EPC Strategic Plan

Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce

Strategic Plan

FY 2010 – 2011

Contents EPCOC Strategic Purpose ................................................................................................................................... 3 Mission ........................................................................................................................................................... 3 Vision.............................................................................................................................................................. 3 Core Values .................................................................................................................................................... 3 EPCOC Strategic Direction.................................................................................................................................. 4 Primary Role of the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce ............................................................................. 4 Primary Member Markets for the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce ....................................................... 4 Primary Financial and Statistical Targets for the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce (Year 3) ................... 4 EPCOC Strategic Goals & Performance .............................................................................................................. 5 Framework ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 FY 2010-2011 Strategic Goals & Initiatives .................................................................................................... 6 Work Plans ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 SIM Meetings (Strategic Implementation Meetings) .................................................................................... 8 •

Roadmap ................................................................................................................................................ 8

•

KPI Dashboard ........................................................................................................................................ 8

Process Methodology ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Addendum A - Process Participants ............................................................................................................. 11 Addendum B – Current Key Performance Indicators................................................................................... 12 Addendum C - Glossary of Terms................................................................................................................. 13

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EP Chamber Strategic Plan

July 2010

EPCOC Strategic Purpose A strategic plan is a critical tool for articulating a shared vision and for building partnerships that are necessary for organizations to work together on common goals. The key to identifying current and future plans and directions is to uncover business needs that are important to and shared by many stakeholder groups. Effective strategic planning and execution is essential for moving programs forward and gaining the required support for success.

Mission

To be the catalyst for a vibrant community.

This is the first Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce (EPCOC) Strategic Plan in 8 years. The plan is contextually defined to encompass a Future State (three-year) view, with particular action-planning focus on the immediate 12 months. This Strategic Plan has been created for the EPCOC using the combined resources of EPCOC Executive Committee and staff, Committee Leaders, other EPCOC members, and consulting staff from ALLYNE Group, LLC. Especially important when developing an initial plan in an organization, is gaining an understanding of the Current State operating environment. A baseline was developed through a series of assessments organized in a Framework reflecting the relevant environment of the EPCOC. This Framework also served as an overall structure for categorizing the Goals and Initiatives.

Positioning of the Strategic Purpose and Direction for the EPCOC was conducted in the following ways:

Strategic Purpose Review of the respective statements of Mission, Vision and Core Values

Strategic Direction Development of Long-Term Strategic Goals (3 year horizon)

Strategic Goals & Performance Refinement of Strategic Direction into Strategic Goals, Strategic Initiatives, Work Plans and Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) for the current year

Core Values • • • • • •

Innovation High Value Entrepreneurial Relevance Leadership Performance Driven 3|Page

Vision To impact our community by advancing the economy, enhance our members' success, and improve quality of life through leadership, relevance, diversity, education and innovation.

We will accomplish our Mission and Vision by continuously and proactively identifying opportunities to pursue the opportunities that represent best value to the Chamber, and position our members for success. Specific actions include pursuit of identified Strategic Initiatives which are necessary to stabilize and mature the Chamber, and positioning the EPCOC to deliver relevant programming to our members our community in support of our Strategic Purpose and Direction. Pursuit of the Strategic Purpose and Strategic Direction through the Strategic Goals, Initiatives and Work Plans established in the Strategy Process requires a strong commitment by leadership to ensure organizational success.

EP Chamber Strategic Plan

July 2010

EPCOC Strategic Direction The opportunities and obligations for Chamber to enable and support the community and its members are clearly articulated in the EPCOC Mission and Vision statements. Decisions about long range direction must be thoughtfully and holistically considered at the leadership as well as the stakeholder levels. When these decisions are made well, the path is set for continuous improvement towards a successful, more nimble and mature organization. The scope of the Strategic Direction is 3 years.

Primary Role of the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce •

The fundamental goal of the EP Chamber will be to become the epicenter for Commerce, Information, Education, Infrastructure, Public Policy, and Recreation in the community.

Primary Member Markets for the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce •

The main focus of membership development will be on mid-size organizations with 20 – 200 employees.

Currently these organizations represent a smaller percentage of the membership than desired, and characterizes the ideal member organizations for the Chamber.

•

The secondary target for membership development will be small organizations with 1 – 20 employees.

Currently these organizations represent the largest percentage of the membership. This segment will realize even more value from the Chamber by increasing the membership of mid-size organizations.

•

Large organizations will remain a vital component of the Chamber membership. An intensive effort will be made to retain and grow this member segment.

Primary Financial and Statistical Targets for the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce (Year 3) •

Total Members: 700

•

Total Membership Revenue: $350,000 ($500 / Member)

•

Total Non-Dues Gross Profit: $250,000 ($350 / Member)

•

Total Number of Full Time Chamber Staff: 5

•

Annual Growth Rate to Achieve Targets: 15%

EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - SELECTED #1 Best Places to Live 2010

Top 100 rank: 1 Population: 64,000 Unemployment: 5.1%

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EP Chamber Strategic Plan

July 2010

EPCOC Strategic Goals & Performance The Strategic Direction of the EP Chamber must be embraced not only by the Leadership and Staff, but by all current and future Chamber members in order for the organization to be optimally positioned for success. Mobilizing the Strategic Direction includes the following components: 1. Framework – Structure used to organize the environment of the EP Chamber 2. Strategic Goals – Statements of the desired results for the next 12 months 3. Strategic Initiatives – Portfolio of Initiatives that describe how the organization will achieve the desired results 4. Work Plans – Plans of action created by the Chamber President (that incorporate all staff members), and Committees Leaders that include specific, time-bound activities encompassed in the Portfolio of Initiatives 5. SIM Meetings – Strategic Implementation Meetings used to report progress on executing the Strategic Initiatives (Roadmap), monitor progress towards achieving the desired results (KPI’s) and discuss potential changes to the Strategic Goals Each of the 5 components listed above have been introduced to the EPCOC and will be used in varying degrees over the first 12 months. The degree to which these components are used is equal to the potential Return on Investment (ROI) anticipated by the Chamber Executive Leadership team. This is to say, as the Chamber learns the value of, and implements these 5 components, there is a greater potential ROI that will be realized. The inverse of this statement is also true.

Framework The EPCOC has adopted an approach to driving organizational maturity throughout the Chamber by identifying and building capabilities utilizing a Framework of four (4) Foundational Areas divided into sixteen (16) Functional Categories. The Areas, Categories and their definitions are as follows:

Organization 1. Communication – Information flow up, down, out, in; communication systems; methods; effectiveness; teamwork; synergy 2. Marketing – Workflow, process flow, continuous improvement, information flow 3. Internal Resources – Leadership development , education, atmosphere, style, what is rewarded, what is discouraged, capacity, effectiveness 4. Operations – effective execution, tracking, action plans, completion, adjustment and flexibility of the plan, plan updates

Resources 1. Community Diversity – openness, inclusiveness, willingness to see through other’s eyes, adaptation, freedom of acceptance 2. Community Leadership – models of improvement, stretching beyond, walk the talk, integrity, vision, communication, vibrant economy, sharing, networking, breakthrough norms 3. Government Collaboration – the greater whole, politics aside, socioeconomic goals, penetrate barriers, confidence to make a difference 5|Page

EP Chamber Strategic Plan

July 2010

4. Community Health – suffering, improved standard of living, change, perseverance, selflessness, volunteering

Member Success 1. Member Research – relevance, needs analysis, member satisfaction, expanded expectations, more with less, understand drivers, understand motivation, understand outcomes 2. Member Programs – vision, alignment, economy, organization, communication, leadership, contribution, growth, community, business health 3. Delivery – community, ROI, education, camaraderie , fellowship, resource sharing, mentoring 4. Advancement – never satisfied, vision, leadership, future, boldness, execution, tracking results, learning, tenacity

Deployment 1. Education – leadership, mentoring, advanced curriculum, love, expanding, tutoring, life-long 2. Innovation – break-it mentality, fearlessness, creativity, relentless, newness, not status quo, continuous improvement, springboard, ideation 3. Industry Growth – stewardship, management, execution, results oriented, big picture, tear down barriers, collaborative 4. Collaboration – welcoming, willingness, caring, network oriented, scratch your itch, selflessness, greater good Though each of the areas and Categories of the Framework are critically important and will remain as fundamental in the strategic planning discussion going forward, the EPCOC has developed a priority perspective on the highest value Initiatives to pursue aggressively in the near term (12 months). Following is the Strategic Initiative Portfolio for FY 2010-2011: FY 2010-2011 Strategic Goals & Initiatives Goal 1: Understand the relevance of the Chamber to all members •

Initiative 1 – Establish / Improve Member On-Boarding Process o Ownership: Chamber Staff

•

Initiative 2 – Establish Member Satisfaction/Interest Survey Process o Ownership: Chamber Staff

Goal 2: Provide relevant programs that members consider valuable tools to achieving success •

Initiative 1 – Establish and Charter the Member Program Committee o Ownership: Board of Directors

•

Initiative 2 – Create Programs based on Member Research Findings o Ownership: Member Program Committee

•

Initiative 3 – Discover program interests of various Membership Categories o Ownership: Member Program Committee

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EP Chamber Strategic Plan

July 2010

Goal 3: Every member can understand the value of their membership •

Initiative 1 – Initiate Member Testimonial Campaign o Ownership: Chamber Staff

Goal 4: Become desirable to a more diverse membership base •

Initiative 1 – Increase mid-size business membership base o Ownership: Membership Growth Committee

•

Initiative 2 – Strengthen/ Build Relationships with “Top 25” members o Ownership: Board of Directors

Goal 5: Be a hub to connect all industries and sizes of businesses •

Initiative 1 – Initiate industry specific collaboration opportunities o Ownership: Business Development Committee

•

Initiative 2 – Initiate cross-collaboration opportunities between member categories o Ownership: Business Development Committee

In April of 2010, the Chamber Executive Leadership Team selected the following 8 key areas of focus.

These 8 key areas of focus are a combination of Strategic Goals and Initiatives, and they form the basis in the Strategic Alignment of the Chamber Committees and Staff Members.

1.

UNDERSTAND THE RELEVANCE OF THE CHAMBER TO ALL MEMBERS

2.

PROVIDE RELEVANT PROGRAMS THAT MEMBERS CONSIDER VALUABLE TOOLS TO ACHIEVING SUCCESS3

3.

BECOME DESIRABLE TO A MORE DIVERSE MEMBERSHIP BASE

4.

BECOME A HUB TO CONNECT ALL INDUSTRIES AND SIZES OF BUSINESSES

5.

ASSURE THAT EACH MEMBER CAN UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THEIR MEMBERSHIP

6.

DETERMINE VARIOUS MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY INTERESTS AND CONCERNS

7.

BE THE VOICE TO THE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES FOR BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY ISSUES

8.

EXPAND MEMBER ACCESS TO WORLD CLASS PROGRAMMING ON A CONSISTENT BASIS

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EP Chamber Strategic Plan

July 2010

Work Plans The specific activities that are required to accomplish the Strategic Goals and Initiatives are spread throughout the various Chamber Committees and Staff. Each Committee and the Chamber Staff will develop a Work Plan that will contain their specific activities that will contribute to the various Strategic Goals and Initiatives listed above. The activities from these individual Work Plans will then be combined into their respective Strategic Initiatives which become the Strategic Initiative Portfolio for the EP Chamber. Detailed Work Plans will be developed and submitted in a separate document. Work plans must be set; AND, work plans must be done. These two steps form the Return-On-Investment (ROI) generator for the organization.

SIM Meetings (Strategic Implementation Meetings) In developing this process, considerable time was spent researching strategic planning programs and models specific to local and regional Chambers of Commerce. It was found that typically, little emphasis is placed on implementation. This oversight is usually due to a presumption that somehow the work that has been planned will get done as part of the day-to-day operations. But, organizations busy “fighting fires” soon forget the out-of-sight/out-of-mind strategic agenda and dust collects on the “shelved” plan.

There is only one problem of logic here, but it is a big one indeed: if the strategic thinking behind the plan is on target, it makes no sense to lose performance and profits by reverting to the day-to-day operational routine.

•

SIM Meetings are a monthly business management meeting with the key people in the organization who are involved in the process of implementing the Strategic Direction, Strategic Goals and Strategic Initiatives. It usually includes those who initially developed the Strategic Plan, and may include others you add for logical reasons along the way.

•

The SIM Meeting is the means by which the organization can review its progress toward implementing its Strategic Plan and Work Plans. A specific agenda that includes opportunities to discuss new ideas/issues and tools that provide visibility to current Initiatives are emphasized to ensure consistency and relevancy. These tools include:

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•

Roadmap  The Roadmap is a high-level illustrative representation of the progress towards completing the activities in the Work Plans compared to the scheduled completion dates for those activities.

•

KPI Dashboard  Monitoring the actual values of Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) related to their target levels on a monthly basis provides valuable insight that enables an organization to explore potential problems before they become significant issues.  The KPI’s defined for the EP Chamber for FY 2010–2011 are currently being finalized and will be completed prior to December, 2010. The most recent version of the KPI’s is included in this document as Addendum B.

EP Chamber Strategic Plan

July 2010

•

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SIM Meetings are held monthly because: •

To review the plan less frequently will lose focus and keep you from gaining and sustaining that elusive element of “strategic momentum.” Quarterly meetings, even alternating monthly meetings, have a terrible track record

•

To review the plan more frequently is unnecessary, as that breeds micro-management and does not allow significant time for Work Plans to be implemented and completed.

Four-week reporting intervals are proven effective; enough activities come due each month to make a monthly checkup well-timed.

EP Chamber Strategic Plan

July 2010

EPCOC Process Methodology - MAP The Strategic Planning Methodology that the EPCOC uses consists of three Phases; MEASURE, ALIGN and PERFORM (i.e. MAP). In the MEASURE Phase, pertinent information and knowledge about the EP Chamber was collected and analyzed, including strategies, plans, goals and current state processes. In the ALIGN Phase, the Chamber’s Mission, Vision and Core Values are reviewed, adjusted, and verified; long and short term goals and initiatives are developed resulting in a the EPCOC Strategic Plan. The PERFORM Phase includes the completion AND execution of Work Plans. The entire process is designed to ensure work plans and activities are in place to support an aligned, effective and repeatable strategy, year-over-year. Once internalized and operating, the Strategic Plan and accompanying Work Plans will provide an effective and repeatable framework that proactively serves the needs of the EP Chamber in an efficient, sustainable and nimble manner. Select components from this Process Methodology have been used for 2010 – 2011 planning and implementation. Additional components can be added as the EPCOC becomes more familiar with this process,

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EP Chamber Strategic Plan

July 2010

Addendum A – Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce 2-Day Strategic Planning Off-site  Date: November 23rd & 24th, 2009  Time: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm daily  Location: Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center, Eden Prairie, MN List of Chamber Representatives and Participants:

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1. Melissa Krull

8, Lynda Hartmann

2. Dick Ward

9. Pat Mulqueeny

3. Brian Kelly

10. Laura Heuer

4. Michael Klaith

11. Laura Beam

5. Dave Lindahl

12. Amy Sinclair

6. Alyson Bjornstad

ALLYNE Group facilitator, 13. Dave Olson

7. Todd Warner

ALLYNE Group facilitator, 14. Galon Miller

EP Chamber Strategic Plan

July 2010

Addendum B – Current Key Performance Indicators It is normal and expected that the KPIs will undergo a lengthy evolution of trial and error before settling on a reasonable and logical set of measures. It is also normal that future strategic direction could cause further changes to the Chamber’s KPIs. These KPIs should represent a focus on continuously improving the organization.

KPI’s recently selected and verified:

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

Units

Cycle

Target

New Members

#

Monthly

12

Membership Retention

%

Annual

87%

Number of New mid-sized members (20-100)

#

Monthly

3

# People

Event

70

#

Qtr.

4

Participation at Networking Events “Top 25” Personal Touches

Other KPI’s identified during ALIGN offsite to be discussed and finalized prior to Dec, 2010:

Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Dues Revenue

Units

Cycle

Target

%

Annual

267,900

Monthly

115,042

Monthly

222,000

% to budget % to Target

Non-Dues Revenue Net Income Cost / New Member

$

Member

?

Public Policy Involvement

?

Annual

?

Survey

Per Event

Scale?

$

Monthly

$4,000

Quality of Educational Events Revenue from website (online presence)

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EP Chamber Strategic Plan

July 2010

Addendum C – Glossary of Terms Action

An activity to be undertaken so that a strategy can be implemented

Business driver

The people, knowledge, and conditions present, needed, or desired to initiate and perpetuate

Goal

A long-term organizational target to achieve Future State Vision

Metric/Measure

A way of objectively assessing the results of goals, initiatives and work plans

Mission

Organizational purpose (why we exist)

Objective

A measurable target that must be met to attain a goal

Stakeholder

Any person, group or organization that has an interest in the output of an activity or project

Strategic planning

A disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what organizations do and why

Strategy

The means by which a goal or objective is accomplished (how)

Vision

A brief description of what the organization will look like on a specified time horizon

Work Plans

Operating activities generated from the strategy planning process that enable organizational leaders to align and drive strategy for the organization

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EP Chamber Strategic Plan

July 2010