When is the last time you questioned how or why you do something in a particular way? Is it still necessary to follow a 16-step process in order to get a package mailed when you can now buy one-price boxes from the post office? Does it make sense to file documents by date when eventually you’re going to pull them all back together and combine data into a single summary report?
Sometimes we can seem to keep making the same mistakes over and over again even when tweaks and changes are made to processes. When this happens, it can mean we are not getting to the root cause of the problem.
In a recent Align article we presented the pros and cons of using a third-party facilitator. Now we will give you some insight into the benefits of engaging an Align consultant, as reported from the experiences of two of our recent clients. The story is written in first-person (with no quotation marks) for readability. It is a compilation of the comments of two clients but was not written by either of them.
“If you don’t know where you are going, you are certain to end up somewhere else.” Yogi Berra
Once you make up your mind to carry through with strategic planning in spite of all your misgivings about the environmental landscape, your first stop on the road to engaging others must be with the board of directors.
In an environment where uncertainty, apathy and malaise have become common words, long term planning might seem like a futile exercise. With donations declining and more competition for fewer resources, it’s difficult to know if you will have access to what you need to meet your strategic goals. Political climates as volatile as the weather make it impossible to know if your priorities will match the priorities of those who will represent you.