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My favorite high school coach always reminded me to “make a plan and work the plan.” It’s an abbreviation of a famous Margaret Thatcher quote: “Make a plan for today and every day, and then work the plan.” It was a reminder that if I walked into the gym without a plan that was an intentional trajectory toward my goal at the state championships, I would be significantly less likely to earn the #1 title. (And he was right!)
The same thing is true for us in our organizations. When it comes to improving access, equity, and diversity, we plan to fail if we fail to plan. It is a journey towards creating equitable and inclusive organizations. We must regularly check-in to ensure our progress can be aimed and tracked in a positive and elevated trajectory.
Since it is the time of year when many of my clients evaluate goals, set new budgets, and generally plan, I want to provide tools and resources to help you initiate a process for centering equity and inclusion in your organization. To get started planning, two tools I like to use are the SOAR and SWOT analysis techniques.
- SOAR analysis is a strategic planning technique that helps organizations focus on their current strengths and opportunities and create a vision of future aspirations and results.
- SWOT analysis is a technique for assessing how internal and external factors help or harm your organization.
After doing either of these analyses, the next step would be to create SMARTIE goals. (You’ve likely heard of SMART goals, but with two more elements, you can make your goals both equitable and inclusive, too.)
Stay tuned over the coming weeks, as I’ll share more tools like the hedgehog concept, vision and mission statement planning, matrix map for evaluating impact and sustainability, and a personal values audit.
If you are seeking assistance in your strategic planning, we can help. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more.
CORRECTION from 2/13 email: “Best Practices in Virtual Learning.”
There was an error on the webinar recording that caused it not to have sound. I’ve repaired the file if you wanted to watch the webinar.
