The group has now moved beyond the talk stage and arrived at the "big H" -- the how to in the planning process. Goals have been listed and prioritized. Now it's time to translate them into action. Explain that the model you will be using is very task-oriented and commits people to action. The key to success is pinning down who will do what when.
During the goal-setting stage, the group should have come up with a prioritized list of possible projects/ideas. Now it's time for people to sign onto a specific project. Begin by listing the top goals, somewhere between 5 and 10.
Start by asking people to walk up to the priority goals listed on the newsprint and initial the goal they want to personally work on. As they sign on, it's important to consider the feasibility of the goal. Some may be short-term and easy to achieve; others may be beyond reach.
(For example, an inner-city Des Moines neighborhood came up with a top ten "wish list" with the top priority being jobs for young people. When they rated the list in terms of how "do-able" the goals were, however, the list flip-flopped. Their top goal of jobs for young people wasn't something they could do anything about -- there weren't any businesses left in the neighborhood. However, goal #3 was to, in their words, "get city hall off their butts." Residents felt they could tackle this one, and did. They made sure that at least three residents attended all city council meetings; that a member of the neighborhood be appointed to every city board and commission; and that the neighborhood apply for a housing rehabilitation grant. Within a year, all of those strategies had been successfully accomplished.)
Narrow the field to form work groups. After people have signed on to goals, the goals that attracted the most initials should be tackled. As a rule, no more than three goals should be dealt with because otherwise commitment will be spread too thin. Those people who sign on to other goals will need to join another group working on a priority goal.
Designate areas of the room for the different goal groups to cluster and begin the action planning process. Once the groups are situated, you are ready to begin explaining the action planning process.
Walk the audience through the "Action Planning Definitions" sheet. Hand out this sheet, which explains the terms used in action planning. Begin with the definition of terms.
Emphasize that the goals should be stated so that "people on the street" can easily understand it. It's hard to sell an idea that isn't clear and concise.
Next talk about capacity. Does the organization or community have the "fire power" to accomplish the goal? This is a critical, but often overlooked consideration. Capacity can be defined in terms of resources -- money, volunteer support, and expertise necessary to get the job done. The more specifically these can be identified and defined, the better the prospect of success.
Likewise, it's crucial that the payoff be clearly defined. When most people are initially approached with an idea or proposal, their first thought is "How does this effect me?" This is a reality that anyone in advertising or marketing knows -- you have to sell the benefits of a product or idea before it will be accepted.
It's also critical to identify potential risks. Explain that it doesn't pay to always "think pink" -- you may run into a buzzsaw. There are usually some risks lurking in the bushes, and failure to identify and anticipate these risks could thwart your efforts.
(In Urbandale, Iowa, for example, most people said there was no risk in hiring a professional chamber executive, but a few people identified potential risks: The salary commitment could sap the chamber. Also, the chamber's traditional strength was its volunteer base. If a full-time professional took charge, volunteer commitment might fade and people would say, "let the hired hand do it.")
Once the goal, capacity, payoffs, and risks have been defined, the group is ready to begin identifying strategies. Note that it is imperative that people first talk about the former points before getting bogged down with strategies. Otherwise they'll never do these points justice.
Explain that strategies should be thought of as means to an end. The goal is the end and the strategies are the tactics that should be employed to reach that end. I use the analogies of an athletic event or military campaign. For example, in a basketball game, the goal it to win the game. Lots of strategies will be employed, perhaps, for example, slowing the ball down in the fourth quarter or double-teaming the center.
Under strategies, the tasks need to be identified. This is the crucial bottom line of planning -- who will do what .. when. You may encounter some resistance to this phase because it involves commitment and accountability. It gets back to an earlier point that "after all was said and done, more was said than done." Writing down who will do what when means that people have to quit talking and sign on the dotted line.
Now hand out the Action Planning Worksheet. Allow at least 10 minutes for the audience to privately and quietly fill out the sheet. This phase is critical to brainstorming -- individual time insures that everyone makes a contribution to and has some ownership of the plan. Instruct each group to select a moderator and/or recorder and make sure that everyone contributes by listing ideas round-robin. Mention that the recorder should be responsible for the "master action planning sheet" -- the sheet that will be handed in and transcribed at the conclusion of the meeting. (You may want to give each group a bright yellow action planning sheet that is identical to the others except in color, so that you can keep track of each group's plan.)
Also, when the groups get to the strategies, ask that ALL the strategies are listed before launching into a detailed discussion regarding the tasks connected to any one strategy. Only when all the strategies have been listed should the groups pin down who will do what when.
As with any group exercise, you will need to be attuned to the group's progress. You may need to offer periodic encouragement and clarification. Some groups will need to be prodded along if they are stuck or wandering off course.
It's a judgment call as to how much time should be allocated for this action planning phase. As a rule, groups need at least a half-hour for a cursory plan. At least an hour must be allowed if the groups are expected to assign tasks to the strategies. And, ideally, at least several hours should be allocated for a well-thought out and detailed plan.
Report-backs. After the groups have had ample time to develop their first draft of the action plan, it's time for report-backs. Call up the groups by assigned goals and allow from 3 to 5 minutes for each report. If more than one group has dealt with the same goal, it's advisable to have them report back-to-back to maintain continuity of thought. After each report, ask the audience to respond with comments and questions.
Option. If time permits, you may want to entitle the initial report-backs as the "rough draft" phase. In this case, the groups will need to regroup and revise/improve their initial action plan based on audience feedback. If more than one group has been assigned the same goal, you might ask these groups to interact by having each group have its draft critiqued by the other group and then revise its plan accordingly. (Or combine the groups and ask them to develop a blended action plan.) Then repeat the report-backs.
Concluding Remarks. Before adjourning, thank each group for its work and ask that they hand in the final action planning sheet. As with the goal-setting summaries, do not agree to transcribe the action planning sheets. This should be done locally as a challenge to commitment and follow-up.
IMPORTANT! Since commitment and follow-up are the keys to success, you may want to have a local leader give the closing message, asking that the respective goal groups select a chairperson and set a follow-up meeting date. This local leader should command the clout necessary to drive the process.
One way for communities or organizations to insure follow-up is to select a "steering committee" that oversees the planning process. (Sometimes an existing organization such as a city council or chamber of commerce can serve as the steering committee.) Accountability is crucial to success, so the different goal groups/committees need to know that there is a time frame and that their efforts will be monitored and recognized by the steering committee. All of the groups should come together at some future date to share their plans and progress with the steering committee and each other.On to the next section -- Conclusion
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