Goal-Setting, Team-Building, and Strategic Planning

These materials are based on a Center presentation to the MAYORS ASSOCIATION OF OHIO on June 21, 2000 in Dayton, Ohio.

There are various reasons why a community (or organization) may be interested in conducting a goal-setting, team-building or strategic planning retreat, they include:

• defining future direction or vision,
• building consensus,
• setting priorities, and/or
• establishing accountability.

There are also different circumstances that may precipitate such an effort, such as:

• breaking the cycle of crisis management,
• responding to change in leadership,
• responding to societal forces,
• responding to external factors, or
• managing growth (or decline).

In general, such efforts:

• get everyone pulling together,
• allow everyone to use their time more effectively,
• set clear guidelines,
• contribute to communication, and
• provide an evaluation tool.

The three different perspectives of goal-setting, team-building, and strategic planning each focus on a different aspect of the planning process.  The simplified approach to any planning effort is to ask yourself (or your agency) these three questions:

• where are we now?
• where are we going?
• how can we get there?

The process developed by the Center includes the following steps:

• Inventory and Environmental Scan
• Visioning and Goal-Setting
• Strategic Action Plan
• Implementation Plan
• Evaluation

Examples of Projects

City of Clayton (Montgomery County) - coordinated a process where the elected officials, administration, and boards and commissions were provided an opportunity to develop an action agenda, a discussion agenda, and a charter agenda.  Because the City of Clayton was the result of merging a township and village into a city, this process was a useful way for each stakeholder to categorize and prioritize their goals and to better work as team.

Community Improvement Corporation of West Milton (Miami County) - worked closely with board members to establish vision statement, goals, and objectives; the Strategic Action Plan includes an assignment of responsibility, estimate of cost, and anticipated timeframe for every element.

Union City (Darke County) - established a Mayor's Quality of Life Initiative in the form of a citizen advisory committee that identifies problems (or opportunities), analyzes solutions, and makes recommendations to Council; an example of one issue is that of property maintenance.