New Article: Strategic Planning that Drives Meaningful Change

October 2021

By Dr. Harry Bloom 

Strategic Planning in independent schools has developed something of a bad rap. Although required to support critical processes such as reaccreditation, most strategic planning is viewed as a necessary but perfunctory exercise that feels good but rarely results in more than vague goals that motivate little tangible improvement. In our experience, the main shortcoming of most planning processes is that they are too vague and internally focused—with too little original fact gathering about the served market and its constituents, about the competition and about the relative effectiveness of how the school invests its resources. Sometimes the need for external focus is deemed to be adequately provided by a hired guru with a regional or national reputation. But this simply perpetuates generalizations– about the market opportunity, the competitive dynamics, the affordability pressures, and the optimal use of school resources. It promotes planning that looks good on paper but does not drive measurable action or active learning. 

How does a more data centric strategic planning process differ?

Quite fundamentally! It entails original research and analysis about alternative prime target market segments, an in-depth analysis of how competitors are positioned and perceived to be positioned in the market—and about how to surpass them in perceived value. Additionally, it includes an in-depth benchmarking analysis of how the strongest peer schools are both generating and allocating their people,

technology, space, and purchased goods and services resources. In sum: truly effective strategic planning would reveal genuinely useful insights that would result in information informed consensus about the school’s challenges and opportunities, and only then define in detail the strategic initiatives that would maximize the school’s strategic value positioning by maximizing relative quality, perceived quality, and access to resources. It would provide the metrics needed to set goals and measure progress. 

Is Your Planning Process Set up to Succeed?

How can you tell if your strategic planning process is designed to be worthwhile? Make certain it will answer the following key questions about the Market and Competition, School Investments and Resources, and Organization and Management 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Market and Competition

Who are our school’s most promising prime prospect customers? How many are there and what is their ability and willingness to pay tuition? What school related outcomes do they value most and least? How well do they perceive our school delivering against their key outcomes, and what would have to be true for our school to be their destination of choice?

School Investments and Resources 

Who are our school’s most promising prime prospect customers? How many are there and what is their ability and willingness to pay tuition? What school related outcomes do they value most and least? How well do they perceive our school delivering against their key outcomes, and what would have to be true for our school to be their destination of choice? 

Organization and Management

Are we organized and managed so that the essential aspects of our school are receiving sufficient attention? Do key outcomes such as the management of our relative perceived value or optimization of return on resources invested receive sufficient single minded attention or are these accountabilities so dispersed among a number of people that they are effectively unmanaged? How can we tighten up the assignment of accountability and responsibility so critical outcomes are effectively managed based on good management practices: timely measures, success milestones, and motivational rewards?

Consider Measuring Success’ Strategic Planning Services

At Measuring Success, we take this advice to heart in our strategic planning work for independent schools. We help clients get genuine clarity about the external environment and about their relative competitive and peer performance—bring the hard truths to the surface—and help strategic planning teams define meaningful, measurable strategic initiatives to improve these realities in a purposeful and disciplined manner. If your school is in need of a meaningful understanding of its strategic environment and how to shape its future based on real information and not anecdotes, contact Dr. Harry Bloom at: harry.bloom@measuring-success.com 202- 684-7024 

Bringing Data Science to Independent School Strategic Planning.

For questions about these takeaways, or to find out more about Measuring Success’ tailored offerings, please email Harry.