Unleash Your Team’s Talents on What Matters Most
With a vast number of changes, challenges and choices facing public power utilities today, it has never been more important for utility leaders to do three things:
- Define a compelling purpose for their organization.
- Identify the most important strategies for success.
- Unleash their team’s talents on what matters most.
These are the essential outcomes of effective strategic planning, according to Mark McCain, Executive Consultant/Strategic Planning for Hometown Connections, Inc. (HCI). HCI has extensive experience developing strategic plans specifically for public power utilities. With a proven work plan suitable for municipal utilities of all size, HCI guides executive teams through the process of deciding on the most important strategies for success.
The Process
A strategic planning process can take many forms depending on the unique circumstances for each utility. Subject to input from a utility about what would make for a successful strategic planning process, below are four phases of a typical strategic planning process:
Brainstorm
Staff brainstorms potential Goals and Strategies in an online survey and then meets to refine them
Rank
Governing board and staff rank potential Goals and Strategies in an online survey
Shortlist
Staff creates a PowerPoint with information and a shortlist of key Strategies to achieve Goals
Decide
With input from staff, governing board decides on Vision, Mission, Values, Goals and Strategies
The Benefits
Utilities that have used this process report the preliminary work ahead of the planning workshop is exceptional. The effort engages people throughout the organization creating valuable input and buy-in.
As a result, utilities go into the workshop with well developed goals and strategies that can be finetuned rather than created from scratch, making for an efficient and effective decision-making process.
Through this process, it is possible for utilities to identify their most important priorities and unleash their team’s talents on what matters most for the success of their organization.