2. I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been. —Wayne Gretzky

3. STEP ONE: GETTING READY When was the organization formed and why? What led to it being formed? What key changes have occurred since it was formed? How is the organization governed and how is it staffed?

4. STEP ONE: GETTING READY Define or review your club’s: Mission What do we want to accomplish? Vision What will happen when we accomplish our mission? Values What are our principles?

5. STEP ONE: GETTING READY Select committed members able to devote the necessary attention to the “big picture”! 1.Create a Planning Committee 2.Identify specific issues to address 3.Clarify roles (who does what in the process) 4.Develop an organizational profile that includes the organization’s and club’s mission, vision, and values 5.Identify the information that must be collected to help make sound decisions- (answer the questions in the previous slides, and slides to follow)

6. THINKING STRATEGICALLY What is the one thing your club was worst at this year? What single thing most needs to happen to fix it? What is the one thing your club did best this year? What do you need to do to turn that success into a repeatable process?

7. THINKING STRATEGICALLY Which individual was most responsible for your club's success this year? What are you going to do about it? Which group, team or function was most responsible for your club's success this year? What are you going to do about it?

8. THINKING STRATEGICALLY If you left the club today, and came back tomorrow as a new president/ committee member with a clean sheet, what would you do? If a perfect competitor opened up across the street from you tomorrow, what would they be like?

9. STEP TWO: ASSESSING THE SITUATION S TRENGTHS W EAKNESSES O PPORTUNITIES T HREATS

10. SWOT ANALYSIS A SWOT analysis can offer helpful perspectives at any stage of an effort. You might use it to: Explore possibilities for new efforts or solutions to problems. Make decisions about the best path for your initiative. Identify your opportunities for success while considering threats to success to clarify directions and choices. Determine where change is possible. If you are at a juncture or turning point, an inventory of your strengths and weaknesses can reveal priorities as well as possibilities. Adjust and refine plans mid-course. A new opportunity might open wider avenues, while a new threat could close a path that once existed.

11. SWOT ANALYSIS Helps you determine: Where you are? What you have to work with? Where you want to be? How you get there? Consider internal and external influences…

12. THE INTERNAL COMPONENT The club's strengths and weaknesses. Current club performance in terms of finance, members, exchange recruitment, leadership. Factors necessary to the future and continued success. These may be factors like relationship with target community/ potential members, resources, exchange program variety, governance structure, and leadership skills and style. Activities, attitudes, assumptions, etc. – that would cripple the club and keep it from fulfilling its mission.

13. THE EXTERNAL COMPONENT The broader environment in which FF operates. …Changing demographics, community values, economic trends, communications and other technological trends -- and consider their impact on FF. Opportunities and challenges related to resources. …Actual and potential collaborators and competitors, including organizations which may serve the same target population.

14. BREAK-OUT Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Groups of 10-12 2-3 people on each SWOT to start Swap SWOT sections

15. REPORT BACK Strengths to be leveraged Opportunities to take advantage of Weaknesses to overcome Threats to prepare to avoid

16. STEP THREE: IDENTIFY THEMES Assemble the Strengths and Opportunity cards into similar or overlapping themes. These might be thought of as repeatable regularities but remember that one-off or small unique clusters of comments can be hugely important too!

17. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS What are the broad goal areas you should focus on to achieve your vision/mission?

18. STEP FOUR: MEASURES How will you measure each Goal? What are the measurable objectives for each goal that will track your progress to achieving that goal? Make sure each objective is S.M.A.R.T. Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-bound

19. STEP FIVE: STRATEGIES Once you have Goals with measures, and your SWOT, you are ready to develop strategies. Strategies should either meet a Critical Success Factor (S or O) overcome a barrier (W or T). Metrics and measures; Timelines; Roles, responsibilities and resources

20. STEP SIX: PRIORITIZE How critical is each goal to the success of your club?

21. STEP SEVEN: WRITE IT ALL OUT Finalize a written strategic plan that summarizes the results and decisions of the strategic planning process. Build in procedures for monitoring, and for modifying strategies based on changes

22. QUESTIONS? Thank you for attending!! Please follow up with me and share your experience with creating a strategic plan for your club!! Matthew Nidek matthew@thefriendshipforce.org