Week 8 - Blog # 7

OK, I have to eat my words! After bad-mouthing the Cassidy book earlier, I must say I was very impressed with all of the great examples given in Chapter 6. I should have read ahead when I was working on my mission and vision. It doesn't really go with my project, but will be good info to store and use later. The Witkin and Altschuld chapter gave some good practical definitions and explanations that will help with my project. As far as my project is going, I didn't even think about it this week because due to a family emergency, I was out of town dealing with other things this week. I will get back after it tomorrow!

Week 7 - Blog #6

I feel like I have a better understanding of the Analysis phase after the readings for this week. I really like the SWOT analysis, but my project doesn't really lend itself to the use of that one. It was good to read about how to set up an individual interview as well as focus groups and how to get the information you need from them. I did have a little trouble with the survey tool since I only want to know one thing, so I turned it into a marketing tool as well. My Vision meeting went well, though it was very brief. This is a very busy time of year for the Career Development Center. Everyone is on board with the project and excited to see it moving forward.

Week 6, Blog 5

I think the Evaluation/Analysis part of strategic planning is the most important part and it makes me wonder if it shouldn't come first. I know that I have been considering this part long before I put it on paper. How else do you know where you want to go if you don't know where you are? It is hard for me to see each piece as a different step when they build on each other so much. As far as the text reading goes...wow, it just boggles the mind to look at something with so much detail. I am very impressed by those who do this on that broad of a scale. I think I would go completely crazy with that much tedium and detailed planning/thinking. However I do appreciate that it has to be done and I will know what type of person to hire to do it for me!

Week 5 - Blog #4

Ah the vision statement! I have recently worked on creating vision, mission, and values statements for my last work department when we got a new boss and a new name. Our new boss had an MBA so he was well versed in this process and led us well. It was nice to see in the readings that he was following a plan and we engaged in many of the same gathering and brainstorming techniques. While working on my vision plan, I was a little confused as to whether to just go with the vision STATEMENT plan or work on the actual VISIONING plan that is discussed in chapter 4. I ended up mainly sticking with the statement and adding a revision of scope if necessary, since I already laid out most of the visioning part in my scope. I hope that is what you were after. I'm still enjoying the learning experience. When reading the book, I get to wishing my plan were more wide reaching and on a grander scale like those in the book, but I know I need to start small and work my way up!

Week 4 - Blog #3 (trying to get on the same naming)

I am really not a business type person, but the great thing about this course is that it is centered around technology, which greatly interests me. I know that these are very valuable skills to have so I will suffer through the "business" part and gear my creative urges into my plan.

I did actually find this book a little more reader friendly. I liked the concept of a Needs Assessmant bridging the gap between the present and the future. That you are dealing with unmet needs whether recognized or latent. In my project, the unmet needs are recognized so that is an added bonus. When I first met the CDC team, they were all very excited that I had technical skills and had developed online courses. They already had the start of a plan in mind. According to the book, my target groups are: Level 1 service receivers - students; Level 2 service providers - CDC staff; and Level 3 resources or solutions - access and time.

For Phase 1, preassessment, most of the work has been completed. My drafted scope has come from talking individually with the main stakeholders. I will hold a meeting with the full stakeholder group later this week to flesh out the ideas and get buy-in from the group. I don't forsee any problems with getting group buy-in because the cost is small and the outcomes will be beneficial to all stakeholders as well as to the students and administration.

Blog for Week # 3

I am settling in a bit more in my new town with my new job and being a full time student. It is not quite so overwhelming now. Whew!

I have really enjoyed my readings about stakeholder analysis. When I first started looking at stakeholders, I had envisioned one person, my boss, but as I read more, I realized that she wasn't even going to be the main stakeholder and that adding others would really add to the knowledge and experience of the planning. I had not thought of the importance of including staff earlier, but one of the web readings made me re-evaluate that. The staff members are going to be the main ones carrying out the plans, so they should have a say and be able to give their perspective and on the planning and the feasability of the steps of the plan as it relates to their jobs.

As far as the Cassidy reading goes, I believe the type of governance structure I am working with is mostly democratic. The boss makes the final decisions, but everyone has a say in the decision making. I like the charts in this book, but the reading is really not very interesting. I much prefer the web readings!

Week 2 Blog

I have been inundated with reading! My head is so full it may just pop! The good thing is that all the topics are complementary. The bad thing is keeping it sorted out into separate classes. This weeks' Strategic Planning reading was all about different strategic planning models and the purpose of information systems strategic planning. I really enjoyed the web readings and feel I have a much firmer grasp on the steps involved in strategic planning. The book reading was pretty dry, but it did have some nice charts. I am very visual, so charts are my friends!

As far as confusing areas from the reading goes...I still don't really see the need for the different models. The basic model seems to embody everything you need to get a plan going. It just seems like all the other models are variations of the same thing without much point. Maybe that is just beginner ignorance speaking. There are probably strategic planners out there who would be highly offended by my dismissal of the finer points of the different models.

Anyway, I feel more confident about speaking to my planning group for my project on developing a strategic plan for their technology needs on Monday. I have a good idea already what the needs are going to be and some ideas of how to go about reaching their goals. I can't forsee any setbacks at the moment, but I imagine there will be some along the way.