Engaging Broader Leaders in the Strategic Planning of Lincoln Women's Services

Abstract

Lincoln Women's Services is a rapidly-growing not-for-profit organization that faces a problem: they share their facilities in a tight city block with another non-profit that also wants to grow. The executive director, Maria Worthington, and the board chair, John Balmore, interview Barry Kravich, an OD consultant, about facilitating a meeting of the board and staff to address the space conflict. Kravich suggests a “two-loop” strategic planning process to review the larger context while making decisions about the squeezed space. Lincoln is in the business of helping young women with significant medical conditions to gain positive employment, so they form a diverse “Strategy Team” of people who care about these women. The first loop includes a large group “Vision” meeting and then active testing of the initial plans. The second loop begins with a large “Commitment” meeting three months later, beginning the real strategic plan. This “inclusive” process inadvertently overlooks one stakeholder group. Yet, the way in which they engage the “left out” group literally leads to a breakthrough—an entirely new campus. It expands the capacity of the facilities, the reach of the services, and the national reputation of Lincoln.

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