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Charting the Course:. An Inclusive Process for Strategic Planning. Presenters: Cheryl Albrecht Associate Dean for Public Services, University Libraries, University of Cincinnati Jane Carlin Department Head,
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Charting the Course: An Inclusive Process for Strategic Planning Presenters: Cheryl Albrecht Associate Dean for Public Services, University Libraries, University of Cincinnati Jane Carlin Department Head, College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, University Libraries, University of Cincinnati
“It is a paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it.” -Arnold Toynbee
Phase I Planning Structure and Process • Dean formed Strategic Plan Task Force to determine process and a Steering Committee to produce the plan • Consultant hired (Objectivity!) • All-staff forums held to create mission, vision, and values
Phase II Active Engagement of all Staff • Appreciative Inquiry used to identify “what’s working,” “what needs to change,” and “what needs to stop” • Steering Committee took ideas and proposed nine strategic directions • Staff reached consensus on strategic directions
Phase II Active Engagement of all Staff • Steering Committee posted minutes and notes on Planning web site • Final version of University Libraries Strategic Plan, 2003-2005, created and presented
Phase III Implementation • Staff voted on five strategic directions to be acted on first • Five task forces formed and given three months to work on specific action items within the five strategic directions • Task forces shared draft reports with all staff and used their input to complete reports and recommendations to the Steering Committee
Phase III Implementation • Public Services and Technical Services Implementation Teams formed • Dean formed Strategic Planning Committee to lead completion of action items by appointing new task forces • Staff assessed the planning process and gave input to be used in future planning efforts
Outcomes Planning Structure and Process • Shared mission, vision, and values, as well as policies, procedures, and resources across all libraries • Increased communication between departments and across University Libraries • Heightened sense of ownership and responsibility of University Libraries’ successes and challenges by being a part of the decision-making process
Outcomes Planning Structure and Process • Expanded quality-service and continuous-improvement measures • Increased opportunities for leadership, involvement, and staff development
Sustaining the Momentum (Avoiding the Doldrums) • dol·drums (d l dr mz , dôl -, d l -)pl.n.(used with a sing. or pl. verb) • -A period of stagnation or slump. • -A period of depression or unhappy listlessness. • -A region of the ocean near the equator, characterized by calms, light winds, or squalls. • -The weather conditions characteristic of these regions of the ocean.
“Even with the best of maps and instruments, we can never fully chart our journeys.” - Gail Pool
Our approach to continuous improvement: Excellence in Higher Education Program • Institutionalizing the concept of continuous quality improvement • Developing our own cadre of facilitators • Applying the Strategic Planning process at the department/team level
Continuous improvement at the department/team level • EHE provides a framework for continuous improvement and adapting our strategic plan at the departmental, group, or team level • Establishes new patterns of communicating and working together • Practical • Action/Results-oriented
The EHE Process • Self-Assessment • Prioritizing Areas for Improvement • Consider “stakeholders” • Identify high impact projects
What has the SP process meant to individual staff members? • Introduced a new level of transparency to the workings of the library and its decision making process • Made participation worthwhile with tangible/measurable outcomes • Created a vested interest • Introduced new methods of workplace interaction and communication
How has it changed the work environment? • More team-oriented and inclusive • New ideas and approaches are not ignored • Assessment is part of the workplace and is viewed as a positive • Consensus building can be time consuming
What three words would you use to describe the process? Successful Valuable Inclusive
Planning the second time around • Similar approach • Shorter time frame -- staff know the drill! • Utilizing internal facilitators • Integrating with UC|21 -- UC’s strategic plan
“Continual improvement is an unending journey.” -Lloyd Dobens and Clare Crawford-Mason, Thinking About Quality