Jan 12 – Responding to Strategic Planning

 Our January Conversation Group discussion invites us to respond to the strategic AREAS, GOALS, and STRATEGIES developed out of our strategic planning process.  Our November 30th strategic planning session identified three strategic AREAS for us to address in the coming year or two. Our December 14th session developed three strategic GOALS pertaining to the three strategic areas and proposed more than twenty-five STRATEGIES for accomplishing the goals. Today we are looking at each of these parts as they have been brought together in the draft of our strategic plan.

Over the past two years we have consistently defined strategic planning as:

Strategic planning is a process that will allow us to have a hand in guiding the future of New Melleray without being mere victims of the future. With reference to Michael Casey’s categories of signature activities, strategic planning is an example of discernment, tradition, renewal, resilience, courage, and adaptation.

With this in mind, each of us has the opportunity to share our thoughts on each of the three aspects of the strategic plan. We are responding to whether or not the AREAS are the right ones for us to focus on in the coming year or two, the GOALS are desirable and realistic for their respective areas, and the STRATEGIES are new (not already being done), realistic (with regard to resources and time frame), timely (not in conflict with other plans/projects), and properly delegated (assigned to the right people).

Conversation Groups (CG)

The purpose of the CGs is to provide a forum where the brothers “come together to listen to the Spirit speaking through one another,” to foster skills of good communication that will promote mutual understanding and trust (Gdlns 2), and to provide the superior with the data he needs for taking decisions with foresight and fairness by the brothers humbly and honestly expressing their views (RB 3)