Presentation from the NAIS Annual Conference 2014 on a collaborative strategic planning effort between The Latin School of Chicago and Greenwich Leadership Partners

1. The
La'n
School
of
Chicago
Randall
Dunn
Charlie
Gofen
Kirk
Greer
Greenwich
Leadership
Partners
Stephanie
Rogen
Liz
Hardwick

2. AGENDA
1:00pm
Welcome
and
Introduc'ons
1:15pm
Context
and
Strategic
Warm
Up
1:30pm
InflecGon
Point
1/Process
and
Leadership
1:45pm
InflecGon
Point
2/Securing
Buy
In
2:00pm
Break
10
minutes
2:10pm
InflecGon
Point
3/
Values
Feedback
2:30pm
Case
Study-­‐Break
out
Groups
and
Discussion
3:00pm
InflecGon
Point
4/Engaging
Students
3:15pm
Break
5
minutes
3:25pm
InflecGon
Point
5/Decision
Making
3:
40pm
Where
LaGn
is
Now
3:50pm
ReflecGons
and
Wrap
Up
4:00pm
You’re
ready
for
planning!
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2014

3. Why
We’re
Here
To
demysGfy
strategic
planning
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4. Why
We’re
Here
To
learn
from
each
other
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5. Introduc'ons:
Crea'ng
Context
Think
about
your
school:
What
are
you
proud
of?
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6.
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7. La'n’s
Context
Key
Ques'ons:
• Why
did
you
decide
to
this
when
you
did?
• How
did
you
decide
on
the
scope
of
planning?
Key
Factors:
• New
Head
of
School
• 125th
Anniversary
• Narrowly
Defined
Scope
• Previous
Plan
• Endowment
Campaign
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8. 8

9. Framing
the
Process
What’s
Ahead?
Future
visioning
External
forces
and
trends
What
do
our
students
need?
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10. Framing
the
Process
What
Do
We
Value?
What’s
Missing?
What
Needs
to
Change?
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11. Framing
the
Process
Who
Do
We
Need
to
Talk
To?
Who
Makes
Decisions?
How
Do
We
Communicate?
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12. Framing
the
Process
What
kind
of
change
are
you
looking
for?
TRANSFORMATIONAL?
INCREMENTAL?
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13. Let
the
Planning
Commence
That
was
the
easy
part.
Now
it’s
'me
to
work…
13

14. Inflec'on
Point
#1:
Process
and
Leadership
Call
to
Ac'on:
Decide
how
to
structure
your
strategic
planning
process
–
who
is
involved?
How?
Ques'ons
to
Consider:
• How
do
you
create
an
opGmal
structure
for
strategic
planning?
• Who
drives
the
process?
• Who
should
and
should
not
be
involved?
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15. LATIN
REVEAL:
Process
and
Leadership
Fusion
between
leadership
–
Head
of
School,
Board
and
faculty
Head
of
School
Board
of
Trustees
Faculty
Commi]ees
to
include
faculty,
parents
and
alumni
Commidees
Faculty
Parents
Alumni
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16. KEY
TAKEAWAYS:
Process
and
Leadership
1) The
Head
must
be
comfortable
with
the
leaders
of
the
strategic
planning
process.
2) The
Strategic
Planning
Commidee
(SPC)
should
include
representaGon
from
key
consGtuencies
(including
faculty
from
each
division
of
the
school,
administraGve
staff,
parents,
alumni
and
trustees).
3) SPC
members
should
all
be
engaged
in
the
work
and
should
be
individuals
who
can
serve
as
ambassadors.
4) Engage
the
Board
early
on
-­‐
they
must
have
ample
opportunity
to
weigh
in
on
mission,
vision,
values,
strategy
and
policy.
5) Use
an
experienced
consultant
to
facilitate
the
SPC
meeGngs
and
the
Board
retreat.
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2014

17. Inflec'on
Point
#2:
Securing
Buy-­‐In
Call
to
Ac'on:
Manage
the
hopes,
concerns
and
expecta;ons
of
key
people.
Ques'ons:
• How
do
you
handle
pushback
in
your
school?
• What
do
you
do
when
key
people
disagree?
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18. LATIN
REVEAL:
Securing
Buy-­‐In
We
asked
up
front:
“Please
voice
your
concerns”.
Then
we
asked
people
to
trust
in
the
process
and
explained
why.
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19. KEY
TAKEAWAYS:
Securing
Buy-­‐In
1) Loop
back
through
the
process
to
ask
“How
are
We
Doing?”
2) Invite
people
to
offer
soluGons
to
concerns
or
challenges
they
surface.
3) Document
the
work;
document
progress.
4) Recognize
how
concerns/worries
and
pushback
strengthen
the
process;
acknowledge
those
who
offer
it.
5) Maximize
the
odds
of
buy-­‐in
for
our
plan
by
engaging
all
consGtuencies
in
our
process,
acGvely
listening
to
their
ideas,
and
adjusGng
the
strategic
plan
in
light
of
their
input.
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2014

20. BREAK
Reading:
Aligning
Ac;on
and
Values
by
Jim
Collins
Break
Time:
10
minutes
Or we’ll send this guy after
you…
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2014

21. Reading
Reflec'ons
• Do
you
know
when
you’re
on
Mars?
• Where
do
the
values
really
manifest
in
your
daily
life
and
pracGce?
• Where
do
you
feel
that
there
is
a
gap?
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22. Inflec'on
Point
#3:
Values
Feedback
Call
to
Ac'on:
Ar;culate
or
confirm
your
values
and
define
their
role
in
strategic
planning.
Ques'ons:
• As
you
think
about
strategic
planning,
how
will
values
drive
the
end
result?
• How
can
you
take
a
discussion
of
values,
which
feels
very
lony
and
high
level,
and
connect
that
to
strategy?
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23. LATIN
REVEAL:
Values
Feedback
Examined
alignment
with
mulGple
stakeholders
(trustees,
faculty)
–
“Stop,
Start,
ConGnue”
Exercise
Surveyed
students,
parents
and
alumni
Where
were
we
operaGng
in
alignment
with
values?
Where
was
there
work
to
do?
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24. LATIN
REVEAL:
Values
Feedback
24

25. KEY
TAKEAWAYS:
Values
Feedback
1) Values
drive
you
to
innovate.
Broad
goals
force
you
to
see
the
interconnecGon
of
programs
and
pracGces.
Examples:
EducaGonal
excellence
and
wellness.
EducaGonal
excellence
and
diversity.
2) Values
enhance
stakeholder
engagement
and
commitment
in
plan
process
and
implementaGon.
3) Values
ground
decision-­‐making,
enable
clear
communicaGon
of
raGonale,
and
enhance
school
confidence
in
face
of
“off-­‐message”
consGtuents.
4) Value
discussions
inspire
parGcipants
to
reflect
on
the
needs
of
the
community,
not
parGcular
interests.
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26. Breakout
Ac'vity
–
Athle'cs
Case
Study
Read
the
case
and
discuss
the
following
ques'ons:
1. Given
the
compeGng
viewpoints,
what
process
and
criteria
should
the
Strategic
Planning
Commidee
use
to
make
decisions
on
how
to
handle
athleGcs
in
the
strategic
plan?
2. What
role
should
the
Head
of
School
play
in
decision
making?
The
Board
of
Trustees?
3. How
do
you
maximize
buy-­‐in
for
the
strategic
plan
when
you
are
invariably
forced
to
make
choices
during
the
process
that
disappoint
some
people?
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27. Inflec'on
Point
#4:
Engaging
Students
Call
to
Ac'on:
Determine
what
role
students
will
play
in
your
strategic
planning
process.
Ques'ons:
• Why
would
you
engage
students
in
strategic
planning?
• When
would
you
engage
students
in
strategic
planning?
When
not?
• How
do
you
engage
students
in
a
serious
reflecGon
on
their
experience
at
the
school?
• What
type
of
strategies
would
you
use?
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28. LATIN
REVEAL:
Engaging
Students
We
commided
to
engaging
students
because
we
believed
they
were
essenGal
voices
–
and
that
our
plan
would
not
hold
up
without
tesGng
our
values
and
prioriGes
with
them.
We
sought:
• Advisory
feedback
from
the
Upper
and
Middle
School
• Values
feedback
from
the
Lower
School
using
a
teacher
designed
survey
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2014

29. LATIN
REVEAL:
Engaging
Students
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30. LATIN
REVEAL:
Engaging
Students
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2014

31. KEY
TAKEAWAYS:
Engaging
Students
1) Do
not
rely
on
a
small
group
of
students
at
outset
to
shape
direcGon;
rely
on
the
quality
data
you
have.
2) Student
voice
can
be
producGve
grades
4-­‐12;
engage
all
divisions.
Don’t
be
saGsfied
with
self-­‐selected
student
group.
Aim
for
universal
parGcipaGon.
3) Appropriate
Gmeslots
built
into
your
schedule
already,
not
isolated
“morning
breakfasts.”
4) Include
students
at
a
decisive
mid-­‐point
of
process.
Revising
“official”
drans
lends
credibility
and
enables
impact
of
student
voice.
5) Use
faculty
to
design
student
feedback
sessions
carefully;
use
solid
pedagogy
to
engage
mulGple
learning
styles,
sustain
adenGon,
achieve
universal
parGcipaGon,
and
avoid
groupthink.
6) Create
experience
of
simultaneity
so
students
don’t
think
in
isolaGon,
but
are
more
likely
to
think
of
the
enGre
community.
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32. Inflec'on
Point
#5:
Decision
Making
Call
to
Ac'on:
Figure
out
how
to
incorporate
feedback,
make
choices
and
communicate
decisions.
Ques'ons:
• How
do
you
synthesize
feedback
and
test
it
with
your
community?
• What
can
you
do
to
build
consensus
around
the
final
decisions?
• What
do
you
do
when
consensus
isn’t
possible?
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33. LATIN
REVEAL:
Decision
Making
Process
of
learning
that
leaned
heavily
on
feedback
loops:
Solicit
Input
Test
Collect
Feedback
Assess
and
Learn
Hypothesize
DECIDE
THE
COMMUNITY
THE
COMMITTEES
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34. KEY
TAKEAWAYS:
Decision
Making
1) Use
a
consultant
to
provide
structure
and
expert
guidance,
to
give
you
external
perspecGve,
and
to
allow
you
to
parGcipate
in
the
conversaGon
without
having
to
facilitate.
2) The
Head
must
trust
in
the
process
and
delegate
responsibility
to
the
strategic
planning
team
instead
of
micromanaging.
3) At
the
same
Gme,
the
Head
must
determine
when
to
step
in,
perhaps
based
on
confidenGal
informaGon
he
or
she
has,
to
make
certain
decisions
along
the
way.
4) The
strategic
planning
team
should
make
sure
that
anything
included
in
the
strategic
plan
has
the
support
of
the
Head
–
this
is
essenGal
for
successful
implementaGon.
5) Seek
to
build
support
and
commitment
from
key
consGtuencies
during
the
strategic
planning
process
for
new
prioriGes
and
programs
(such
as
LaGn’s
wellness
iniGaGve).
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35. Where
We
Are
Now
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2014

36. Thoughts
on
Implementa'on
36
1) Head
communicates
that
all
faculty
will
have
opportunity
to
assist
with
implementaGon.
2) Synthesize
implementaGon
with
accreditaGon
self
study
or
your
accreditaGon
stage.
3) ConGnue
model
of
administraGve/faculty
co-­‐leadership.
Example:
Wellness
Commidee
chaired
by
MS
director
and
faculty
member.
4) Expect
that
plan
language
is
used
in
internal
and
external
communicaGon
to
jusGfy
decisions.
5) Ensure
the
Board
remains
engaged;
develop
a
mechanism
for
regular
updates
and
discussion.
6) Don’t
forget
feedback
loops;
test,
learn,
incorporate
feedback,
and
adapt
process
and
pracGce.
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2014

37. Thoughts
on
Implementa'on
37
Move
in
two
tracks:
1. Put
points
on
the
board.
• Create
confidence
in
plan
by
moving
quickly
on
iniGaGves
in
the
school
primed
to
move
forward
–
success
begets
success!
2. Tackle
the
BHAGs
in
the
plan.
• IdenGfy
highly
moGvated
community
members
across
grades
and
divisions
for
long
term
commitment.
• Begin
with
wide
brainstorming
process
and
don't
let
assumpGons
about
feasibility
interfere.
• Clarify
decision
making
process
so
incremental,
concrete
steps
to
achieve
BHAGs
are
evaluated
and
then
backed
by
appropriate
authority.
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2014

38. Reflec'ons
• What
were
you
surprised
by?
• What
might
you
try
at
your
school?
• What
would
you
like
to
learn
more
about?
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2014

39. Resources
• Jim
Collins,
Aligning
Ac;on
and
Values
• Roger
MarGn,
The
Big
Lie
of
Strategic
Planning
• PresentaGon
Key
Takeaways
• LaGn’s
ImplementaGon
Takeaways
• Case
Study
on
AthleGcs
in
the
Strategic
Plan
• LaGn
10th
Grade
Values
Cloud
• LaGn
Lower
School
Values
Feedback
Form
• LaGn
Upper
School
Student
ReflecGons
on
Values
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2014

40. Let
Us
Know
How
You’re
Doing
Greenwich
Leadership
Partners
• www.greenwichleadershippartners.com
• stephanierogen@greenwichleadershippartners.com
• Twider:
@StephanieRogen
The
La'n
School
of
Chicago
• www.la'nschool.org
• rdunn@laGnschool.org
• kgreer@laGnschool.org
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2014