Using Learning and Development to Implement a Strategic Plan
One of my favorite things is when a nonprofit comes to me with a strategic plan that specifically mentions developing their people. But this isn’t always the case. Regardless of whether Learning and Development has been written into your strategic plan or not, it still has a large role to play.
In today's episode, Carol Hamilton and I sit down to discuss the strategic planning process and how you prepare staff to implement it once your strategic plan is done.
Listen to the episode or scroll down to read the blog post ↓
Key Points:
07:12 The challenges that occur when implementing a strategic plan and how to overcome them
12:20 How training supports the implementation of a strategic plan
19:04 The importance of a custom competency model
23:41 Advice for nonprofits creating training to support strategic planning and implementation
25:48 Advice for nonprofits undergoing a strategic planning process
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Using Learning and Development to Implement a Strategic Plan
One of my favorite things is when a nonprofit comes to me with a strategic plan that specifically mentions developing their people. They have elevated training, leadership development, organizational culture, or a similar need so much that they've written a goal about it.
I love this because I know that they are serious about it. I know that they are willing to invest their time and their energy into it.
But this isn't always the case.
And yet, nonprofit Organizational Development and Learning and Development teams are still tasked with developing their people just the same.
Regardless of whether Learning and Development has been written into your strategic plan or not, it still has a role to play.
That’s why Carol Hamilton and I sat down to discuss the strategic planning process and how you can prepare staff to implement once your strategic plan is done.
Carol is the principal of Grace Social Sector Consulting, LLC and host of the podcast, Mission: Impact.
In this blog post, we’re covering the following:
The challenges that occur when implementing a strategic plan and how to overcome them
How training supports the implementation of a strategic plan
Using a custom competency model to identify the skills needed to implement a strategic plan
Advice for nonprofits creating training to support strategic planning and implementation
Advice for nonprofits undergoing a strategic planning process
1) The Challenges that Occur when Implementing a Strategic Plan and How to Overcome Them
According to Carol, the challenges that occur when implementing a strategic plan are part of the reason that strategic planning gets a little bit of a bad rap.
Oftentimes organizations will go through the whole strategic planning process and at the end of it all, the plan never gets referred to again.
Carol points out the need to move from the strategic planning process to implementation.
“How are we putting this into practice? How are we actually going to implement? So I think making that translation, taking the time to think about, how are we going to bring this into our regular planning processes and into our regular meetings? What's the cadence that we're going to be doing that? All those kinds of things. Asking those questions, and having a plan to implement really supports an organization in making the most of the time that they've spent together to identify what's really important for them to move their mission forward over the next couple of years.” - Carol Hamilton
Integration is key.
To overcome this challenge, Carol recommends a couple of different things.
1. Be realistic about the timeframe of your strategic plan
“Your bigger plan may be that medium-term timeframe of three to five years, but the implementation plan really needs to be a shorter timeframe. It could be six months, it could be a year. It really depends on the organization and its cycles.” - Carol Hamilton
2. When making an implementation plan, get into the details
“Get into the real nitty gritty of who does what, by when, and how. All of those kinds of things. So that by year one or those first six months, you're getting into those details, planning that out, and then having a process to say, we've come to the end of this time period, what did we actually manage to accomplish. What do we still need to do? What is less relevant or what needs some tweaking? What have we done that we didn't expect to do?” - Carol Hamilton
Then after that initial implementation period, get into the details of the next stage of implementation.
When you put that level of detail into a plan, you have something that can help guide you as you're implementing that plan.
2) How Training Supports the Implementation of a Strategic Plan
Carol and I talked about how training can support strategic plan implementation, and I shared that I typically look at a three-pronged approach and it all goes back to making it strategic and compassionately human-centered.
The three-pronged approach is that you want to make it relevant, meaningful, and fun.
1. Make it relevant
Go back and look at that strategic plan, look at the things you need to accomplish, and look at other supporting documents in the organization.
What is your mission?
What is your vision?
What is your DEI commitment?
Review all the things that impact the work that you do and identify the skills that your people are going to need to be successful.
Starting with skill building is always the driver for any kind of training. So identify the skills that are going to be needed to deliver on that strategic plan and continue with your mission, vision, and DEI commitment.
Then compare those skills to your learner's current skill set. Where are they now, and where do you need them to be? That gap is what you want to focus on to make the training relevant.
2. Make it meaningful
This is a little bit more of that compassionately human-centered piece. If it's relevant, it will already be meaningful, because it's going to impact them in their role and their job.
But you also want to take the time to build cross-functional relationships, trust, and psychological safety. All of the foundational things that need to exist in the organization for the change to be successful.
Any opportunity you have to bring people together, whether virtually or in person, is an opportunity to build cross-functional relationships, trust, and psychological safety.
3. Make it fun
What I mean by that is to do something unexpected within the experience so that they remember what they are learning.
You can do that in a variety of different ways. I use improv in a very light way to make it memorable for people. You can use outside tools or games.
There are different elements you can bring in to make it just a little bit playful and then they're going to remember what they're learning and be better able to actually change that behavior and bring the skills that you need them to bring an order to execute on that strategic plan.
To learn more about making learning fun, check out episode 36 of the podcast: How Nonprofit Learning and Development Leaders Can Use Play to Create Organizational Change with Acey Holmes
3) Using a Custom Competency Model to Identify the Skills Needed to Implement a Strategic Plan
Carol pointed out that the skills needed to implement a strategic plan are often not the main focus for organizations.
I shared that one of the services I offer is custom competency models. When you're getting ready to implement a new strategic plan, that's a great time to either create or revisit your existing competency model. Because you are able to say, this is where we're headed, these are the skills that we need people to have in order to achieve that, and this is what that looks like.
One skill can look different to different people or in different roles. And so a competency model allows you to define what that skill is going to look like at various levels in the organization. And then you can build your entire learning strategy around that competency model, which is built around where you're headed as an organization.
Carol and I talked about smaller vs. larger nonprofits. A larger nonprofit might be more likely to invest in a competency model, but I shared that I would recommend a competency model for a smaller organization too, as long as they have staff or a set of volunteers in place. Because it does define the skill. You can always go and look for off-the-shelf training to help develop a particular skill. But if you don't know which skills you need, then buying a particular training isn't going to be all that helpful.
So while a larger organization might want the custom competency model and the custom training, a smaller organization, taking the time to identify what those skills are that are going to be needed, will allow them to be more particular and more strategic in what personal development they invest in, in the future.
To learn more about custom competency models, check out these episodes:
Episode 39: Ask These Two Questions to Identify Your Nonprofit's Core Competencies
Episode 20: How to Determine Which Competencies Are Right for You
Episode 19: One Nonprofit's Honest Opinion after 6 Months with a Competency Model
Episode 18: Four Reasons Your Competencies Don't Work
4) Advice for Nonprofits Creating Training to Support Strategic Planning and Implementation
Carol and I talked about what advice we would give nonprofits in the strategic planning process. I shared two pieces of advice for nonprofits creating training to support their strategic plans.
1. Listen to your people
If you're going to be creating training to support Strategic Plan Implementation, you have to know where your people are and where they need to go.
So talking to senior leaders, asking supervisors, running focus groups with staff that are going to be impacted by the change, and really listening is a great way to understand what the gap is that you're going to need to fill.
2. Remember the change component of a strategic plan
If you are doing anything different, there is a change. And there's always something different in the strategic plan.
So tap into people's motivations. Why do they care? Why would they even want to make this change? Make sure they have the skills, which is where the training helps, and then surround them with the resources that they need to be successful.
Part of surrounding them with resources is removing barriers. You have to understand what they're experiencing in order to really make those changes.
5) Advice for Nonprofits Undergoing a Strategic Planning Process
Carol highlights the importance of the whole organization contributing to the planning process.
“I think that also supports implementation because when people have been part of the process, they see themselves in it, they understand why decisions were made a certain way, they're more ready to roll up their sleeves and get ready to put the plan into action.” - Carol Hamilton
Carol points out that while leaders may feel intimidated by all the voices, there are ways, through a well-facilitated process, to ensure that you have a succinct plan at the end and that everyone knows what they need to do.
To hear the full conversation I had with Carol Hamilton on the Learning for Good Podcast, scroll all the way up and tune into episode 53.
The Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective
Do you wish you could connect with other nonprofit learning and development leaders?
I know what it feels like to want someone to bounce ideas off of and to learn from, someone who really understands you and your work. Imagine if you could have a simple way to meet people in the field, ask questions, and share information.
That's why I created the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective – so nonprofit L&D, talent management, and DEI leaders can connect with each other quickly and easily in a virtual space.
When you join this community, you will walk away with a new, diverse, and powerful network – and a sounding board for your staff development needs.
So if you're ready to exchange ideas and collaborate with your peers, come join the Nonprofit L&D Collective.
