USING STRATEGIC PLANNING TO GET HEALTHIER

 

I used to have a New Year's resolutions ritual. Same goals, same treadmill drudgery, same disappointing results. Someone once said “insanity is doing the same thing, over and over, and expecting different results.”* What if I turned my consulting expertise and experience toward my personal goals? Could strategic planning finally be the solution to getting healthier? With my notepad and a new insight, I explored my health goals like I was facilitating a nonprofit’s strategic planning process.

I asked myself strategic questions like I’d ask an organization:

  1. What do I hope for myself in the future? (vision)
  2. What is my current health status? (current identity profile)
  3. Who can be my support system? (community input)
  4. How will I make decisions on my journey? (strategy screen)
  5. What do I personally have that will ensure my success? (strategic advantages)
  6. What strategies do I need to execute to reach my goal? (organizational, programmatic, and operational)

When building my personal road map, I found that a personal strategic plan and creating an organization’s strategic plan have much in common:

  1. Both involve taking a step back and assessing current situation.
  2. Both require setting goals and creating a plan.
  3. Both are about creating a positive and impactful change.
  4. Both require strategies to reach goals.
  5. Both are ongoing processes.
  6. To be successful, both need to be flexible and adaptable.
  7. Both take time.
  8. Both can be rewarding for staying the course.

My personal roadmap and a nonprofit strategic plan were more like each other than different: thorough analysis, setting clear goals, and a flexible approach. Both demanded self-reflection, planning, focus, and the capacity to pivot when life threw curveballs. Both are not sprints, more like a long run with an end in sight.

I’m happy to report that my strategic “health” plan worked. The reward? I didn’t just get healthier, but I developed a newfound confidence and energy that has changed every aspect of my life… plus I got some new headshots. While the comparison might seem worlds apart, the shared process of self-reflection, planning, focus, and resilience unlocked my success.

Ready to unlock yours? DBD Group can help your organization achieve its goals with the same laser focus I applied to my health goal. Schedule a free consultation today and let's get started!

 

* Sometimes attributed to Albert Einstein, but he didn't say it. Learn more here: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2017/03/23/same/


THIS MONTH'S FOCUSTSNEWJan

As you start a new year, you might have a long list of work resolutions. We’re not here to add to your list, but to give you some ideas on how to make those resolutions a reality. Why not try something new?

 

 

 

Posted by Richard Clegg
Richard Clegg

Written by Richard Clegg

Richard Clegg serves as a strategic consultant and thinking partner for a wide range of nonprofit organizations. His 40+ years of experience working in various program, leadership, and executive positions gives him unique insight into the challenges and complexities of managing mission-based organizations. Richard holds an Advanced Consultant certification with BoardSource. Before coming to DBD Group, Richard consulted with YMCAs and other nonprofit community-based organizations with operating revenues from $1M to $80M in the areas of strategy development, strategic planning, board development and governance, executive transition, and organizational capacity building.

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