Did you know 60-90% of strategic plans never fully launch?
When you developed your last strategic plan, you were probably pretty excited. You and your senior team, fellow Board members, or investors had developed a compelling strategy that would move your organization forward. You shared it with the broader team and investors, the themes resonated, and people seemed to be excited.
But here you are, a year later, and the changes you hoped for haven’t materialized. If it’s any comfort, you’re definitely not alone. Studies show that 60–90% of strategic plans fail to fully launch. The reasons for this are often complex, typically involving issues such as lack of clarity, poor communication, and insufficient engagement within the organization.
What is inclusive design thinking and how can it help launch your plan?
Inclusive design thinking is more than just a method—it's a process, a mindset, and ideally, a way of working adopted across an organization. It focuses on creative problem-solving with people at its core.
As a process, it systematically tackles challenges through empathy, collaboration, and iterative design. As a mindset, it promotes a bias for action, fostering curiosity, inclusivity, and experimentation. As a way of working, it establishes a standard approach to both innovation and problem-solving, whether for large-scale initiatives or everyday challenges.
The typical steps taken when approaching a problem with a design thinking approach are below:
Empathize: Design thinking begins by deeply understanding the needs of those affected by the change—whether clients, partners, employees, or beyond. Inspiration for change comes from connecting with people and their experiences, both positive and negative. If you have a strategic pillar that aims to make your organization an employer of choice, start by exploring the experiences of your employees. This step helps uncover the core issues and addresses any inherent biases within some team members who may believe that the status quo is acceptable.
Define: Clearly articulate the problem as a question to set the stage for generating solutions. Phrasing the problem as “How might we” helps frame the challenge in a way that encourages creative brainstorming.
Ideate: Gather a diverse group of voices to brainstorm potential solutions. Begin with divergent thinking to explore a wide range of ideas, followed by convergent thinking to narrow down and refine them. Consider “what needs to be true” for each idea to succeed.
Prototype: Make ideas tangible by developing scaled-down versions for experimentation. This might involve creating pilot programs, services, or tools on a small scale before a full rollout, allowing you to test feasibility and make adjustments.
Test: Evaluate the prototypes with actual users. Collect feedback to understand what works and what doesn’t, and use this information to refine and improve the solutions.
There is a solution and we can help.
Change can be hard, particularly when new ideas are being introduced. However, by combining empathy for the end user with a structured approach of experimentation, testing, and iteration, you foster a bias for action. This method not only addresses concerns but also drives the changes envisioned in your strategic plan.
Research indicates that organizations employing inclusive design thinking practices, such as frequent brainstorming and collaborative ideation, are more likely to achieve their objectives.
So, if your strategic plan is stuck in limbo, consider adopting design thinking as a catalyst for change. And if you need a little support – give us a call!
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