The strategy game at SLA

Information Outlook, Feb, 1998 by Stephen Abram, Jane Dysart

The strategy game at SEA is a complex dance of the inter-related needs and inputs of the membership, the units, the board, and the headquarters staff. The partnership that has grown to become our strategic planning process is neither complete nor perfect. Every time we go through a planning cycle, improvements to the process are made and learning happens. Some suggestions appear at the end of this article for ongoing improvements to our process. The

Strategic Planning Committee, and indeed the entire Board of Directors, welcome any input you may have for further improvements to our future plans and the planning process. Feel free to contact any member of the committee listed on page 20 or any member of the Board of Directors who are listed in the most recent Who's Who.

A New Strategic Plan for SLA

In this issue of Information Outlook is a copy of the new SLA Strategic Plan. It builds on our first 10 year plan, Goal's for the 70's produced in the early 1960's, the first of our current five year plans produced in 1985, and the groundbreaking Strategic Plan of 1989 that has guided SLA since it was adopted. The new plan integrates a number of strategic planning initiatives that have occurred in recent years. You will note that this plan includes:

Need: Why does SLA exist? Its raison d'etre.

Vision: What do we want to be? The picture of our preferred future - it's a stretch and gives us direction for the future.

Values: What common values do our members hold? What's important to us?

Mission: What do we do?

Environment: What's happening in the world that affects us?

Strategies and Tactics: What are the three most important strategies to us?

Priorities: What is our focus in the short-term based on this plan?

Take a look at our plan. You will see that it is, we believe, a far-reaching one based on a positive vision for the future of special librarians, information professionals, and our association. We know that it can drive and pull us in a direction where we will continue to achieve success in our professional lives. Of course, this will only happen if every member commits to make their own positive contribution.

Strategic Planning Committee Mandate

This committee is not mysterious and, like most association committees, its meetings are open to any member who chooses to attend. Since 1989, the Strategic Planning Committee has been composed of seven members. These include three members of the Board of Directors as follows: one second-year director as chair, one first-year director (serves as chair in the second year), and the president-elect; the treasurer and the executive director are ex-officio members; one chapter president, and one division chair. The committee is charged with revising the Strategic Plan every three years (or more often if it decides this is necessary) and deciding if a major update is necessary. The committee also facilitates regular discussion and selection of association goals and priorities by the board; provides opportunities for input by chapter presidents and division chairs, by the treasurer, SLA headquarters and SLA members; monitors progress under the current plan and reports to the board at the annual conference.

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The Strategic Planning Process at SLA

While no one process is perfect or can be expected to continue forever, it is the very nature of SLA to build towards a formalized process that can grow to the next plateau. The chart on page 19 shows some of the steps that have become formalized over time in our process. You can see that no single group "controls" SLA's strategies, although final decision-making authority rests with the Board of Directors as advised by the membership, its committees, and our staff.

A Short History of Strategic Planning at SLA

1960 - The Planning Committee creates "Goals for 1970"

1971 - Long Range Plan developed for 1971-1974

1981 - Special Committee on Long Range Planning authorized to "Plan for Planning"

1983 - First "Mission Statement" adopted

1985 - Long Range Planning Committee definition and composition approved

1986 - First Five Year Long Range Plan approved based on a Membership Survey

1988 - Adopted new SLA Mission Statement

1988 - Long Range Planning Committee name changed to Strategic Planning Committee

1988 - Strategic Planning Committee mandate and composition updated

1989 - Strategic Plan 1990-2005 approved

1990-1996 - Annual review of strategic plan and priority setting for Association goals

1994 - SLA Vision crafted and adopted

1997 - New Strategic Plan; renewed, revitalized, and adopted

1997 - Strategic Priorities revisited and Vision Statement reviewed

1998 - Communication of strategy and vision to association members and units

Improvements to SLA Strategic Plan and Process

We have some weaknesses in our strategic planning process that we can improve if we put our minds and energy into it. We suffer the shoemaker's children's syndrome in that we do not use research enough to inform our decision-making. We should consider improving our environmental auditing skills to more formally collect trends and innovations from outside of our realm. We get good advice from our headquarters staff about association management trends through their involvement with the ASAE (American Society of Association Executives) and can be justifiably proud of our progress and leading edge position in offering our association's services more virtually. As well, our own members involvement with library and information industries helps to keep us abreast of this area.