This was a presentation that I kind of wish that I had seen a year ago, when the library's strategic planning process was much earlier along, but I still found it valuable even as we are wrapping up and preparing to present a final report to the library board.
Jones started out with a good, basic definition of what strategic planning really is. It's not about making a document to put on the shelf, it's about "engaging people in the thinking and making sure that the implementation steps go right into each employee's job." It's about thinking differently about what we do, seeing the possibilities from a different vantage point and adjusting.
Jones mentioned several times a tactic that she has used in strategic planning sessions were a spot on the floor is marked out as "the future." One by one members of the committee visit "the future," (generally defined in a specific way, like in 3 years) close their eyes and tell the others what they see as they imagine what they think the place should be like then. It seems a little corny, but it seems that this kind of approach, getting people's adrenaline going and forcing them to imagine an ideal, which can then be used to find ways to try and achieve the ideal, or at least forge some kind of common ideal once you've heard from several different people.
Jones' presentation covered a lot of ground and provided a lot of great information. Some worthwhile snippets to mention are:
- Divest to invest - you need to give up some things to truly get something different
- Don't look for "buy-in", but rather get people to buy with you.
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Watch trendwatching.com, the world futures organization, look at what your community is reading, look at stumbleupon.com for current trends.
- Curiosity rarely, if ever, kills the cat
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