Who Holds the Keys to Strategic Planning?
Like many of the folks reading this newsletter, I spend a lot of time thinking about strategic planning. At School Leader Lab, we’re in the middle of constructing a refreshed three year plan and it’s causing me to reflect on my experiences with strategic planning over the years.
Strategic planning is often portrayed as a mythical Oz, existing somewhere over the rainbow, yet seemingly mastered by no one. As a Black woman, I have long observed a pattern along racial lines regarding who is and is not trusted to create and execute strategic plans. This pattern exists across multiple contexts—schools, nonprofits, philanthropy and more. Given that only 1.6% of Fortune 500 companies have a Black CEO (a record high, sadly), despite Black people comprising 14% of the U.S. population, there are evidently questions about who can and cannot execute strategy in the for-profit sector, as well.
One challenge is that we have no common definition for strategic planning. It means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. I'd like to offer a definition that has helped me. After hearing about this term but never truly understanding what people meant by it for a long time, I have come to realize that strategic planning is simply having a set of long-term goals, setting priorities to meet those goals, and monitoring progress along the way. That's it. It's not some mystical ability only people with MBAs possess. When we overcomplicate the process, we make everyone feel inadequate. As Einstein said, "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
Don't get me wrong, planning is essential. It's also very difficult. By attempting to put what strategic planning is into plain language, I by no means want to convey that it is easy to do. What I am saying is when we don't put what we mean by "strategic planning" or “strategic thinking” in simple language, and then lob accusations that someone cannot do this elusive skill, it is a problem.
I love planning. I have plans for three weeks, three months, and three years from now. I'm usually humble, but not here. I'm good at this. As a teacher, my students excelled because of my ability to backwards map the entire school year and relentlessly stick to my pacing guide. As a school leader, I was the school-wide testing coordinator and I ran field day every year (those who know, know).
We hit 94% of our annual goals at School Leader Lab last year and we exceeded our five-year plan for revenue, fundraising, and impact in just three years (hence the aforementioned refresh).
I'm not advocating for lowering standards, accepting vague "concepts of a plan," or eliminating planning altogether. Instead, I argue that we should hold all leaders to the same, clearly defined bar of excellence in service of our students.
So, in an attempt to make the complex clear, here's how I approach strategic planning:
Start within your locus of control: Don't wait for top-down strategic plans. Start with your sphere of influence— youe classroom, grade level, or department. Create a year-long plan with specific objectives aligned to broader goals. Involve your supervisor to ensure alignment. Strategic planning isn't just for executives. Great teachers use year-long scope and sequences; effective APs set long-term cross grade-level goals. That's strategic planning in action. Your efforts, no matter where you start, will make a difference. As Toni Morrison says, “You are your best thing.”
Begin with your vision: Once you know what you’re planning for, ground in your vision. My inspiration for this year was “Big vision. Small details.” It doesn’t have to be website ready. It has to be what inspires you.
Invest others in the vision: I engage stakeholders early in the ideation process, before concrete planning begins. By doing this, I ensure buy-in and support when it's time to execute. It's essential that at each stage you gather input about what others see as the key strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. Most importantly, be open to having your mind changed.
Set Objectives and Key Results (OKRs): These link your vision to day-to-day operations. Keep it simple: identify 3-5 objectives and then add 3-5 key results per objective. OKRs come from John Doerr's Measure What Matters. Check out this resource.
Tips
Trust Your Instincts: Sometimes we don't want to get started on strategic planning because we don't trust our own vision. You were selected as a leader for a reason. Strategic planning starts with your vision. If you don't start there, you're missing the most essential step. Trust your instincts. People want to know your why. They want to follow your lead. You can't delegate that part.
Get Inspired: Toni Morrison has many quotes that I use as inspiration as I begin to craft my annual vision statement. Whether it’s sitting in the back of a classroom for a day, visiting a school you admire, or watching a great episode of The Bear, find the inspiration you need to drive your vision. People will follow when they know it authentically matters to you.
Check yourself: The next time you are questioning someone else's strategic thinking or planning skills ask yourself:
“Have I clearly defined 'strategic planning/thinking?’” Given its varied interpretations, ensure you've explicitly communicated your meaning. Once you’re clear on what you mean by long term planning and strategic thinking and what format you want it to take (a deck, a template, OKRs etc) make sure everyone else has that definition and shared formatting.
“Have I shared my vision and defined everyone’s roles in making it come to life?” As a leader, make sure to clarify direction and role expectations.
“Where are they already demonstrating strategic thinking?” Identify existing strengths in planning that can be applied to the context you are addressing. Were they able to do this as a teacher and now they are struggling in a new role? Help them bridge the gap.
“Is the issue poor planning skills or misaligned priorities?” They may be skilled planners focused on competing goals, like prioritizing a field trip over creating a data analysis plan.
“What am I doing to build this skill?” Just as with any other skill, if long term planning is a gap, it is our job as leaders to build the knowledge and expertise to close the gap. It’s tough building this muscle in others. You don’t have to do this alone. That’s why School Leader Lab exists and why all of our cohorts focus on setting and reaching big goals grounded in school priorities.
At School Leader Lab, we value vulnerability. In that spirit, I'll close with a moment from planning for our recent board retreat. I was creating committees and realized I'd placed all the white board members on the strategy committee and all of our BIPOC board members on the program committee. As a Black woman, I'm not immune to reinforcing racist stereotypes – internalized racism is real.
I share this story not to embarrass myself (though it does bring me deep shame, which is part of why my Friday newsletter is coming out on a Monday…it’s taken a while to press send on this one) but to hopefully create an opening for us all to get a little honest with ourselves about times we have fallen into this insidious line of thinking. It’s the same line of thinking that creates the opportunity gap in schools, where students of color “spend more than 500 hours per school year on assignments that are below their grade level and with instruction that doesn’t ask enough of them.” The persistent underestimation of people of color's intellect, especially that of Black individuals, is ingrained in our national consciousness, dating back to the country's founding.
Fortunately, both I and my white board chair caught and named this pattern of thinking in real time. However, we often lack the time, awareness and relationships to interrupt such patterns. This experience underscores why we center race and racism in all our work, including in how we approach strategic planning.
I aim to highlight racial patterns in our thinking, share how I've demystified strategic planning, and offer tips for your own journey. We're in this together. Onwards.
