Strategic plans often begin with ambitious goals, but turning those goals into meaningful organizational change requires more than a well-written document. Leaders must make decisions about priorities, resources, partnerships and how their organizations will actually carry out the work.
For Dr. Saralyn Grass, President and Co-Founder of Verdant Synergies Consulting, the most useful strategies are those that account for both the evidence supporting an approach and the realities of implementing it.
In practical terms, she works alongside boards of directors and senior leaders to strengthen organizational strategy, assess operations, develop funding strategies, build partnerships and evaluate program effectiveness.
Her approach draws on more than two decades of experience in executive leadership, public policy, research and organizational management, including leading a public children’s services agency with an annual budget exceeding $60 million.
From that work, she has drawn three lessons she encourages leaders to consider before committing time, money and staff to their next strategic plan.
Lesson One: Make Sure the Strategy Addresses the Right Problem
Organizations sometimes begin strategic planning by identifying new programs, services or funding opportunities before fully examining the problem they are trying to address. A promising idea can gain momentum because it attracts support or aligns with a funding opportunity, even when the organization hasn’t established whether it is the most effective response.
Dr. Grass encourages leaders to begin with a different set of questions: What problem are we trying to solve? What do we know about its causes? Who is affected? What evidence supports the approach we’re considering? And how will we know whether we’re making progress?
That process can lead organizations to reconsider existing assumptions, narrow their priorities or recognize that the best solution may involve partnerships rather than creating another program.
Once the problem and desired results are clearly defined, leaders can practice genuine evidence-based decision-making, which requires them to be honest about what the data does and does not show.
Lesson Two: Separate What the Evidence Actually Shows From What Everyone Assumes to Be True
Dr. Grass’s background in research, program evaluation and expert witness consulting has reinforced the importance of separating evidence from assumptions. In each of those fields, conclusions need to be supported by the information available, even when the findings challenge an organization’s expectations.
The same principle applies to strategic planning. Leaders may assume a program is effective because it has operated for years, a partnership is successful because participants meet regularly or a new policy has solved a problem simply because it was adopted. Those assumptions deserve examination before they become the foundation of a long-term strategy.
Dr. Grass explained that good analysis also means recognizing when the available information does not support a particular conclusion. Applying that standard within an organization can be uncomfortable. Leaders may learn that a favored initiative lacks sufficient evidence to justify expanding it. That can be a difficult conversation, but it is better to ask those questions before committing additional resources. Even a strategy backed by solid evidence can still fall apart, however, if it asks more of an organization than it can deliver.
Lesson Three: Build the Strategy Around the People, Funding and Partners Who Will Carry It Out
Research can point an organization toward approaches that have worked elsewhere, but it cannot tell leaders whether their staff has the time and training to deliver them, whether the budget can sustain them or whether community partners are ready to participate.
Dr. Grass believes those practical questions often decide whether a plan succeeds.
“People are more likely to support change when they understand why it’s necessary and have some opportunity to help shape how it happens,” Dr. Grass said. “Even a good idea can fail if leaders don’t pay enough attention to implementation, communication and buy-in.”
Her years in statewide policy work taught her that forces outside an organization shape a plan as much as anything inside it.
“My policy experience helps me understand the broader environment in which organizations operate, including funding structures, regulations, public priorities and the relationships necessary to move initiatives forward,” she explained. “My goal is to help clients develop strategies that are informed by evidence but also realistic about the people, resources and circumstances involved in putting them into practice.”
Leaders also need to look honestly at their internal capacity. Dr. Grass has observed that an organization becomes vulnerable when too many decisions, relationships and responsibilities rest with one person, and a plan built on a single executive’s knowledge can look strong right up until that executive moves on. “Strong leadership should create systems and develop people who can sustain the work over time,” she said.
Funding completes the picture. At Verdant Synergies Consulting, Dr. Grass and her husband and business partner, Gabe Grass, combine their experience in strategy, organizational leadership, partnerships and resource development to help clients develop plans that are both ambitious and financially realistic.
Turning Strategic Plans Into Practical Decisions
For organizations preparing to develop or revisit their strategic plans, Dr. Grass encourages leaders to ask three questions: Are we addressing the right problem? Are our decisions supported by evidence rather than assumptions? And do we have the people, resources and partnerships necessary to carry out the plan?
These questions can help boards and executive teams move beyond creating a document that outlines their aspirations and toward making decisions that guide their work. An effective strategy should establish clear priorities, account for organizational realities and provide a framework for evaluating progress and adjusting course when necessary.
“Ultimately, I hope my professional contributions encourage organizations and funders to ask better questions, work together more effectively and make decisions that lead to meaningful, sustainable results,” Dr. Grass said.
