It wasn’t until we were swimming in our strategy session’s second hour that the picture materialized in my mind. Professor Daniel Degravel, our French strategist from Cal State Northridge had become the Marcel Marseu of Strategic Planning.
Yes, in our first strategy session (July) we were able to to identify: Our clients, four key clients’ needs, our current activities, similiar organizations, stakeholders, and future products to deliver. This session laid the ground work for the next level for which we determined our vision, mission, and goals in the September retreat.
But in this last session, Daniel helped us to pull these pieces together. Just like Marcel Marseu, who had drew boxes in the air with his fingers and descended down imaginary staircases, Daniel opened our minds to see the vision and mission that we had created and to build the relationships to our goals, products, and clients.
We ultimately created a matrix of the four key client needs of the organization:
- Education about strategy:The ASP-LA, like our national organization thrives to deliver knowledge to an assortment of “clients” like consultants, students, small and large businesses, etc.
- Implementation of strategy: It is said that 80 percent of strategic plans fail due to implementation. This need therefore is paramount to those who are in the discipline.
- Legitimization: The ASP strategic planning certificates should bring a level of validation to those who hold them.
- Hub-nexion: This is a word that Daniel created meaning the need to network, or look at the ASP as a hub for strategy among the different clients.
In addition to these needs were the external goals that ASP seeks to achieve:
- Increased awareness to organizations of the nature and benefits of strategic management
- Strengthening ASP brand
- Growth and retention of membership
Likewise, ASP must address its internal goals in its strategy:
- Financial sustainability
- Alignment of local ASP goals to the national organization
- Improved access to resources
The matrix and tactics will be far more complex than this in ASP’s strategy. The main point is to implement our strategic plan in light of the ASP-LA mission which is “to serve as a resource to southern California organizations in order to foster their success in strategic management.”
Stay tuned to our next session as Daniel applies the white makeup to his face.