Page 8 - 2018 Strategic Planning Trends

PRIORITIZING STRATEGIC GOALS

Following the trend of simplifying strategic plans for focus and alignment, local boards and executive teams
prioritized strategic goals and key indicators, opting for the ‘less is more’ approach. As social enterprises, many
Goodwill organizations have been challenged with balancing priorities serving multiple stakeholder groups,
including customers, donors, program participants, employees and financial donors. Boards increasingly
supported focus on a few key strategies rather than overburdening teams with too many competing priorities.
Responding to this request, local teams utilized goal-prioritization tools including BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious
Goals), Traction and The 4 Disciplines of Execution. These tools supported ongoing trends of using simplified
plans and streamlined dashboards and ensuring execution flexibility in a shifting environment with a focus on
delivering outcomes. Goodwill organizations often utilized organization-wide stretch goals to drive action and
choices to align with established priorities.

ENGAGING THE BOARD

Local boards and management teams continued to work together to effectively steward the Goodwill
organizations in their respective communities. Over the year, board engagement trended around three central
questions: “What does the board need to know to govern effectively?” “To advise management strategically?” “To
feel confident in progress to plan?” Answers to these questions established the basis for management reporting
and strategic advisement, allowing both the board and management to clearly understand their interconnected yet
differentiated roles and responsibilities.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2019

EXPERIMENTING ACROSS RETAIL

As technology continues to shift consumer shopping and donating behavior online, local Goodwill organizations
face a thicket of local and national retail competition and are exploring strategies both in-store and online to
increase store traffic and sales. In 2018, same-store sales rebounded slightly, providing additional margin for local
leaders to invest in retail experimentation. Leveraging capital investments made in 2018 and those Goodwill
organizations continue to make, local leaders may be more open to even greater experimentation as more data
becomes available to inform strategy and impact.

MAKING MORE DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS (GATEWAY)

Launched in 2018, Gateway is anticipated to come under full network adoption in 2019. The platform invites
members to provide data on every facet of their operations if they choose, ranging from human resources and
retail to mission impact and resource development. Gateway has the potential to provide Goodwill leaders with a
wealth of data analysis and reporting that was unavailable before. Goodwill teams will now have the ability to
compare their operations and performance to like-Goodwill organizations at a granular level and have the data
necessary to shift strategy and impact accordingly. Goodwill teams are in the process of developing internal
systems, processes and the culture to fully adopt this new platform, and are anticipated to lean on Gateway more
and more as these systems are solidified.

8 2018 GOODWILL NETWORK STRATEGIC PLAN TRENDS
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