Strategic planning is the future of your association. It defines long-term goals and priorities and provides a roadmap for operational success. However, successfully facilitating this process internally can be challenging with inherent biases, limited perspectives, and the demands of day-to-day operations. This is where engaging a professional consultant is invaluable, offering numerous benefits to ensure a comprehensive and objective strategic planning process.
Here are 5 reasons to bring in a consultant to successfully facilitate your next strategic planning process.
1. Unbiased and Objective Perspective
The perspective from inside an organization is always different from that from outside the organization. One of the primary advantages of using an association management consultant is their ability to provide an unbiased and objective perspective with no personal agenda. The chief executive, for example, can be much more effective if they are part of the discussion rather than trying to facilitate it. The same can be said for even the most qualified volunteer. Internal stakeholders, such as board members, staff, and volunteers, may have preconceived notions, preferences, or blind spots preventing their ability to objectively assess the association’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and priorities.
2. Expertise and Best Practices
Strategic planning is a complex process that requires a deep understanding of current methodologies, industry trends, and best practices. A professional association management consultant facilitates strategic planning sessions and offers the necessary expertise to guide associations through the process. They can provide valuable insights, share successful practices from other organizations, and ensure that the strategic planning process is comprehensive, well-structured, and meets expectations.
3. Facilitation and Conflict Resolution
Bringing together a wide range of participants is a critical step to a successful strategic plan. However, facilitating a strategic planning session with diverse stakeholders can be challenging, as differing perspectives and opinions can lead to conflicts or stalemates. A skilled facilitator can effectively manage these dynamics, ensuring that all voices are heard and differences are resolved constructively. They can create a safe and inclusive environment for open dialogue, foster collaboration, and help the association reach consensus on critical decisions.
4. Knowledge Building and Future Application
The strategic planning process itself can serve as a learning opportunity for the association. By working closely with a professional facilitator, board members, volunteers, and staff gain knowledge and insights into strategic planning styles, industry trends, and successful practices. This knowledge can empower the association to better manage and address future interim planning activities independently, encouraging a culture of continuous effective strategic thinking.
5. Time and Resource Efficiency
Conducting a thorough strategic planning process can be time-consuming and resource-intensive for an association’s staff and volunteers while associations are already stretched thin. Outsourcing this task to a professional allows the association to allocate its internal resources more effectively, allowing staff and volunteers to focus on their core competencies and responsibilities while the consultant handles the details of the strategic planning process.
Associations can ensure a well-structured and thorough strategic planning process by leveraging a professional facilitator’s expertise, objectivity, and resources. This type of collaborative approach will lead to a clear and actionable strategic plan that aligns with the association’s mission, values, and long-term goals, and positions the organization for sustainable growth and success.
Recently, RGI began a strategic planning project with an international scientific association, the process includes organizational research, evaluation of revenue model, assessment of membership structure, determination of value proposition, overview of industry-related factors, stakeholder surveys, and program analysis. Let’s have a confidential conversation to discover if engaging RGI is the right solution for your association’s strategic planning process.
Mark McSweeney, CAE
Mark McSweeney, CAE is Vice President of Association Strategies at RGI. He provides executive-level advice and strategy to RGI's current and prospective clients. Beyond consulting projects and developing new partnerships, Mark has served as executive director for various RGI clients.