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1.
The key to strategic exploration is establishing a
clear central question.
Examples:
·
What
are the implications for (name) if current (demographic,
economic, political) trends continue? (Trend)
·
What
might happen as a result of the XYZ plant closing? (Event)
·
What
might happen as soon as the flexible block schedule is
implemented? (Innovation)
·
What
are the implications if we implement a merit pay plan for
teachers? (Policy Change or New Policy)
·
What
are the implications if we adopt the ABC Reading program?
(Change)
·
What
are the implications of District # 1 consolidating with
District # 5? (Change)
·
What
are the immediate implications of committing to a building
project for a new high school? (Goal)
2.
Once the central question has been written, a small
leadership team (2 or 3 people) identifies the most
immediate and significant implications (typically 5 to 15)
that might result from the center.
3.
A diverse group of people (typically 15 to 30) is
assembled to engage in the strategic exploration process.
Using the I-Wheel software, scouting teams (3 to 5 per
group) explore one of the immediate implications
identified by the leadership team. The groups employ
Cascade Thinking, which means that each implication will
result in more implications, and those implications will
yield even more. The I-Wheel software fosters this kind
of thinking and makes the process engaging and fun.
Note:
Under circumstances where an organization is doing an
institutional review, an online survey might be used with
the group in advance of the strategic exploration event to
stimulate their thinking and to collect information
regarding perceptions of strengths to continue, weaknesses
to stop, opportunities to start, threats to pay attention
to, and trends to be aware of.
4.
After completing their exploration, each scouting
team rates the implications they generated on two
continuums: 1) its desirability and 2) the likelihood it
will happen. The software graphically displays these
ratings so the team can easily see both good and bad
implications for the future.
5.
Each team analyzes their exploration of the future
and prepares a list of strategic recommendations to
increase the likelihood the good things they identified in
the future will happen and the bad things will not. Along
with their recommendations, they make note of the
rationale that supports their recommendations and they
list possible action steps necessary to achieve the
recommendation.
6.
Each team’s recommendations are presented to the
large group. The recommendations are clarified and then
the large group rates each recommendation on a continuum
from low to high priority. These ratings result in a list
of recommendations that are priority ranked.
7.
A report is produced for the organization’s
leaders. The document includes:
·
Information or details that support the central question,
·
The
detailed results of each scouting team’s exploration
efforts,
·
A chart
displaying the strategic recommendations in priority rank
order,
·
A
frequency distribution chart displaying the strategic
recommendation ratings, and
·
Each
scouting team’s worksheet, which displays their rationale
and action steps.
8.
The above document might be used by leaders to
develop a formal strategic plan or as the basis for
informal action planning.
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