What is the non-tornado, tornado that could affect your association?

Most organizations have a business continuity document (and if you don’t, that is step one – develop one now! .

Your business continuity plan likely focuses on actions that you have identified could happen what futurists call a Plausible Future.  For example, employees know where to go when there is a tornado, or when there is a fire.  You talk about things that could happen with your data – perhaps you even have added cybersecurity insurance or taken precautions such as training your staff NOT to open certain messages that are sent. If one of these events occurs, you have identified the actions to take, the crisis communication lines to use and who has what responsibilities.  You probably practice drills so that when they occur, your response is innate – you KNOW what to do.

So why don’t we apply this same thought process to our strategic planning exercises?

The elements of a well-defined business continuity document include the identification of key documents your organization should have in order to CONTINUE your operation.  It needs to be granular and well defined with who, what, when and where.  

How does that translate to a STRATEGIC plan?

Strategic plans FOCUS on the future.  Ultimate success is striving toward the VISION that the Board identifies.  We know that there will be disrupters in our organizations – things will come up where our association or even our entire industry must adjust to ensure that our vision will be achieved.  Look at our recent examples:   the recession of 2008, the COVID pandemic, the war in Europe.  

While some futurists predicted the likelihood of these events, few outside of some very specific professions predicted the impact they would have on the global economy, or the accelerated use of technology – both in personal and professional lives.  While we aren’t talking about predictions of another catastrophic event, if we spend time anticipating what major challenges could impact our organizations or our industries in the future, we will be better prepared to identify potential solutions.  Identifying those solutions will ensure that our strategic plan will lead us to a successful future. 

So how do you even start?

Maria Von Trapp in the Sound of Music has the best advice:  let’s start at the very beginning!

Whether your organization has a Strategic Plan or an Operational Business Plan (see XXX blog for the difference), identify one challenge that could occur that would derail your progress – just one. Then, work it through like it was to happen identifying answers to these questions:  

• What changes would it make to your plan?  
• What are the budgetary impacts?  
• What are the impacts to members?  
• What are the impacts to your vendor partners?  
• What are the staffing impacts?  
• And don’t forget to talk about who needs to know the information.

Your board can start by talking about “the what” – what challenges are they concerned about in their industry?  Make it a conversation that you have in your Board meetings.  And remember to always circle back to your association’s vision – how will this disruptor impact the vision your Board has identified for your organization?  

Staff can talk about the impact that this would have for them and for the budget under which they operate.  Once the scenario has been discussed by the staff, provide the report to the Board for their input and then file it in your future-focused file and move to the next case study. By conducting this as a routine discussion for your Board, you are ensuring that your Board stays on a strategic level and that your staff maintains its operational integrity.  

But most of all – you are ensuring that you are talking about the future.  And when this disrupter happens – and something will, even if it is not the disrupter you have identified, you will be ready.  Because you will be able to adapt what you have completed to the current day challenge.