STRATEGIC THINKING Wisco ns i n Un i o n 2018 and Beyond
Wisconsin Union Division of Social Education | UW-Madison
Mission Making lifetime connections on the campus, one person at a time.
Vision To be the heart and soul of this great University.
Values • Respect
• Leadership
• Learning
• Relationships
• Inclusivity
• Performance
Operating Principles
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• Make Every Day an Event
• Be Green
• Honor the Guest’s Perspective
• Build Community
T H I N K I N G F O R WA R D T O G E T H E R
How We Got Here As the Wisconsin Union worked toward bringing a close to a 10-year process of rebuilding Union South and renovating Memorial Union, an incredible opportunity was seen for creating an ever more positive impact on our community. The Thinking Forward Together process sought to engage that community in a dialog to help determine the ways the Union could maximize that positive impact. Using a variety of methods and hoping to connect with as many constituents as possible, the Union worked to identify strengths, the ways that it might build on those strengths, and co-author, with the community, how those strengths and opportunities could inform what the Wisconsin Union should aspire to be moving forward.
Our Process The SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) process is a strategic thinking approach that focuses on an organization’s strengths. By using input from as many voices as possible it seeks to understand the whole system, centering on what an organization is doing well, how that could be improved or enhanced and what is compelling to all those in the community who feel a connection to the organization’s successful future. The SOAR process integrates Appreciative Inquiry into an organizational transformation process. Appreciative Inquiry seeks to find the positive core of any human system, those things that give an organization energy and a positive image. SOAR creates a strategic thinking construct and dialogic process to the Appreciative Inquiry. We felt that if the Wisconsin Union wanted to engage the community in a conversation about its future, the SOAR process was a great fit.
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Strengths
Magnetic Locations/Spaces We have welcoming, clean and accessible spaces that many in the community feel ownership and pride for. Spaces where the community can make it what they want it to be while feeling like they are a part of something bigger. Spaces that effectively mix art and design to capture the Wisconsin experience.
Engaging Events/Service We provide an environment where there is always something going on, where every day is an event. We offer places to have new experiences and experiment safely with new ideas. We do this with good customer service.
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T H I N K I N G F O R WA R D T O G E T H E R
Trust in Students We offer UW Madison students a wide variety of learning experiences, paid and unpaid, that allow them to develop transferable skills. Students as the agents of doing at the Union, with the autonomy and ownership, create a relevancy and vibrancy that demonstrates respect for their perspectives, interests and skill development.
Community Passion The Union, and its greater purpose, is accepted and loved by the larger community. The Union is perceived as a builder of community and active participant in creating a positive campus climate.
Committed & Knowledgeable Staff Union staff are committed, knowledgeable and capable to meet both the daily and extraordinary challenges of being UW-Madison’s social center. Staff are dedicated to the success of the organization and service to the community. A can- do attitude combined with resourcefulness and creativity create a positive environment for both meeting the mission and providing for a fun, team-oriented workspace.
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Opportunities
• Raise up program quality and its overall positive community impact • Create a food-first culinary experience • Realize the potential of a fully engaged membership base • Create more intentional outreach and engagement with diverse communities • Leverage the Wisconsin Union brand • Enhance our role as educators in creating purposeful student-staff partnerships • Increase environmental and sustainability consciousness across all operation areas • Implement technologies and best business practices to create a foundation for ongoing positive change • Build a sustainable staffing model for students and all staff that includes: • Hiring • Training
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T H I N K I N G F O R WA R D T O G E T H E R
• Retention • Recognition
Aspirations
• Be the leading provider of open and accessible high quality facilities, magnetic programs and services for all members of our community.
• Create an environment where we are the coveted employer on campus at all levels of employment classifications.
• Foster a true sense of ownership amongst all Union users, especially UW-Madison students, faculty and staff and Wisconsin Union members.
• Maximize our quality of service and efficiencies in working towards these aspirations.
• Be a relevant and active builder of a strong, engaged and inclusive community on the UW-Madison campus and beyond.
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Process
Determining Our Strengths
Determining Our Opportunities
A variety of methods were used to determine the perceived strengths of the Union. From a formal series of process kickoff events that specifically engaged UW Madison students, Union employees UW faculty and staff and Union Members, to focus groups, to email and on line survey forms, close to 6,000 people were engaged in helping name the current strengths of the Wisconsin Union. The large amount of data was distilled by the Steward Team to determine our strengths.
In addition to naming the strengths of the Wisconsin Union, the community was also asked to name possible opportunities for the Union moving forward. Union staff were also asked to author opportunities specific to their area. A full day, all staff summit, attended by 88 people, was facilitated to analyze that data and create an opportunities list for the Union. The top opportunities named during the summit were then ranked on a grid to judge each opportunity’s impact on the community and advancement of student learning.
Determining Our Aspirations The same All Staff Summit used for Opportunities determination finished examining the Strengths and Opportunities and answering the question of what these tell the organization what it should aspire to be. This list was analyzed by the Union Steward Team to create a list of five draft Aspirations. This draft list was then taken back to Union Staff, shared with key community groups, and the Wisconsin Union Association (Union Trustees) for input and feedback – essentially answering the question “Did we get it right?”
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T H I N K I N G F O R WA R D T O G E T H E R
Grouping Our Aspirations Mission-Based • Leading provider of facilities, programs and services. • Sense of ownership. • Builder of community.
MISSION ASPIRATIONS
STAFFING ASPIRATION
Staffing-Oriented • The coveted employer.
Continuous Improvement • Maximize quality and efficiencies.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Moving Forward Specific strategic initiatives and the measures to gauge successful movement towards the Aspirations will be modified annually as efforts are tracked and measures taken. Consult the annual insert to see the current Union strategic initiatives and the ways in which the Union is currently attempting to measure success in moving towards our Aspirations. By committing to an extended community conversation using the SOAR process, the Wisconsin Union now has a shared vision of where we are headed in the future. Because of the high level of engagement with the community and key collaborators and partners there is a much broader and shared concept of the opportunity and potential for the Wisconsin Union coming out of its extensive building reinvestment process. Additionally, undertaking this process has helped the Wisconsin Union become more adept at community engagement and inquiry, a process we will keep at our foundation as we move forward.
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Thank You! Thank you to everyone who made this project possible and helped us think forward together. We received input from close to 6,000 people, across campus, the city, state and beyond.
A special thanks to these campus and community groups:
• Wisconsin Union Director’s Advisory Board • UW-Madison students, faculty and staff • Wisconsin Union Directorate • Wisconsin Union professional and student staff • Wisconsin Union Members • Union Council • Wisconsin Union Association • VCFA Directors • Campus and Visitor Relations Staff • UW Credit Union Staff • DoIT Staff • And many others
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T H I N K I N G F O R WA R D T O G E T H E R
Steward Team SUSAN DIBBELL Union Executive Team Sponsor
J AY E K L E B E R R Y Lead Facilitator Wisconsin Union Wheelhouse Studios
TIM GLOECKLER Wisconsin Union Facilities
ROBERT WRIGHT Wisconsin Union Dining
M O N I C A S L AT E R Wisconsin Union Marketing
LORI SCROGGS UW Office of Quality Consultant
More Info For more information and details about the SOAR process, and how we applied it to our Thinking Forward Together process at the Union, see union.wisc.edu/thinkingforwardtogether.
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“The Union fosters a sense of community unlike any other campus organization. It’s what makes Madison a great place to live.” -Wisconsin Union Member