.
You will have them work together and capture their answers on a flip chart, you will need one person in each group to volunteer to record the work of the group.
SCRIPT:
For the Objective you have been assigned, write down the reasons that could be stopping us from achieving this Objective on the flip chart.
You are to list all of the possible reasons – we are not looking for the one right answer but all of the possible answers.
We need a volunteer from each group to scribe, you are to write down everything that is said. Do not worry about editing or wording at this point, just capture everything that is said. You should be striving to create as long a list as you can.
You have 5 minutes.

18. What is stopping us from achieving the objective?
Strategic Objectives
What is stopping us from
achieving the objective?
List all of the possible reasons
Place yellow dots next to your top choices
INSTRUCTIONS:
Once all groups have finished capturing “What’s Stopping Us” you are going to have each person identify their top three items using yellow dots.
If you have time you can give everyone a few minutes to wander around and review the other groups’ lists OR you could have each group read out loud the items that have a yellow dot next to them.
Once this is done you may want to take a break before the next activity.
SCRIPT:
Each person in the group has three yellow dots and you are to put them next to the items that you think are our biggest barriers to achieving the objectives.
You might choose one because you think it is the most important and represents the biggest hurdle facing our club’s ability to achieve our Objectives.
Or you might choose one that you think would be really quick and easy to fix and therefore give you some momentum – the choice is yours.

19. Club Activities List by name ALL: Programs Activities Initiatives
Fundraising Events
…our club is involved in!
INSTRUCTIONS:
Inform them that we are moving on to another activity but that we will be coming back to review “What’s Stopping Us?”
Working in groups you are going to ask each group to list on a flip chart all of the various Programs, Activities, Initiatives and Fundraising Events that our club is involved in.
Give them 5 minutes to complete the list.
SCRIPT:
We are now going to move on to our next activity. But, we will come back to review our answers to What’s Stopping Us?
You will need someone to volunteer to scribe for the group.
Using the flip chart, please list all of the various activities that our club is involved in. You should include all Projects, Activities, Initiatives and Fundraising Events – every single thing.
You have 5 minutes.

20. Club Activities Put a RED DOT next to anything that focuses on WOMEN
and/or
GIRLS
INSTRUCTIONS:
Once they have completed the list of all Activities you will then ask them to review the list and place a RED dot next to any program the focuses on WOMEN and/or GIRLS who face barriers to their success like violence, poverty or teen pregnancy.
Only one RED dot per item is needed.
Give them three minutes to complete.
SCRIPT:
Now you are to review the list that you have created. Identify any item that focuses on WOMEN and/or GIRLS who face obstacles to their success such as poverty, violence or teen pregnancy and then you are to place one RED dot next to that item. You have three minutes.

21. Club Activities Put a GREEN DOT next to anything that focuses on
EDUCATION
(If it already has a RED dot, put the GREEN dot next to it)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Once they have completed that step you will then ask them to review the list again and place a GREEN dot next to any program the focuses on EDUCATION.
Give them three minutes to complete.
SCRIPT:
Now you are to review the list that you have created again. This time you are to identify any item that focuses on EDUCATION and then you are to place one GREEN dot next to that item. If the item already has a RED dot next to it that is okay, just place the GREEN dot next to the RED one. You have three minutes.

22. Club Activities Put a BLUE DOT next to anything that focuses on the
DREAM PROGRAMS
(If it already has a RED dot and/or a GREEN dot, put the BLUE dot next to them)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Once they have completed that step you will then ask them to review the list again and place a BLUE dot next to any program the focuses on the DREAM PROGRAMS
Give them three minutes to complete.
SCRIPT”
Now you are to review the list that you have created. This time you are to identify any item that focuses on the DREAM PROGRAMS and then you are to place one BLUE dot next to that item. If the item already has a RED dot or a GREEN dot next to it, that is okay, just place the BLUE dot next to the RED or GREEN one. You have three minutes.

23. What do you notice? Reflection INSTRUCTIONS:
If more than one group, have them physically get up and walk around and look at the different lists.
Give them a few minutes to wander around.
Then ask them: “What did you notice?” And then be silent.
Let the group share their observations.
SCRIPT:
I will ask that you now get up and wander around the room and observe the lists that each group produced.
(after a few minutes)
Thank you. Now I would like to hear your observations… What did you notice?
(after some reflection is reported)
This has all been excellent work. Keeping this in mind, let’s move to our last exercise.

24. STOP START CONTINUE INSTRUCTIONS:
Distribute the printed worksheet for each group or member.
Have each small group work on this together.
SCRIPT:
As a club, we have limited resources and need to make sure we are focusing on the right areas to move our club and the organization forward. Sometimes it can be a challenge to figure out where to begin. This activity can help us with that.
In order for us to achieve our Objectives, in order to achieve our Big Goal:
What do we need to START doing?
What do we need to STOP doing?
What do we need to CONTINUE doing at our club level?
Let’s look back at the list of Club Activities you created for inspiration. Where are the dots placed? What activities should we STOP, START or CONTINUE? …in order to ensure that we are able to make progress to increase the IMPACT and ENGAGEMENT of our Dream Programs.
Look at what we captured for “What is Stopping Us” from achieving our Objectives… Are there things that we should START doing? Or things that we should STOP doing? Or perhaps we need to put more time and attention into some of the things we are already doing… so what should we CONTINUE to do?
List as many activities and ideas as possible under each column.
Observe what you have recorded in each column. Once we have compiled all of the work of the group, we will have a start to our action planning for the club.

25. WORKING AS ONE Thank you! SCRIPT:
Thank you for participating in these activities today. We’ve done some great thinking that will really set us up for success.
Before we know it, we will be celebrating Soroptimist’s 100th anniversary. The work we did together today will help to prepare us for our next century. There is still a lot of work to be done but now that we have identified what we need to focus on, we can make substantial progress towards our Big Goal and set us up for success in our Next Big Goal.
As you know we must work as one….to Shape our Future for Increased Collective Impact. When we work as one – it makes our organization better. Stronger. More successful. And it means that we can have an even greater impact on the lives of women and girls facing obstacles to their success.
Thank you for all your great work so far!
Our next steps will be to:
Compile and synthesize all the information we have created today and share back with the club.
Find those areas of agreement and begin to plan for our next steps.
Using additional resources including the Club Road Map and the Turning Dreams Into Action Decision Tree, we will plan how we will put what we learned in Working As One into Action for our club to grow and thrive.
We’ll participate in the Take One Step Campaign during club year
We’ll communicate the change in our way of working in our community to gain support and excitement using the Communications Resource coming soon from headquarters.
Our club has always been invested in helping the women and girls of our community and those around the world who need our help. The work that we have done today will also help us to ensure that our beloved organization is healthy, vibrant and thriving for our next 100 years!
Jennifer Spear
@workunscripted