Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is involved in each of the 5 workshops?
Strategic Plan Launch, September 24: Lay the Groundwork for Planning
In this first meeting, the “launch” we will collectively review and make meaning of the information gathered from the four Surveys and multiple Focus Groups to set the foundation for our planning process.
Practical Vision, October 1: Identify a 3-5 year Practical Vision
Each of us carries some level of anticipation and hope for the future of the Center. The vision already exists within us, and it motivates and informs our actions. Each individual’s insight is needed to create a shared vision for the group. This session brings to consciousness our latent visions of the Center, giving it energy and creating shared commitment to bring the vision into reality.
Underlying Contradictions, October 2: Identify the Blocks to the Practical Vision
Contradictions are found in historic and societal trends, in our images and attitudes, and in patterns we create and out of which we operate. Contradictions are barriers that prevent us from realizing our vision, like boulders in our path to the future. They are sometimes developed recently, sometimes longer-term realities in our Center. In this meeting, we will identify these resistances and address them as we create the Strategic Directions.
Strategic Directions, October 15: Focus Change and Set Direction
We will build on Practical Vision and Underlying Contradictions to pursue and identify a set of strategic directions. These will be directions for our future, which we will use as a framework to steer the Center towards the Practical Vision.
Focused Implementation, October 16: Develop a Calendar of Action for the 2023-24
In this last meeting, we will move from analyzing and thinking about all the creative things that could be done to making decisions about what we plan to accomplish for each strategic direction in the next year. We will create a first year timeline for working toward those goals, create teams to accomplish them and outline a 90-day implementation plan for each team.
2. Who is invited to participate in strategic planning?
All members are invited to participate, which includes Community, Associate, Candidate and Analyst members.
3. Why will this need to be five hours each day?
We are using a highly participatory planning process that involves working individually, in small groups and as a large group. Participation and collaboration take time. The Strategic Plan Design Team wants to have the highest participation rate possible because we want to hear from all of you to help set the direction for the Center for the coming decades.
4. Why are these meetings being held virtually?
Given the uncertainties with COVID, we have chosen to hold these sessions on Zoom vs. at the Center. We would be excited to have 100 people or more join us for each of these workshops. Anyone who signs up for all five sessions, will be included throughout the process.
5. Who will lead the meetings?
The Board of Trustees authorized a Strategic Plan Design Team to hire consultants for this process, Center for Strategic Facilitation. The Design Team has been working on this for almost a year and has been providing updates to the membership in the newsletter. The Design Team members are: Paul Sorbo, Chair of the Board of Trustees; Cheryl Goodrich, President; Brett Penfil; Chris Thompson, Board member; Cathy Witzling; Beth Steinberg; Deb Fletcher; and Marcia Hodges, Administrative Director. The facilitators’ names are Ren Daraio and Robert Quintana Hopkins from the Center for Strategic Facilitation. They are highly skilled and teach effective group facilitation.
6. How will these workshops be structured?
There will be a series of large group and small group conversations within each workshop. This will be extremely important to ensure all voices are heard.
7. To register:
[registration is closed]
8. If I want to learn more, who do I speak to?
Feel free to email Marcia Hodges, Administrative Director: marcia.hodges@sfcp.org.