2018 ActionStrategy Planning Guide

for Tribal Leaders

Introduction
You are a strategist. If you are reading this, you likely have leadership or management responsibilities as a tribal council
member, administrator, or department or program manager. The guide will be especially useful if you are responsible
for:

Completing your 2018 or long-term organizational, department or program strategic plan

Improving your department or teams focus, performance and outcomes
Developing a strategy or performance management system
Improving collaboration between departments and programs
Completing CEDS, TAP, IRMP or inter-departmental initiatives
Developing a work plan for a large grant

In this guide, we explore a new approach to strategic planning and provide a framework and tools for developing a
strategic plan with a focus on positive outcomes for your organization and community. To get help you get the most
from this guide, we will provide real examples of plans and tools that you can experience by accessing a customized 30-
day demo of the ActionStrategy system.

A New Paradigm

This approach represents a new way of thinking about how plans are developed and managed. Instead of 100-page plan
stuck in a binder on someones shelf, an ActionStrategy is managed as a one-two page online plan that simplifies the
goal, project and grants management process. As Brian Chesney, CEO of Airbnb wrote about their business plan,

"If you can't fit it on a page, you're not simplifying it enough.

The ActionStrategy system provides leaders the flexibility to dynamically adjust the planning and implementation
process and track progress and results. It becomes a living, breathing document rather than a Plan on the Shelf (POTS.)
You will see examples of an ActionStrategy throughout this planning guide.

THE PLANNING FRAMEWORK

An ActionStrategy is the integration of strategic planning and implementation. This framework includes four
fundamental phases of developing an actionable strategy. They are Strategic Thinking, Strategic Planning, Aligning
People and Systems and Strategy Execution. Each phase will be reviewed in detail in this guide.
An ActionStrategy
Lets begin with the end in mind by showing you what an ActionStrategy looks like. The goal is to take a 20-50-page
strategic plan and condense it into a concise, 1-2-page plan. Technology allows us to develop a living, breathing
performance and strategy management system that is transparent and accessible. Key elements include:

THE ACTIONSTRATEGY Goals, Projects, Initiatives, Owners, Resources, Timelines and Status on One Page

PERFORMANCE SCORECARD Tracks performance against your most important goals

PROJECT, GRANT AND INITIATIVE PLANS Tasks, Subtasks, Timelines and Status

OTHER TOOLS include Mission, Vision and Values, SWOT Analysis, Goal Cascading, Task Management, Work Alignment,
Professional Development Planning template and email notifications.
STRATEGIC THINKING: Asking Strategic Questions
The starting point for good strategy is not goal setting or planning, it is Strategic Thinking. A good strategist starts with
identifying the key issues (problems and opportunities) that need to be addressed by your plan. As Richard Rumelt, the
author of Good Strategy/Bad Strategy stated:

Bad strategy tends to skip over pesky details such as problems.

Your team should begin by asking the following questions:

What are out biggest problems that this plan needs to What are our biggest opportunities? What is the
help us solve? What is their impact? potential benefit of pursing these opportunities?

Do we have the organizational capacity to address these Who are our stakeholders and what is most important to
issues? How do we develop capacity? them?

What changes in our environment do we need to prepare How we fully utilize our existing and potential assets?
for?

Essentially, your strategic plan is your answer to these questions. It clarifies how your organization is going to work
together to address these problems and capitalize on your opportunities. It helps you identify What issues need to be
addressed and How you are going to address them.
STRATEGIC THINKING: The ActionStrategy Organizational Capacity Assessment
The 2nd step in the planning process is to evaluate your team or organizations capacity to develop and implement good
strategy. The overall score can be a good predictor of your team or organizations likelihood of executing your 2018
strategic plan. Please take a moment to complete this assessment using the following scale
(1-strongly disagree, 6-strongly agree.)

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP Our Leaders:

Confront Reality. They are candid about the challenges and opportunities we face and dont avoid 123456
difficult topics or situations.

Build Trust. They have the skills to do their jobs and demonstrate high character in all their 123456
interactions.

Take Responsibility. They focus on those things that they can impact and avoid blaming other 123456
people and departments for poor performance.

STRATEGY THINKING AND PLANNING

We consistently follow trends that represent challenges and opportunities to our organization. We 123456
develop plans to adapt to those changes.

We understand the needs of our key stakeholders and consistently meet those needs. 123456

We have a clear set of prioritized goals that represent progress and specific strategies to accomplish 123456
our goals. Everyone understands our goals and strategies.

ALIGN PEOPLE AND PROCESSES

Leaders and employees understand their roles and responsibilities for implementing the team and 123456
organizational plans.

Our leaders and employees have the skills to consistently improve our processes and systems. 123456

Our clients say we are easy to do business with. 123456

STRATEGY EXECUTION
Our projects are consistently completed on time and on budget. 123456

Our goals are achieved on a consistent basis. 123456

Our meetings are effective. Decisions are made in a timely fashion. 123456

TOTAL

The purpose of this exercise is to identify gaps between where you are now and where you need to be to be more
effective at strategy and execution. To do this:

1. Identify 2-3 areas that need to be strengthened (often areas where you scored lower.)
2. Discuss, what specific actions would we need to implement, or behaviors would we need to change to do to
move from X to y in 3 months.
3. Develop an action plan with specific actions, owners, resources and timelines. Review progress as part of your
team meetings for the next 3 months and track progress.
STRATEGIC THINKING SWOT Analysis
The next step is to evaluate your organizations SWOT. A SWOT Analysis is a useful technique for understanding your
organizations Strengths and Weaknesses, and for identifying both the Opportunities open to you and the Threats you
face. To Add your SWOT analysis in the ActionStrategy system:

1. Login into your ActionStrategy demo.

2. Click on Compass > SWOT
3. At the top of the page, give your SWOT a title ex. Adult Services SWOT
4. As a group, enter ideas and comments in the 4 SWOT quadrants. You will see thinking prompts next to each
quadrant.
a. Strengths what strengths can we build on?
b. Weaknesses what weaknesses do we need to address?
c. Opportunities what opportunities should we pursue?
d. Threats what are the major threats to your organization fulfilling its mission?
5. Important: Action Planning. Document potential actions in the SWOT Action section at the bottom of your plan.
The system allows you to move these actions into your ActionStrategy automatically for further review and
prioritization.

STRATEGIC THINKING TOOLS: Internal and External Perspectives

There are other powerful assessment tools that can be utilized during the Strategic Thinking phase such as:

Stakeholder Assessment gather stakeholder feedback regarding needs

Employee Engagement Assessment assess the level of loyalty and engagement among your employees
Organizational Capacity Assessment click here for a sample assessment
Tribal Council Self-Assessment based on the key roles of an effective governing body
PEST Analysis Environmental analysis of Political, Economic, Social and Technology trends
Strategic Partnerships Leverage relationships with people and organizations with similar missions
Financial and Program Audits Professional reviews of financial health and program systems
STRATEGIC PLANNING: A Compelling Purpose Mission, Values and Vision
Everything on the earth as a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission.
Mourning Dove

MISSION
A good mission summarizes the organizations purpose and is brief, clear and compelling. Apaches serving Apaches is
one aspect of the San Carlos Apache Education Department mission. What does that look like in reality? As they are
expanding their health services, they have made a concerted effort to train health professionals within the tribal ranks.
They are a great example of an organization operationalizing its mission

TRADITIONAL VALUES
Value statements list the principles and ethics that guide the behaviors and decisions of the organization. These values
define your desired organizational culture. Value statements are particularly powerful when grounded in the traditional
values of the communities. There are common values across many Alaska Native and Native American communities that
have been instrumental in survival and flourishing for millennium. Some of these values include:

Reverence for the Creator Respect for ancestors, elders and other in the community
Respectful listening and speaking Stewardship of land, water, air and family
Fatherhood and motherhood are sacred Courage and Harmony

There is often a gap between what we say we value and what we do or what our clients experience? It is difficult to
convince our community members that we value respect when they experienced delayed, unresponsive service and
poor communications. One of the best tests of our commitment to our values is how we answer this question:

What would let our clients and community members know that we live these values consistently?

If there are gaps between our values and the service our tribal members experience, what specific changes can we make
to address the gaps? How do we develop an action plan to implement those changes?

VISION
Mark Brown wrote, One of the keys to a good organizational plan is that everyone understands the organizations
vision of where it wants to be in the future. Whereas a mission statement is present focused and defines the
organizations purpose, a vision statement is future focused and defines the organizations goals for the next 3 to 10
years. While the mission is generally stable, the vision can change depending on changes in the environment and
organizational circumstances. A good organization will revisit the vision at a minimum of once a year. Vision is important
because everyone needs to be able to see your future state.

Application: To access, the Mission, Values and Vision template in your ActionStrategy demo, Click on COMPASS > MVV.
How do we know we have achieved our vision? The best way is to translate the vision into measurable goals that define
success. For example, the long-term vision may be all capable tribal members employed, but the measurable goals are:

Ultimately, your ActionStrategy then becomes a description of what (your vision) and how (strategy/strategy drivers)
you will do this as an organization, department or team.

Goals and Strategies are not the Same

Generally, goals describe a desired future state in tangible terms (Increase employment by X, improve high school
graduation rates by X.) Strategies are the How you are going to get there and generally include multiple actions.
Consider all the different actions needed at home, in the community and in the schools to help one child graduate from
high school. The following further illustrates how goals and strategies are distinctive:

GOAL: Measurable Outcomes
Win the basketball game
STRATEGIES: Actions you predict will help you accomplish the goals or
objectives
Full court press to take advantage of our team speed
Zone defense with heavy pressure on their top scorer
Exploit the mismatch with our 64 senior center with their 61 freshmen
center

25 Tribal Clients are employed by Dec. 31
Monthly collaboration meetings with TERO, Adult Education,
Employment & Training, Community College
Develop policy to improve participation in job
training
Improve process for tracking clients in the system
Provide twelve classes for energy industry jobs

SMART GOALS

Specific: It is clear regarding the outcomes.

Measurable: How many companies? How many jobs? Salary? Typically measured as a %, $ or #
Accountability: Who is responsible for the goal? No accountability = no strategy implementation.
Resources: Who or what will we draw upon to ensure success?
Timelines: With no timeline, there is no sense of urgency. Timelines focus thinking and energy.

Your ActionStrategy should consist of 3-5 SMART goals or outcomes. A SMART goal defines a future state as measurable
desired outcome that are typically measured as a percentage (%), a number (#) or financial impact ($). For example:
Increased employment by x%
new clinic within budget
# of acres under weed management.

In practice, a SMART goal or SMART initiative looks like this:

Specific, Measurable Accountability Resources Timelines
Develop wrap-around program to increase employment Candace R. Social Services, E&T Dec. 2018
from 20% to 35% among clients
Attract one new company in the healthcare industry that Philip M. ED Dept., Tribal Dec. 2018
produces 15 jobs ($45,000/yr./avg.) Council
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Aligning Departments with Tribal Priorities

ALIGNING PEOPLE: A Case Study for Cascading Tribal Council priorities

In 2017, we had the opportunity to lead a two-day strategy work session with a Tribal Council in the Southwest.
Based on an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses, they identified a number of high level goals and initiatives.
Some would be coordinated at the tribal level and some would be refined and implemented primarily at the
department and program levels. We then trained the department managers on the same methodology. The Council
kicked off the department managers work session by reviewing Council goals and describing how the department
plans should be aligned with these goals. For example, in the area of Administration and Organizational Effectiveness,
the Council identified 3 overarching goals:

1. ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS: Create a positive working environment with

a high level of trust, unity, transparency, accountability and efficiency
1.1 Develop customer service improvement plans
1.2 Align organizational structure to remove structure, promote collaborations that lead to efficient and
effective services
1.3 Implement leadership and professional development program

During the department management work session, managers were to align their plans with the Council priorities and
develop specific department-level ActionStrategies for implement these plans. Many of the plans would require a high
level or coordination between departments to achieve better collaboration, efficient and effective services. A
committee reporting structure would then be used review their plans and provide feedback during their monthly
meetings. When done well, this is perhaps the most important step of moving to a reality-based, high
accountability process. Also, individual roles and responsibilities should be redefined at the department and team
level to reflect the new priorities.

ALIGNING PEOPLE

When you completed the ActionStrategy Organizational Capacity Assessment, how did you respond to the following two
questions?

We have a clear set of prioritized goals that represent progress and specific strategies to accomplish 123456
our goals. Everyone understands our goals and strategies.
Leaders and employees understand their roles and responsibilities for implementing the team and 123456
organizational plans.

One of the most significant barriers to strategy implementation is when the individuals responsible for implementing a
strategy:

1. Dont know the goal or the strategies to achieve the goal.

2. Dont know what they need to do personally to achieve the goal.
3. Dont want to achieve the goal.

The most effective way to engage employees in the implementation of the plan is to involve them in the development
of the plan. This involvement helps the understand the rationale behind the decisions that are made and help them gain
ownership of the plan. When followed, this planning process has dramatically improved employee engagement, reduce
conflict and silos and improve strategy implementation. One CEO commented that this was the most important process
the organization had ever engaged in because it was moving everyone to a One Team approach to working together and
meeting the needs of their customers.
ALIGNING SYSTEMS

Once preliminary SMART goals are developed, leaders must identify the strategies and drivers needed to achieve their
goals. Below are five types of drivers or disciplines that are key to your plan implementation. An ActionStrategy contains
a mix of these drivers with the majority being project oriented. Most plans will contain a heavy portfolio of projects
(60%-80%), process improvement initiatives, policy development and organizational design (structures, systems.) Work
culture is an overarching driving force and can ensure success or undermine your best efforts. For example, if the overall
culture is one of its not my job or work silos, it will be very difficult to introduce new services or implement a new
project that requires a great effort and collaboration to complete.

Five Strategy Drivers:

Projects and Grants
Process Improvement
Organizational Design
Policy
Work Culture
A project is a temporary activity designed to produce a unique product, service or
result. A project has a starting point and end.
Process improvement begins with as is process steps and then redesigns the process
according to the desired outcomes
Organizational Design is a methodology for aligning work flow, structures and systems
with your desired outcomes.
Good policy describes how individuals respond to various situations to product fair and
consistent outcomes. Good policy is easily communicated.
Work Culture is what most of the people do most of the time. It is the collective
behavior of the team or organization. Drivers include training, coaching, rewards and
most importantly, leadership modeling.

Observe how the following ActionStrategy incorporates three of these driver types:

Each of these drivers should align with the goal they are intended to help accomplish. This also signals to leaders and
staff, what strategic activities they should spend their time on.

STRATEGY EXECUTION: Project and Grant Management

For the espoused strategy to become a reality, it must be converted into packets of work called projects. Projects are
the temporary initiatives that companies put into place alongside their ongoing operations to achieve specific goals.
Executing Your Strategy, by Morgan, Levitt and Malek

The most common strategic driver in tribal government is some form of a project. The project is the true traction point
for strategy execution. Grant work plans are a form of a project plan. Proper planning, from the beginning, is necessary
for a project to run successfully and efficiently. Execution of your plan can be more easily implemented when you
develop specific projects that allow for your organization to track progress easily. Darlene Lee, Former Tribal Executive
Director observed:
 "Tribes are often tempted to "chase grants" due to the great demand for services; however, if we take time to assess
and establish a system to manage our current grants and programs, then, we can strategically move forward with more
focus and success. Next, once you are able to define the grant goals and an objective, reporting requirements, etc., then
accountability becomes manageable, this was made possible through Action Strategy. As the Tribal Executive Director,
the project management tool enabled me to monitor projects and successful milestones to share with the Tribal Council."

There are hundreds of books written about project and grant management. For this guide, we are staying at a high-level
description of projects and where they fit within a strategic plan. To add a sample project plan to your ActionStrategy
demo:

1. To the left of the appropriate project category (ex. ADMINISTRATIVE EFFECTIVENESS) click on the edit icon and
select Add Project. Under the PROJECT column, type in the name of the project. You can also edit the Resource
column, End Date and % Complete, Add Comments, Add Attachments.
2. To left of the project name, click on the edit icon and click on Add Task (multiple clicks will add task rows
quickly.) Fill in the task name, owner (if your demo), Resource, End Date and % Complete, Add Comments, Add
Attachments
3. Subtasks. To left of the task name, click on the edit icon and click on Add Subtasks. Fill in the subtask name,
owner (if your demo, Resource, End Date and % Complete, Add Comments, Add Attachments

Sample Grant Work Plan

For a more detailed outline of the project initiation process and planning templates, please click here to request the
ActionStrategy Project Toolkit. It will include information about tools such as Work Breakdown Structure(WBS) and
Gantt charts used for visualizing project timelines.

An ActionStrategy can help your organization develop more precise budgets and accountability tools that increase the
efficiency of current grants and increase the possibility of being awarded more grants in the future. Government, private
foundations, and non-government agencies will look more favorable at your grant proposal when your organization can
provide more detailed accountability, project management, and systematic plan reviews.
STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION: ActionStrategy Plan Reviews
Herold J. Hudson is a former Tribal Administrator. When asked which part of the planning process was the most
challenging, he indicated the plan reviews/accountability sessions. Once the Tribal Council and management team had
developed and approved the plan, the key leverage point for implementation was the weekly plan reviews. Before the
meeting, he would create an agenda that listed which strategies, projects and grants they would review. He would then
project the plan on a screen for everyone to see while the project owner would lead the discussion on plan progress.

The results were a new cultural resource department, a new mental health outreach office, a youth leadership
program, and a new medical clinic all planned, funded and operational within 12 months. New budgeting
disciplines were implemented increasing cash reserves significantly. Cell phone usage and technology needs were
analyzed resulting in huge annual cost savings. ActionStrategy became our working strategic plan and provided
us a common picture that Council members, Department Directors and Employees could access from anywhere
to update and monitor progress. This is what kept us focused on what was important.

This process also led to our first ever community planning session with tribal leaders, city leaders, school leaders,
federal agencies, business leaders and local residents. I wholeheartedly recommend the ActionStrategy system.
The return on investment was phenomenal!

GETTING STARTED

As we said in the beginning, you are a strategist. You are responsible to promote strategic thinking, strategic planning
and good strategy implementation for the benefit of your organizations and communities. For over 15 years, it has been
our privilege to work with and learn from many remarkable, inspiring tribal leaders. Our mission is to help tribal leaders
improve their leadership and planning methods. We are eager to share what we have learned and hope to support your
leadership and planning efforts as you serve your communities.

INVESTMENT: Three Approaches to Kick-Start your 2018 ActionStrategy

I liked that we walked away with an actionable, strategic plan that we could begin implementing immediately.
IHS Service Unit, Executive Director

ONLINE COACHING - Individual
Includes:
Plan set-up and pre-work
Self-assessment
2 hrs. coaching with strategy
coach
12 months ActionStrategy
subscription and support
ONLINE COACHING - Team
Includes:
Plan set-up and pre-work
Team-assessment
Two hrs. team coaching with
strategy coach
12 months ActionStrategy
subscription and support
ON-SITE STRATEGY RETREAT (2 Days)
Includes:
Plan set-up and pre-work
Organizational capacity
assessment
Two-day work session
Stakeholder needs analysis
Performance Management
System (scoreboard)
Actionable strategic plan
Two monthly plan reviews
coaching sessions
12-month ActionStrategy
subscription and support

Investment: $250 Investment: $250 plus $100 per 12- Investment: $4,000 + travel. $140 per
month ActionStrategy subscription person materials and subscription.

For a detailed outline of our coaching and planning process, click here or contact us at info@actionstrategy.net.