Strategic Planning: Creating Future Excellence, Part 1
BY MARK WALLACE
The first of a two-part series, this article describes the Fire Department Strategic Planning Model developed by the author specifically for use by fire departments. This model is a compilation of the best components of other models (see “Recognized Models for Strategic Planning” on page 40).
“Oh, no. Another article on strategic planning. We tried it once, but it didn`t work for us. It was a waste of time. We spent an entire day writing this plan, but it doesn`t do anything but sit there on the shelf. But when someone asks, we can say we have one. It looks really nice. In fact, the chief has a copy framed and displayed on his office wall for everyone to see our accomplishment.”
How many times have you heard this? Is strategic planning just another fad that will be replaced by some other term soon enough? Or, is strategic planning an exciting and challenging process your department uses to help create the department of your dreams?
I, too, had the same questions, concerns, and comments about strategic planning until I remembered that all but two strategic planning models are designed for business, not fire departments. As we try to think and act in ways that emulate the practices of the business community, we must remember that the fire service is not like most businesses, and not every model that seems to be effective for a business will be effective for us.
So, for strategic planning to be successful in the fire service, we need a model specifically designed by us for us. The Fire Department Strategic Planning Model is such a plan. I reviewed, studied, tested, and tried the other 14 models and took the best parts of each to compile the 12-step model described here.
WHAT STRATEGIC PLANNING IS
Peter Drucker defines strategic planning as ” U the continuous process of making present entrepreneurial (risk taking) decisions systematically and with the greatest knowledge of their futurity; organizing the efforts needed to carry out these decisions; and measuring the results of these decisions against the expectations through organized, systematic feedback.”1 If you think this concept is new, think again. This was written in 1974. Although much has changed since this was written, this definitions continues to explain the concept. It`s time for the fire service to catch up.
Strategic planning considers the desired future and sets a strategic course to make decisions today that will affect the future of the organization. Strategic planning is not forecasting. It doesn`t eliminate risk. But it does help fire service leaders review alternatives and consider the risks they must take. And, it will assist an organization to create the future it desires. The key is to think and act strategically.
Most organizations get strategic and operational planning confused. Take these concepts to the fireground, and they become very clear. We understand how to develop fireground strategies. We also understand the difference between the strategies and the need to apply those strategies through the development of operational tactics. The exact same difference applies to strategic planning as compared with operational planning. We have become very good at the operational issues but, in many cases, have failed to realize the importance of the strategies guiding those operations.
Far too many documents called strategic plans are actually operational plans, and no real strategies are ever developed. Don`t be fooled. Work to understand the difference, and then continue to think and act strategically.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STRATEGIC PLANNING MODEL
Strategic planning is an ongoing process that requires specific steps be taken in a particular sequence. Sometimes, steps are repeated when found necessary. But, it is a cyclic process that, once adopted, will continue forever. The better an organization gets at it, the easier it will be to create an ideal future that many can just dream of.
The steps of the model, which are described later, include the following:
Identifying the organization`s values.
Planning to plan strategically.
Selecting a strategic planning process.
Identifying the organization`s mandates.
Developing the mission of the organization.
Creating a philosophy of operations.
Opportunities and threats–assessing the external environment.
Strengths and weaknesses–assessing the internal environment.
Identifying the strategic issues of the organization.
Creating strategies for strategic issues.
Proactive futuring–creating your organization`s ideal future.
Operational planning from a strategic perspective.
There are a few points to ponder concerning the entire process. “If you don`t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”2 A fire department that is not moving forward, working to create a better future, is dying or, at least, is in danger of dying. Compare a stagnant organization with one that is surging ahead and making things happen.
A fire department that knows where it is going, knows the environment in which it must operate, and has identified the best ways of achieving its goals is a department that will be creating its own ideal future. You and your organization must decide where to fit in the realm of the fire service. Do you want simply to limp along or do you want to create excellence, become the benchmark for your peers, and gain the respect of a skeptical public?
Between now and the next installment of this series, review your plans, goals, and mission statement. Do you have a document you call a strategic plan? Is it strategic or operational? Review your plans. We all do some form of planning. We call them many things, including budgeting, action planning, long-range planning, comprehensive planning, master planning, and strategic planning. We have a long history of looking into the future and trying to predict what will be. Only recently have organizations considered that it is possible to develop a vision of what is possible and what an ideal future would look like, and then create it.
CREATING THE ENVIRONMENT
A fire department that is “change-friendly” and proactive has the best chance of staying on the leading edge of technology and service delivery. If we do not create a proactive posture, we will have to be reactive to the changes that are occurring continually. Always having to react to changes forced on us is frustrating and dysfunctional. The challenge for the leaders of today`s fire service is to create an environment in which they thrive on the changes of the future.
How can we make this happen? The fire service is comprised of the best people available at the time they are selected. Think about it. What kind of process do people go through to be selected as a member of your fire department? Most entry-level hiring processes have hundreds and sometimes thousands of applicants for very few positions. The people selected for those few positions are the brightest and the most caring, educated, and trainable idealists available. So, most fire departments have the expertise within their own organization to create their ideal future, that vision of tomorrow, if they simply tap their resources more effectively.
If we create an environment in which every member of the organization understands the desired results–the defined mission, the goals, and the organization`s objectives–members will be able to create a better future for the department. The potential is endless. Key considerations in this process are the ability to understand the values held by each member and the consensus values of their shift, the organization, the organization`s governing body, and its key stakeholders. If we can create a situation in which the shared values comprise the driving force of the organization and we can empower each individual to live by those values, we will create a much improved fire service. This empowerment is a critical step in the ability to use the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the personnel of the organization to create their own future. This empowerment will create an effective, energized organization characterized by happy, healthy, productive, self-actualized individuals all working toward the achievement of the same mission, goals, and objectives.
The key to strategic planning is developing the ability to think and act strategically. A written plan is secondary to the strategic planning process. The process must be ongoing and cyclic; it may or may not result in a formally published document. Some of the best strategic plans may be well worn and tattered copies found in a loose-leaf notebook. The best plans are never quite finished. As soon as the cycle ends, it starts again. The plan and its strategic issues are altered, if only slightly, each time the plan is revisited. As a portion of the plan is finished and immediately implemented, the expectation is that it is the best component for now, but we will improve on it each time we revisit it.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STRATEGIC PLANNING MODEL
The Fire Department Strategic Planning Model is a compilation of a number of theories, processes, and procedures from business applications that have been adapted for the fire service. Strategic planning should be a self-directed process led by a member of the organization who chairs the planning team. At times, an outside facilitator or consultant may be useful. The Fire Department Strategic Planning Model consists of the following steps.
Step 1. Identifying the department`s values.
The values of an organization comprise the system of beliefs that guides it in all it does. The “value system” is an enduring organization of standards or principles that represents the preferred conduct or operational results of the department.
Questionnaires and surveys are useful for identifying the basic values of individual members, shifts, and fire companies as well as the department as a whole. The values of the elected officials who govern the department and the key stakeholders outside of the department must also be identified.
The planning team must analyze the results, extract the consensus values from all of the various inputs, and develop and define the list of the department`s core values throughout the strategic planning process. These identified values are used to expand the strategic analysis of the department. Identifying the values of the department early in the process strengthens the subsequent steps of this applied strategic planning model.
Step 2. Planning to plan strategically.
By the end of the second step, the fire department, through its planning team, will have decided whether the department is ready to pursue strategic planning. A number of points concerning the department`s commitment to the process must be decided such as the time that will be required and the number and identities of the people who need to be involved (the planning team, which should be comprised of five to 12 members). Questionnaires could be used during this step in the process:
The Organizational Diagnosis Questionnaire helps to determine what the members think about their organization.
The Organizational Norms Opinionaire assesses what members perceive the reactions of other members would be to a number of situations. The results are analyzed and quantified into 10 categories.
The Readiness for Strategic Planning instrument provides data the planning team can use when analyzing the need for strategic planning within the fire department.
The planning team should understand three fundamentals: (1) No decision is ever absolutely final. The team should consider each decision as the best one for the moment and not be afraid to change it as new information becomes available.
(2) The steps presented in the Fire Department Strategic Planning Model are recommendations. Planning is to be conducted in the manner the team considers best for the department.
(3) Strategies and strategic actions should be implemented as soon as possible.
Step 3. Selecting a strategic planning process.
This step involves selecting a strategic planning model for your department to follow. The planning team should research the various planning models available. The Fire Department Strategic Planning Model will likely stand out as the most applicable to your department, but it is not the only applicable system.
Once the planning team selects the system, it will recommend to the stakeholders of the department the concept of strategic planning with its ramifications and benefits. The final phase of this step is the elected officials` formal adoption of a resolution that authorizes the strategic planning process.
Step 4. Identifying the department`s mandates.
This step involves compiling the department`s formal (regulations, policies, ordinances, resolutions, laws, statutes) and informal mandates (expectations of citizens, functions, programs, and services accepted as standard but not formally mandated). The planning team must interpret the mandates to determine what is not ruled out and the limitations placed on the department as a result of those mandates.
After the mandates are identified and compiled, the committee should develop a process that regularly reminds the members what the department is required to do and creates strategies to meet those requirements. Then, it would be up to the members to take the necessary actions to comply with the mandates.
A thorough review of the department`s mandates increases the benefit of a mission statement. Department members` thorough understanding of the mandates gives a mission statement more meaning and helps to define what is important and the reasons specific programs and procedures exist, and leads to the development of a mission statement.
Step 5. Developing the mission of the department.
The mission statement is a vital part of the fire department strategic planning process. It provides a “guiding star” to lead the department into its ideal future. It consists of no more than 100 well-chosen words that describe the WHAT, WHOM, and HOW of the department and should clearly reflect the major services the department provides and relates specifically to the community it serves. Most of all, it should provide explicit attention to the department`s philosophies, values, beliefs, and strategies. Once adopted, it should be on prominent display throughout department facilities and displayed prominently on all the department`s major publications such as the strategic plan, the budget, and the annual report, as well as on all public education/marketing information. Ultimately, the fire department strategic planning process is about purpose, meaning, values, and virtue. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the department`s mission statement and subsequently in the vision of success.3
Step 6. Creating a philosophy of operations.
Here, the values of individual members and the department as a whole are revisited. A second round of values audit questionnaires should be completed by department members and analyzed by the planning team. This will allow the planning team to reconfirm the department`s values.
The planning team then develops a list of philosophy statements that forms the framework for the department`s Philosophy of Operations. The planning team will then expand the statements into the key concepts of the department`s strategic philosophies. It is recommended that a subcommittee draft the philosophy statement, which must be consistent with the format of the department`s policies and directives. The full planning team then prepares the recommended language of the final document.
Once a consensus has been reached, a formal presentation is made to the fire chief and the department`s governing body, who should formally adopt the Philosophy of Operations. Once adopted, the members of the department must be trained in how to implement the strategic philosophies. After allowing some time for members to adjust to the department`s newly adopted philosophy, personnel will then be held accountable for the directive`s provisions.
The final six steps of the Fire Department Strategic Planning Model will be described in Part 2. n
Endnotes
1. Drucker, Peter F. Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices. New York, N.Y.: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1974, 125.
2. The Koran.
3. Bryson, John M. Strategic Planning for Public and Non-Profit Organizations. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1987, 96.
RECOGNIZED MODELS FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING
There are several recognized models or methods of strategic planning, including the following:
Harvard Policy Model, a model primarily applicable at the strategic business unit level.
Strategic Planning Systems (business models), including the Applied Strategic Planning Model used at the National Fire Academy.
Stakeholder Management Approaches, which includes the identification of key stakeholders and the criteria they use to judge an organization`s performance. It also involves the development of strategies for dealing with each stakeholder.
Content Approaches/Portfolio Methods involved categorizing a corporation`s businesses into groups based on selected dimensions for comparison and development of corporate strategy in relation to each business. It attempts to balance a corporation`s business portfolio to meet corporate strategic objectives.
Competitive Analysis involves the analysis of key forces that shape an industry–e.g., relative power of customers, relative power of suppliers, threat of substitute products, threat of new entrants, amount of rivalrous activity, and exit barriers to firms in the industry.
Strategic Issue Management involves putting attention on the recognition and resolution of strategic issues that can have a major influence on the organization and must be managed if the organization is to meet its objective.
Strategic Negotiations involves bargaining and negotiation among two or more players over the identification and resolution of strategic issues.
Logical Incrementalism emphasizes the importance of small changes as part of developing and implementing organizational strategies. It fuses strategy formulation and implementation.
Strategic Planning as a Model for Innovation places emphasis on innovation as a strategy. It places reliance on many elements of the other approaches and specific management practices.1
Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations is based on the premise that leaders and managers of public and nonprofit organizations must be effective strategists if their organizations are to fulfill their missions and satisfy their constituents in the years ahead.2
Fire Department Strategic Planning Model (my model), which is described in this article.
Endnotes
1. Bryson, John M. Strategic Planning for Public and Non-Profit Organizations. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1987, 24-29.
2. Ibid., p. xi.
n MARK WALLACE is chief of the Golden (CO) Fire Department and the sole proprietor of Fire Eagle Limited, which provides consulting, teaching, photography, and fire investigative services. He is a member of the adjunct faculty of the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He formerly was employed by the City of Sheridan, Colorado, as fire chief and chief building official and served as public safety director during a period when the city lost 30 percent of its annual revenue when a major business unexpectedly closed its doors. He is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy and has an associate`s degree in fire science technology, a bachelor`s degree in business administration, and a master`s degree in public administration. He served as president of the Denver Metro Fire Chiefs Association and the Colorado State Fire Chiefs Association. He is the author of Fire Department Strategic Planning: Creating Future Excellence (Fire Engineering, 1998).
