The Value of Strategic Planning
John Dolan OBE
Focus, Funding and Futures: Libraries Adapting to Change
Library Association of Ireland / CILIP Ireland
11 April 2013
About
Strategy
What is strategy? A cynical take?
• Military associations
• Greek – “Art of leader; office of general
command” Wikipedia
• Plan to achieve (more) goals
• Insufficient resources
• Advantage over adversaries through
exploitation of emergent possibilities rather
than committing to any fixed plan at the
outset”
What is strategy? For businesses
• “a pattern in a stream of decisions” Henry
Mintzberg
• “Desirable ends with available means” Max
Mckeown
• “determination of basic long term goals and
objectives of an enterprise, [sic] and the
adoption of courses of action and the allocation
of resources necessary for carrying out these
goals” Chandler 1962
• from Wikipedia
What was…
… my strategy in going to Wikipedia?
• To get as much and do as little as possible
• (output)
• To amuse
• (outcome)
• To promote Wikipedia
• (objective)
What is strategy? Military
• “the utilization during both peace and war,
of all of the nation’s forces, through large
scale, long-range planning and
development to ensure security and
victory”
(Random House Dictionary)
What is strategy? Military
• “the utilization during both peace and war,
of all of the nation’s forces, through large
scale, long-range planning and
development to ensure security and
victory”
(Random House Dictionary [quoted in
Wikipedia])
Let’s take a closer look at that…
• Large scale
– Aspiration and Circumstances
• Long range
– Forward-looking
– Realistic
– Ambitious
• Planning
– Action oriented. Change making
• Development
– Change and innovation
• Security
– Sustainability
• Victory
– For subject and for you
About
Libraries
Attitudes?
Them
• Low awareness
• Haven’t got time
• Opening hours
• Valued v funding
• Narrow stereotype
• Nostalgia support
• New Technology
Us
• Talk to each other
• Modest self-esteem
• Self critical
• Victim culture
• Slow to change
• Hide our light
• New Technology
But … look what libraries bring to
the table
• Collaborative culture
– Is that so? Sometimes…
• Enormous market
– Millions of (registered) users
• Massive assets
– structural, physical, virtual, human
• Committed Trained Workforce
– Thousands of people. Tons of experience. Close to
communities
• Library Information and Knowledge
– the most 21st century profession
The Library Idea … is everywhere!
Early years
School
Academic … Further & Higher Education
Research and innovation
Business, commerce
Banking, Finance, Law
Entrepreneurs and Industry
Health, Wellbeing, Care
Government and Public Administration
Special and Third Sector
Public
and …
has been everywhere
About
Strategic Plans
SCONUL
Our strategic priorities for
2012-2015
• Collaboration and shared
services
• Performance and quality
• Academic Content and
Communication
• User experience and
success
Provost’s Foreword iii
Values iv
Vision and Mission v
Executive Summary vii
1. Trinity’s Strategy for the Future
2. Education
3. Knowledge Generation and
Transfer
4. Student Experience
5. Engagement with Society
6. Enabling the Strategy
7. People
8. Place
9. Information and the Library
10.Implementing the Strategy
11.Acknowledgements
Trinity College Dublin
Information and the Library
As a learning organisation, we fully support
the sharing of information for the benefit of
the entire community ……..
• publish an information strategy
• Establish a virtual learning environment
(VLE) and a virtual research environment
(VRE)
• Transform campus experience with mobile
web
• integrated communications technology
Platform
•Develop the Library and College archives
Our mission is to:
* independently represent, promote and support
owner managers of small & medium enterprises.
* be vigilant, decisive, and direct in promoting and
defending the interests of all small and medium
businesses.
* help members better manage and grow their
business through the provision of excellent
information and services.
* reduce members’ costs through the co-ordinated
strength of the sector.
Our mission is to:
* independently represent, promote and support
owner managers of small & medium enterprises.
* be vigilant, decisive, and direct in promoting and
defending the interests of all small and medium
businesses.
* help members better manage and grow their
business through the provision of excellent
information and services.
* reduce members’ costs through the co-ordinated
strength of the sector.
•4 part mission …
•They do what it says on
the lid
•That’s small businesses
About
strategic planning
Elements of strategic planning
External
• Political
• Economic
• Social
• Technological
• Legal
• Environment
• Education
Internal
• SWOT
• Research / Evidence of past
achievement
• Unique qualities (USPs)
• Consultation; engagement
• Partnership potential
• Assets
• Resources
Vision. Aims. Objectives. Desired outcomes
Intrinsic v Instrumental
Intrinsic
• Historic legacy
• Books only
• Valued
• Victorian; associated with
archives, museums
• Collections
• Nostalgia value
• Not enough on its own
• New technology
Instrumental
• Literacy
• Learning
• Information
• Knowledge
• Children/ Young People
• Community
• Diversity
• Recessionist
• New technology
360° Strategy
Competition
Divided Failure
to change
No/Low Impact
Uncertain market
Futures
Threats
Opportunities
Dated image
Invisible
Inconsistent
Limited evidence
Baggage – Legacy
Leadership
Partnership
Collaboration
Skills
Passion More
ideas &
resources
Huge Market
National network
History
Nostalgia
About
our Skills
Professional Knowledge
and Skills Base
• Ethics and Values
• at the centre
• Key knowledge and skills
• make our profession unique
• Professional expertise and strategic skills
• in the wider library, information and knowledge
sector context
• wider organisation and environmental context
• maintain current awareness and understanding
of the wider profession
• for knowledge of the world outside their own
workplace
Professional expertise: Make more of our
professional assets, our skills
Skills of Strategy – 1. The wider perspective
Skills of Strategy – 2. Generic. Powerful
PKSB: Generic skills
- Skills of strategy
• Wider Organisation and Environmental context
• Wider Library Information and Knowledge Sector
context
• Leadership and Advocacy
• Strategy, Planning and Management
• Customer Focus, Service Design and Marketing
• IT and Communication
9. Leadership and Advocacy
Provide active leadership by inspiring and
managing themselves and teams, both inside and
outside the organisation and by promoting the
positive value of library, information and knowledge
services across the organisation and society.
Includes leading and inspiring teams, influencing
key stakeholders and understanding external
frameworks
9. Leadership and Advocacy
Provide active leadership by inspiring and
managing themselves and teams, both inside and
outside the organisation and by promoting the
positive value of library, information and knowledge
services across the organisation and society.
Includes leading and inspiring teams, influencing
key stakeholders and understanding external
frameworks
10. Strategy, Planning and Management
Setting long-term goals and objectives, and
managing their planning and delivery
within financial and legal constraints, while
ensuring that strategies and priorities
are in line with and support business objectives.
Includes knowledge of business, operational and
financial planning and management.
10. Strategy, Planning and Management
Setting long-term goals and objectives, and
managing their planning and delivery
within financial and legal constraints, while
ensuring that strategies and priorities
are in line with and support business objectives.
Includes knowledge of business, operational and
financial planning and management.
11. Customer focus, Service Design and
Marketing
Understanding user needs, shaping library,
information and knowledge services to meet
those needs and using appropriate methods to
inform customers of accessibility, value and
benefit of the resources and services. Includes
knowing the customer, identifying and
communicating with stakeholders, designing and
promoting services and evaluating the outcomes.
11. Customer focus, Service Design and
Marketing
Understanding user needs, shaping library,
information and knowledge services to meet
those needs and using appropriate methods to
inform customers of accessibility, value and
benefit of the resources and services. Includes
knowing the customer, identifying and
communicating with stakeholders, designing and
promoting services and evaluating the outcomes.
12. IT and Communication
Using a range of electronic information resources
and systems, including databases, catalogues,
Web resources and software. Includes new
internet applications and social media tools and
providing user-friendly electronic resources and
tools. Communication skills include oral, writing
and presentation skills, networking and
relationship building and working effectively with
individuals and groups.
12. IT and Communication
Using a range of electronic information resources
and systems, including databases, catalogues,
Web resources and software. Includes new
internet applications and social media tools and
providing user-friendly electronic resources and
tools. Communication skills include oral, writing
and presentation skills, networking and
relationship building and working effectively with
individuals and groups.
What more do you need?
or…
… make tomorrow
your
own!
Thank you
John