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| Vision,
Strategy, and Tactics |
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By
Terri Fassio
April, 2007
Vision: How you envision your Grange in the community;
your dream.
Strategy: What you are going to do to achieve
your vision.
Tactics: How you will achieve your strategy and
when.
Vision is your members dreams of what the Grange
strives to be within your community. Strategy
is the large-scale plan your Grange will follow
to make that dream happen. Tactics are the specific
actions your members will take to follow the plan.
Start with the vision and work down to the tactics
as you plan for the future of your Grange.
Concepts Are The Same
Whether you are planning for the next month or
the next five years, the concepts are the same.
Only the scale is different. You start with the
vision statement (sometimes called a mission statement).
When you know what the vision is, you can develop
a strategy to get you to the vision. When you
have decided on a strategy, you can then develop
tactics to meet the strategy.
Vision
A vision is an idea -- what the Grange should
be, and how it will fit into it's surroundings
(community). Often the vision reflects the combined
dreams of the members, as well as following the
path set forth by the founders of the organization.
Your Grange's vision could be, for example, to
be "an organization that helps the underprivileged
in the community," "the voice of community
concerns and liaison to the State Government," or "setting
an example for other non-profit organizations
in the community." A vision must be sufficiently
clear and concise that everyone in the organization
understands it and can buy into it with passion.
Strategy
Your strategy is one or more plans that you will
use to achieve your vision. To be "the voice
of community concerns and liaison to the State
Government" you might have to decide whether
it is a better strategy for you to hold town forums
and meetings at your Grange Hall, try to canvas
the community for their thoughts and opinions,
or a combination of both. A strategy looks inward
at the organization, but it also looks outward
at the environment and community climate.
To be "setting an example for other non-profit
organizations in the community" your strategy
would need to evaluate what other organizations
offer in community services, which of those target
your audience, and which organizations could in
the future benefit from the Grange's services.
Your strategy also must determine how you will
become "the organization of choice." What
can your members do so that your targeted audience
chooses your Grange? Are you going to offer the
most benefits to the community? Will you participate
in community events, such as the local parade
or fair/festival? Will you recruit the very best
people and build a reputation for delivering the
most innovative solutions? What makes your Grange
stand out?
If you decide to make a statement in your community,
what will you do to attract new members, and then
encourage them to participate once they join?
If you decide to recruit the best new people,
how will you enlighten them, and retain them?
Your strategy must consider all these issues and
more to find a solution that works AND that is
true to your vision.
Develop Flexible Tactics
Tactics
Your tactics are the specific actions, sequences
of actions, and schedules you will use to fulfill
your strategy. If you have more than one strategy
you will have different tactics for each. A strategy
such as "to be a well-known local organization," as
part of your vision to be "setting an example
for other non-profit organizations in the Community" might
involve tactics like advertising in the Non-Profits
Quarterly Newsletter for three successive issues,
placing brochures in the town tourism center,
advertising in the largest-circulation newspaper
in the area for the next six months, hanging posters
at the local grocery store, having a booth at
the "Taste of the Town" festival, having
a float in the Memorial Day Parade, or even buying
TV time on the popular TV station or radio station
in the area to promote your community services. It could even be as simple as a bake sale at the
local supermarket. Or it could involve sending
a letter of introduction and a brochure to the
Executive Director of every non-profit organization,
chamber of commerce, and giving foundation in
the area.
Firm or Flexible?
Things change. Your Grange needs to change with
them, or if possible, ahead of them. However,
with respect to vision, strategy and tactics,
you need some flexibility and some firmness. Hold
to your Grange's dream/vision. Don't let that
be buffeted by the winds of change. Your vision
should be the anchor that holds all the rest together.
Strategy is a longer-term plan, so it may need
to change in response to internal or external
changes, but strategy changes should only happen
with considerable thought. Changes to strategy
also should not happen until your Grange has a
new one to replace the old one. Tactics are the
most flexible. If some tactic isn't working, adjust
it and try again.
Manage This Issue
Whether for one department or the entire Grange,
vision, strategy, and tactics are essential. Develop
the vision first and hold to it. Develop a strategy
to achieve your vision and change it as you have
to, to meet internal or external changes. Develop
flexible tactics that can move your Grange towards
fulfilling your strategy and ultimately vision.
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| Overwhelmed?
Take it Easy. |
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By
Shar McBee
February 12, 2003
Volunteer Management Review
The
next time you feel overwhelmed by a big project, make
it easy on yourself by approaching it this way: little
by little by little.
Years ago I volunteered to be in charge of the refreshments at church.
My job was to recruit 48 people every month to bake a cake or bring
some cookies.
I struggled to recruit that many volunteers and it quickly became
overwhelming. To make it worse, as my overwhelm grew, fewer and fewer
people volunteered to help.
People began to run away when they saw me coming. So, I gave up recruiting
and tried to bake most of the goodies myself. This was a huge task
and I quickly burned out and resigned.
My successor was Sue King, a social worker. I watched in amazement
as within two weeks she had enlisted 48 volunteers.
This is how she did it: She broke it down into little steps. Instead
of recruiting all 48 people herself, she recruited eight team captains
who were willing to be in charge once a month. They each recruited
six people who would donate one refreshment a month.
When I was in charge, I was begrudgingly doing everything. Under
this plan, more than 48 people were happily participating.
One of the secrets of Sue's success was that, unknowingly, she applied
the principle of To Lead is to Serve. Sue continually served the
team captains. If a captain could not find six people, she helped
recruit them. Since she was not baking everything herself, she had
time to meet people and ask if they would like to participate. She
constantly made the team captains feel that she was supporting them.
Another secret of Sue King's success was dividing the work into small
increments. I was trying to recruit 48 people. Sue was only looking
for eight.
Nehemiah rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem in the same way. The wall
around the city was its major protection. Today, a wall is not a
primary defense system but in Nehemiah's day, a wall was central
to the city's safety.
Rebuilding it was such a huge task that most people thought it couldn't
be done. However, Nehemiah saw it another way. He divided the task
into tiny sections, asking each person to be responsible for a small
portion. Everyone did a little. In this way, a huge task was accomplished
quickly.
While reading about Nehemiah rebuilding the wall, I could envision
each group doing its part with great enthusiasm. It reminded me of
my refreshments project and others I have worked on. They are more
successful when a lot of people do a little, as opposed to one or
two people doing everything.
The next time you face a project that seems big and overwhelming,
divide your work into small steps. Make it easy by doing it this
way: little by little by little.
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| "A
State Grange Session" |
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By
Janice S. Handy
From the front page of the November 1, 1999
Country
Folks - A Weekly Newspaper
Published
by Lee Publications, Inc., Reading, VT 05062
One
day of State Grange session is largely devoted to
the Youth and Junior members of the Grange. Being
a family oriented organization, the children have
their time of recognition as well as the adults. Children
from five to fourteen may be members of the Junior
Grange, learning to fill the position of the various
offices and participating in many fine projects. The
flag bearer this year was a very serious five year
old girl who presented the [junior size] flag with
great dignity and care. Each of the youth and junior
members learn to assume their place of importance
in the group, thus gathering a sense of self worth
that is so important to our youth.
I
couldn't help but reflect on the problems that we witness
in our nation today, as many children are neglected,
abused and drawn into wrong activities. Many are never
given an opportunity to become part of a group that
really cares for their well being. Most of us realize
that solid moral values are of great importance and
need to be taught at an early age. We can see where
many of our rural organizations have become the training
school for many of the leaders of our nation. The programs
and projects taught by the leaders of the Grange, 4-H
clubs, FFA and Boy and Girl Scouts have lasting influence
over the years. They have helped to mold the desirable
character traits and ideals that become basic for life.
Honesty, the dignity of labor, the importance of doing
work well and learning to cooperate with others in a
group, all help our children throughout their years
of schooling and on into work and family situations.
Although
some persons have looked down on those who till the
soil and raise livestock, agriculture has become one
of the most diversified and demanding occupations of
any. A farmer or rancher must be informed on hundreds
of topics if he is to succeed today. Farm youth truly
grow up with many advantages that urban and suburban
youth do not have. The livestock and dairy projects
in which many farm youth participate have helped open
the door to many life-long occupations, some of which
are off the farm. Skills and confidence are developed
growing up on a farm that are useful throughout life. |
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