Company profile

The University of Central Oklahoma is a four-year University serving primarily the communities of the metropolitan region of the Oklahoma City seven-county region. Established in 1968, the college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. University of Central Oklahoma is one of colleges and universities in the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education. It is comprised of 17,239 students (15,358 undergraduates and 1,881 graduate students), and 850 faculty and six colleges: College of Education and Professional Studies, College of Fine Arts and Design, College of Liberal Arts, College of Business, College of Mathematics and Science, and the Jackson College of Graduate Studies. UCO’s institutional portrait is accessible through its participation in the Voluntary System of Accountability, found at http://www.uco.edu/academic-affairs/ir/college_portrait.asp.

Business situation

President Don Betz came to UCO in August of 2011, preceded by a President (Roger Webb) of 14 years. Like many academic organizations, it faces many challenges due to state funding cuts, higher tuition rates and competition with private educational institutions and the rise of massive open, online courses. President Betz moved quickly to embark on a Vision 2020 strategic plan that invited conversations and elicit feedback from its leadership, faculty, students, staff, and community stakeholders. President Betz saw this as an opportunity for a participatory whole systems change process guided by outside consultants and facilitators who met with the over 570 stakeholders, all responding to the question, “What do we want to see in the next seven years as a result of our actions?”

 Benefits

The ToP® Focused Conversations, Consensus Workshops, and other custom designed participatory methods, drew invaluable data to not only deliver to the President but also gained clarity and insights about how the college could improve its own systems and leverage collaboration within the community. These carefully designed facilitated sessions created a culture team building and a sense of buy-in to the strategic plan. Participants became actively engaged and much more invested in the planning sessions over time, and creativity became the driver of change and innovative thinking.

Products and services your company used

• Wave Trend Analysis provided the opportunity for the Presidential Cabinet to respond to aspects of change in higher education—emerging, on the horizon, established and disappearing trend..
• ToP® Strategic Planning Process to answer the overarching question:  How can UCO offer a high quality, affordable education that focuses on student learning and success, and create and expand partnerships within and beyond the Metropolitan Community?
• Focused Conversations and consensus workshops to reveal the practical vision, underlying contradictions, strategic directions and focused implementation.
• Strategic Directions Workshop
• Focused Implementation and 90 Day priorities plan

Results

• Detailed Practical Vision data from 15 visioning sessions aggregated by themes in Student Focused Culture, Organizational Well Being, Institutional Perception, Infrastructure, and Resource Efficiency
• Identified Underlying Contradictions that can block the vision
• Four Strategic Directions that guide the next two years: Creating a Dynamic Culture of Collaboration and Change, Redefining  Ourselves as Oklahoma’s Top Metropolitan University, Aligning Outcomes with the Mission, Serving Strategic Stakeholders 
• A Focused Implementation Plan that details specific, measurable outcomes, team charges, and carefully selected action teams to ensure nimble implementation tactics.
• Better understanding of how to collaborate within the university.
• Participatory work that led to a boost in community morale, because their voices were heard.
• An understanding that communication between the administration and faculty needed to be improved.
• Strategic plan buy in from all its stakeholders
• An implementation toolkit that helps keep the plan on track and active.

Company profile

Organization #2 facilitates federal workplace giving in a 5 state Midwest region.

Business situation

They recognized that their giving campaigns were down and a large influx of Generation X and Millineals in the federal workforce who view philanthropy differently than their parents and grandparents. We needed to find a way to engage all four working generations together to share ideas and develop a marketing campaign for 2009 which would increase to $1 million.

Benefits

A multi-generational task force of people from the federal government, multiple charities participated in an action planning workshop that developed a robust agenda of events and tactics over an 8 month period enabled them to leverage their networks and reach their financial goal.

Products and services your company used

• Research trends in philanthropy by generational values
• 8 month marketing action planning workshop
• Focused conversation
• Documentation of a plan
• Planning implementation steps

Organization Profile

Carver County Library is a five-branch library system in the southwest metro area of Mpls-St. Paul.  The county takes pride in its suburban/rural mix, and the library takes pride in providing services through a rich variety of innovative services, tailored to residents’ needs.  Usage continues to grow long-term, circulation having reached 1 million+ for the fourth year in a row in 2012.

Organization Situation

Carver County Library Services Director, Nick Dimassis, started his position in January 2012. He was charged by his board of directors to develop a five year strategic plan to replace the previous plan developed in 2007 upon its expiration in 2012. CCLS is required to align their strategic plan with the overall Carver County Strategic Plan in order to serve the needs of its community and harness resources. Many changes took place in the county from their previous plan: recession, changing community demographics which were detailed from the 2010 Census, and radical shifts in technology and library trends. Generational demographics also became much more defined: retiring Baby Boomers, also referred to as “Thrivers” in the community, community members who were redefining their careers and educational resources, younger Milinneals preparing for higher education or moving back home with their parents, and an influx of immigrants who use other primary languages than English.

Benefits

The ToP® Focused Conversations, Consensus Workshops, and other custom designed participatory methods, were essential for bringing together over 30 strategic planning members from the county, including, library leadership, board members, staff, county administrators, elected officials, educators, students, and community members. These carefully designed facilitated sessions created a culture of team building and a sense of buy-in to the strategic plan. Participants became actively engaged and much more invested in the planning sessions over time, and creativity became the driver of change and innovative thinking.

Products and services used

• Wave Trend Analysis provided the opportunity for the strategic planning team to respond to aspects of change in libraries—emerging, on the horizon, established and disappearing trend.
• Data and demographic reviews: 2010 Census Data organized by the Carver County Department of Public Health, Carver County Strategic Plan, Library Futurists: 2025.
• All Staff visioning session with graphic recording by graphic artist/facilitator, Cheryl Kartes, which became the key marketing graphic for all new library materials in order to serve as a constant image shift for the library.
• Re-tooling of Mission, Vision, Values workshop
• ToP® Strategic Planning Process to answer the overarching question:  How can Carver County Libraries best serve its residents over the next five years?
• Focused Conversations and consensus workshops to reveal the practical vision, underlying contradictions, strategic directions and focused implementation.

Results

• Detailed Practical Vision data from  visioning sessions aggregated by themes in Efficient and Effective Internal Operations, Robust Community Outreach and Collaboration, High Quality Programming and Services
• Identified Underlying Contradictions that can block the vision
• Four Strategic Directions that guide the next two years: Enhancing access to content and technology. Optimizing staff resources. Expanding community presence and resources. Transforming programming, spaces and experience
• A Focused Implementation Plan that details specific, measurable outcomes, team charges, and carefully selected action teams to ensure nimble implementation tactics.
• Better understanding of how to collaborate within the county.
• Participatory work that led to a boost in community and staff morale, because their voices were heard.
• An understanding that library trends, demographics are shifting and how to best leverage resources needed to make adjustments.
• Strategic plan buy in from all its stakeholders.
• An implementation toolkit that helps keep the plan on track and active.