A Different Approach To Strategic

Planning : SOAR-Building Strengths-

Based Strategy

RSJ
Workshop Objectives
• Participants will learn how to frame strategic planning in a manner
that that actively engages stakeholders within their own organization.

• Participants will learn a different approach in helping an organization

to design a planning process that provides a more meaningful – and
clearer – strategic direction
 What is going well for you and your organization?

And

Why do you care about the future of your organization?

SOAR : A NEW APPROACH TO STRATEGIC
PLANNING
• SOAR- Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations and Results
• A more strength-based spin than SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats)
• A strategic planning framework that…
• Focuses on strengths
• Seeks to understand the whole system by including the voices of the relevant stakeholders
• Helps organizations focus on
• What they are doing well
• What skills can be improved and
• What is most compelling to stakeholders
• Pushes organizations to develop strategic plans that are more dynamic, creative
and optimistic
What is S.O.A.R.?
STRENGTHS
What can we build on?

Opportunities
What our are stakeholders asking for?

Aspirations
What do we care deeply about?

Results
How do we know we are succeeding?
Defining SOAR
• A strategic planning framework with an approach that focuses on
strengths and seeks to understand the whole system by including the
voices of the relevant stakeholders.

• Integrates Appreciative Inquiry (AI) in building strength based strategy

• Utilizes a “5-I approach” in developing a strategic plan

• Initiate, Inquire, Imagine, Innovate & Inspire to Implement
SWOT VS. SOAR
SWOT Analysis SOAR Approach
Analysis Oriented Action Oriented
Weakness and Threat focus Strengths & Opportunities focus

Competition focus- Just be better Possibility focus- Be the best!

Incremental improvement Innovation breakthroughs

Top down Engagement at all levels

Focus on analysis Planning Focus on Planning

Implementation
Energy depleting- There are so Energy creating- We are good and
many weakness and threats can become great!

Attention to Gaps Attention to Results

 SWOT SOAR
Strengths Strengths
• Organizational Resources and capabilities • What are we doing really well?
• Basis for developing differentiating advantage • What do our strengths tell us about our skills?

Weaknesses Opportunities
• Absence of strength; lack of resource or capability • How do we collectively understand outside
threats?
• How can we reframe to see the opportunity?
• What is the enterprise asking us to do?
• How can we best partner with others?

Opportunities
• External circumstances that support profit and
growth
• Unfulfilled customer needs, new technology,
favorable legislation

Threats
• External circumstances that hinders profit and
growth

Aspirations
• Considering Strengths & Opportunities, who
should we become?
• How can we make a difference for our
organization and its stakeholders?
Results
• How do we tangibly translate our Strengths,
Opportunities and Aspirations?
What is Appreciative Inquiry?
• An evaluation process “that inquires into, identifies, and further
develops the best of what is in an organization in order to create a
better future”(Coghlan, Preskill, Catsambas, 2003).
• An approach to organizational analysis and learning.
• Intended for discovering, understanding and fostering innovations in social
organizational arrangements and processes.
• Based on the belief that human systems are made and imagined by those
who live and work within them.
• Seeks out the “best of what is” to help ignite the collective imagination of
“what might be”.
AI AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• “Appreciative organizing is based on the assumption that the
continuous creation and sharing of meaning is crucial to the full
engagement of individuals and to the capacities of the organization
for fluid and effective transformation.” (Anderson et al., 2008)

• Thus, approaching program evaluation and strategic planning from an

appreciative perspective can help to increase stakeholder investment
and utilization.
The 5-I Approach

Inspire
Innovate
(A) (R)
Imaging (O) To achieve
The To reach
Opportunities Aspirations Results

Inquire (S)
Into Strengths

Initiate
The choice to
use
STRENGTHS: WHAT CAN WE BUILD ON?
• What are we most proud of as an organization?
How does that reflect our greatest strength?
• What makes us unique? What can we be best at in our world?
• What is our proudest achievement in the last year or two?
• How do we use our strengths to get results?
• How do our strengths fit with the realities of the marketplace?
• What do we do or provide that is world class for out customers, our
industry, and other potential stakeholders?
DEVELOPING STRENGTHS
In small groups….

Each person will:

• Describe examples or stories that shows the organization at its best and
• When s/he felt proud to be part of it

Each group will report back to the large group the major themes that
came up in their discussions
OPPORTUNITIES: WHAT ARE OR
STAKEHOLDERS ASKING FOR?
• How do we make sense of opportunities provided by the external
forces and trends?
• What are the top 3 opportunities on which we should focus our
efforts?
• How can we best meet the needs of our stakeholders, including
customers, employees, shareholders, and community?
• How can we reframe challenges to be seen as existing opportunities?
• What new skills do we need to move forward?
ASPIRATIONS: WHAT DO WE CARE
DEEPLY ABOUT?
• When we explore our values and aspirations, “what are we deeply
passionate about?”
• Reflecting on Strengths and Opportunities conversations, who are we,
who should we become and where do we go in the future?
• What is our most compelling aspirations?
• What strategic initiatives (e.g. projects, programs, processes) would
support our aspirations?
DEVELOPING ASPIRATIONS
In small groups, discuss ….

• What are we deeply passionate about?

• What is our most compelling aspirations?

Each group will report back to the large group the major themes that
came up in their discussions
Innovate : Walking the Diamond

Process

Organization Culture and

Structure Behavior

Managemen
t
Systems
RESULTS: HOW DO WE KNOW WE ARE
SUCCEEDING?
• Considering our Strengths, Opportunities, and Aspirations, what
meaningful measures would indicate that we are on track to achieving
our goals?
• What are 3 to 5 indicators that would create a scorecard that
addresses a triple bottom line of profit, people and planet?
• What resources are needed to implement vital projects?
• What are the best rewards to support those who achieve our goals?
DEVELOPING RESULTS
In small groups, discuss ….
• How do you define success as a professional?
• How do you know you are succeeding?

Each group will report back to the large group the major themes that
came up in their discussions
THE SOAR PROCESS
• Can be done quickly or over an extended period of time
• Depends on purpose/goal
• Ex: defining a committee’s goals for the year vs. agency wide 4 year strategic
plan
• Should include “teams” or break out groups to address each set of
questions
• This is best opportunity to involve various stakeholders
• Requires reframing of strategic planning process and goal setting.
• Plan for resistance to change
EXAMPLE: HEARTSHARE’S PROCESS
• A 3 day process, spread out over several months and various
supplementary meetings
• Started with upper management
• Then, broke out into divisions to do “homework” (see handouts)
• Included all levels of staff and clients/consumers
• Top 3 Aspirations became our goals
• Results became our strategies
 STRATEGIC THINKING – SOAR TEMPLATE
“Clarify and Simplify Your Thinking” – About your Project
___________________________________________________________________(Name of the Organization –
Issue – Problem – Project – Change Effort, etc E
Future Environmental Scan:
___________ What will be changing in your future
C Today’s Date D environment that will affect us?
Future Quadrant System Throughput/Processes:
How do we get there (close the gap from C A )? C A ___________ A
• Future Date
Inputs (SO): CORE STRATEGIES/:TOWS MATRIX
• TOP PRIORITY ACTIONS: OUTPUTS/OUTCOMES:
Strengths Opportunities .
• Desired Outcomes-
• • . #Aspiration
•
• • . Where do we want to be?
•
• • . •
• •
. •
• •
•
•
B
•
Results/ Key Success Measurements:
How will we know when we get there?

•
•
 CASE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
STUDY DESIRED OUTCOMES-RESULTS
• WHAT ARE YOUR DESIRED OUTCOMES-RESULTS?

1. Maximal Utilization of services?

2. Higher Profits?_______________________________
3. Greater Revenue? ____________________________
4. Lower Costs/Decrease? _______________________
5. Enhance Market Share? ________________________
6. Drive Competitive Advantage? ___________________
7. Increase Customer Service & Satisfaction? ________
8. Deliver Better Customer Value ___________________
9. Implement New Product/Service Offerings? ________
10. Growing Community/Society Reputation___________
11. Change the Employee Culture? ___________________
12. Execute a Merger or Acquisition? _________________
1. Enhancing our Commitment to the Community______
2. Develop Strategic Alliances or Partnerships? _______
3. Turn Around an Underperforming programs? _______
4. Enhance safety? _______________________________
5. Protect and Enhance the Environment? ___________
6. Decrease Waste/Simplify your Bureaucracy? _______
 CASE
STUDY CRITICAL ISSUES LIST

• What are the 5-10 most important critical issues facing you today in your Case

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
 TOWS Internal Strengths Internal Weaknesses
MATRIX 1. Advantageously located in town center and 1. Understaffed/unequal distribution of
Ilocos Sur hospital personnel
2. Presence of basic facilities 2. Increasing expenditure because of growing
3. National Capillariasis Center for research number of patients
and treatment 3. Lack of marketing strategy
4. Adequate space for expansion
5. Enough human resource in the
administration

External Opportunities FUTURE QUADRANT INTERNAL FIX-IT

1. The area has industries contributing to 1. How can the industrial areas help the hospital 1. How can the commercial establishments and
economic growth (metallic and non-metallic establish its presence as a National bank facilities help reduce the increasing
resources, agriculture, livestock). Capillariasis Center for research and expenditure of the hospital? (O2, W2)
2. Commercial establishments are mostly treatment? (O1, S3) 2. How can commercial establishments and
concentrated in Poblacion and there are bank bank facilities support the hospital in their
facilities which provide loans to businessmen, 2. How can the different commercial marketing strategy? (O2, W3)
farmers and others. establishments help in utilizing the basic 3. How can access to public transportation and
3. Access to public transportation and facilities in the hospital? (O2, S2) communication help the hospital of its
communication is convenient, fast and 3. How can the access to public transportation understaffed/unequal distribution of
reliable. and convenient, fast and reliable personnel? (O3, W1)
4. There are other health facilities that are communication be used by the human
present in the municipality. resource in the administration? (O3, S5)
 TOWS Internal Strengths Internal Weaknesses
MATRIX 1. Advantageously located in town center and 1. Understaffed/unequal distribution of
Ilocos Sur hospital personnel
2. Presence of basic facilities 2. Increasing expenditure because of growing
3. National Capillariasis Center for research number of patients
and treatment 3. Lack of marketing strategy
4. Adequate space for expansion
5. Enough human resource in the
administration

External Opportunities FUTURE QUADRANT INTERNAL FIX-IT

1. The area has industries contributing to 4. How can the other health facilities that are 4. How can access to public transportation and
economic growth (metallic and non-metallic present in the municipality help the hospital communication help the hospital maximize
resources, agriculture, livestock). utilize its basic facilities? (O4, S2) its marketing strategy? (O3, W3)
2. Commercial establishments are mostly 5. How can the other health facilities in the
concentrated in Poblacion and there are bank municipality help the hospital in filling
facilities which provide loans to businessmen, positions and/or distribution of personnel?
farmers and others. (O4, W1)
3. Access to public transportation and 6. How can the other health facilities in the
communication is convenient, fast and municipality help decrease the expenditure
reliable. of the hospital? (O4, W2)
4. There are other health facilities that are 7. How can the other health facilities in the
present in the municipality. municipality support the marketing strategy
of the hospital? (O4, W3)
 TOWS Internal Strengths Internal Weaknesses
MATRIX 1.Advantageously located in town center and 1.Understaffed/unequal distribution of
Ilocos Sur hospital personnel
2. Presence of basic facilities 2.Increasing expenditure because of growing
3. National Capillariasis Center for research number of patients
and treatment 3.Lack of marketing strategy
4. Adequate space for expansion
5. Enough human resource in the
administration
External Threats EXTERNAL FIX-IT SURVIVAL
1.The area is prone to several natural calamities 1.How can the hospital utilize its space (for 1.How can the hospital address the increasing
like typhoons, earthquakes and floods expansion) to prevent damage from natural expenditure when the area is prone to natural
2.Inflation calamities? (S4, T1) calamities? (W2, T1)
2.How can the presence of basic facilities in 2.How can the hospital maintain and/or
the hospital help in addressing inflation? (S2, increase its staff despite of inflation? (W1, T1)
T2) 3.How can the hospital reduce expenditures
3.How can the hospital’s human resources in despite inflation? (W2, T2)
the administration be of help in the presence of 4.How can the hospital continue marketing
inflation? (S5, T2) strategies despite the inflation? (W2, T2)
Thank You.