Huntsville Area Chamber of Commerce

1
Huntsville Area Chamber of Commerce

• Strategic Planning Session

2
What is a strategic plan?

• Strategic planning is an organization's process
  of defining its direction, and making decisions
  on allocating its resources to pursue this
  direction, including its capital and people.
• The outcome is normally a written plan which is
  used as guidance to help the organization
  function effectively

3
What is a strategic plan?

• Simply put, strategic planning determines where
  an organization is going over the next year or
  more,
• how it's going to get there and
• how it'll know if it got there or not.

4
strategic plan vs. business plan

• The focus of a strategic plan is usually on the
  entire organization.
• The focus of a business plan is usually on a
  particular product, service or program.

5
Why do a plan?

• Many organizations function by merely thinking of
  events or individual projects that they can
  sponsor
• Quite often these events are not related to each
  other and may not be or real interest to the
  community
• Members are kept busy with events that do not
  produce real outcomes

6
Why do a plan?

• Events and projects take money and human
  resources to plan and run
• Soon, the organization has spent large sums of
  its monies and human capital and do not achieve
  the desired results
• Unrelated projects and events, not related to the
  purpose of the organization soon begin to
  alienate the membership

7
Why do a plan?

• Organizations that do not plan the year or even
  the next few years in advance are doomed for
  failure
• Support membership begins to complain
• Active membership become frustrated and feel
  unappreciated

8
Why do a plan?

• Soon the organization is severely crippled
• The organization may be so traumatized, it ceases
  to be effective
• It may even cease to exist

9
An effective Strategic Plan

• The first step for any organization is to be sure
• That is has a well defined mission or purpose
• That its members understand and approve of its
  mission
• The worst reason to have an organization is
  because we think we should have it

10
Developing a Mission

• Before any effective planning can take place, the
  organization needs to define its purpose
• The Mission Statement accomplishes that purpose

11
What is a Mission Statement

• A mission statement is a brief description of an
  organizations fundamental purpose. A mission
  statement answers the question, Why do we
  exist?
• The mission statement articulates the
  organizations purpose both for those in the
  organization and for the public.

12
Possible Mission Statements

• It is the mission of the Huntsville Area Chamber
  of Commerce to promote the advancement of the
  business community, enhance the economic, civic
  and cultural environment, and improve the quality
  of life in Huntsville and Madison County

13
Possible Mission Statements

• The mission of the Huntsville Chamber of
  Commerce  is to enhance and sustain the economic
  environment  and quality of life in our
  community.

14
Possible Mission Statements

• The Huntsville Area Chamber of Commerce is
  dedicated to promoting the City of Huntsville and
  Madison County, Arkansas by cultivating community
  involvement, encouraging business alliances,
  nurturing the growth and development of new and
  existing businesses, and creating educational
  opportunities for the community.

15
Possible Mission Statements

• It is the mission of the Huntsville Area Chamber
  of commerce to advance the commercial, economic,
  civic and general interests of the area.

16
Once we have a mission . .

• Then we can clearly begin to define our
  organizations objectives.

17
Objectives

• Objectives are the broadest statements of what
  the organization chooses to accomplish.
• Objectives rarely change but can
• Objectives carry over from year to year
• Goals are used to meet these objectives

18
Objective 1

• Promote business and community growth and
  development

19
Objective 2

• Promote pride in and a positive image of our
  community

20
Objective 3

• Provide a voice for the business communitys
  concerns and promote awareness of the challenges
  facing our community

21
Objective 4

• Provide educational/cultural programs to assist
  business, organizations and individuals in their
  growth and/or operations

22
Frustration with objectives

• In order to meet an organizational objective, the
  organizations has to create goals for each one
• Goals may be long term or short term
• Expertise in an area may be necessary in order to
  come up with goals that help us meet an objective

23
Goals for our objectives

• This cannot be done in one setting
• A lot of analysis and thinking must be done
• One has to ask will this goal actually help us
  meet this objective
• One may need to consult with many people to come
  up with these good ideas or goals.

24
Goals for our objectives

• People who work on goals for an objective should
  be interested in that objective and somewhat
  knowledgeable in that area
• Always ask over and over will this goal help us
  reach that objective over time
• It is does not, do not establish the goal

25
For example

• Objective 2 - Promote pride in and a positive
  image of our community
• Goal 1 Promote the restoration and general
  appearance of buildings and property in the City
  of Huntsville
• Goal 2 Creation of a Madison County/Huntsville
  Museum which accurately displays the history,
  dreams, achievements, and visions of the
  community

26
For example

• Objective 2 - Promote pride in and a positive
  image of our community
• Goal 3 Award achievement and promote
  individual initiative and recognition by
  expanding the chamber awards program and annual
  banquet
• Goal 4 Create a program within the chamber
  known as Operation Pride which involves all
  community organizations

27
How do we accomplish our goals

• This is the really neat stuff
• All of these will be action taken
• These are your events and functions directly
  related to the goal.
• This is the area where all members actually work
• These are usually called strategies or actions

28
Strategies

• Objective 2 - Promote pride in and a positive
  image of our community
• Goal 2 Creation of a Madison County/Huntsville
  Museum which accurately displays the history,
  dreams, achievements, and visions of the
  community
• Strategy 1 - Meet with the Madison County
  Historical and Genealogical Society to obtain
  their ideas and involvement
• Strategy 2 - Develop a preliminary plan on
  logistics to plan, design, and operate a local
  museum

29
Strategies

• Objective 2 - Promote pride in and a positive
  image of our community
• Goal 2 Creation of a Madison County/Huntsville
  Museum which accurately displays the history,
  dreams, achievements, and visions of the
  community
• Strategy 3 - Evaluate plan to see if operations
  are feasible so as to be successful.
• Strategy 4 - Begin search of area to find a
  suitable location and physical plant to house
  museum.

30
Strategies

• Objective 2 - Promote pride in and a positive
  image of our community
• Goal 2 Creation of a Madison County/Huntsville
  Museum which accurately displays the history,
  dreams, achievements, and visions of the
  community
• Strategy 5 - Meet with owners to establish
  possible purchase or donation of site
• Strategy 6 - Check with city officials to
  insure all safety and zoning requirements can be
  met if possibility of obtaining location seems
  probable

31
The last and maybe most important part

• Once strategies have been established, no matter
  how great the plan is or looks
• Each goal and strategy must have a person
  assigned to be responsible for meeting it.
• Each strategy must have a time frame for
  completing it

32
Strategies

• Goal 2 Creation of a Madison County/Huntsville
  Museum which accurately displays the history,
  dreams, achievements, and visions of the
  community
• Strategy 1 - Meet with the Madison County
  Historical and Genealogical Society to obtain
  their ideas and involvement Person Responsible
  - Kevin Hatfield Target Date - 6/1/2007
• Strategy 2 - Develop a preliminary plan on
  logistics to plan, design, and operate a local
  museum

33
Other examples

• Objective 1 - Promote business and community
  growth and development
• Goal 1 Build a new chamber office to house an
  effective administrative unit

34
Recommendations

• Recommend a Mission Statement for the Chamber
• Adopt 4 or 5 objectives
• Assign each of the objectives to an individual
  committee to establish
• Committees will meet independently to establish
  goals and strategies.

35
Recommendations

• The officers and board of directors will approve
  all of this and assign persons to be responsible
  for the strategies
• Working with the person assigned, set time frames.

36
Recommendations

• A full written plan will be typed and distributed
  to all interested persons