Park Districts
Strategic Planning Retreats
A Park Agency That’s Serving the Changing Needs of Its Community
More than ever, individuals need their leisure and recreation time to be convenient, flexible and fun. With numerous alternative choices – from private facilities, neighboring park agencies, and even your own community’s other units of local government…
How are you helping them frequent your parks, facilities, programs and events?
A well-orchestrated strategic plan casts a crystal-clear vision of where your organization will be in five years, identifies concrete action steps to get you there, and energizes your team like nothing else!
A Strategic Plan benefits your Agency, Board and staff in these ways:
Have a clear idea of what efforts to focus on.
Know where to direct resources.
Understand what facilities and parks need attention.
Identify better or new ways to heighten your customers’ experiences.
Implement strategies for building a stronger team to deliver those services to the community.
Crystalize complex concepts into a manageable process.
“I engaged the services of Carol Sente Consulting to assist in planning a full day workshop. Carol helped to condense a complicated series of goals into a workable format for a productive meeting. She asked intuitive questions, introduced impactful ideas and worked with me to crystalize complex concepts into a manageable process.
The final product, with Carol’s advice and preparatory planning, was a powerful, dynamic, results-driven meeting with desired outcomes accomplished. I highly recommend Carol Sente Consulting as an effective tool in strategic planning or customized business meetings.”
—Molly Hamer | Executive Director, Northbrook Park District
Carol Sente’s 5-Step Strategic Planning Process for Park Districts
While effective Strategic Planning needs to include certain key components, it also should uniquely suit the needs and culture of your particular organization. We discuss this process together before deciding on the number and order of steps. With that said, these are the five components I generally suggest.
1
Retreat Review and Planning
Together we clarify your objectives, review previous planning documents, tour your agency’s facilities and parks, and review community survey results.
2
Fact Finding Meetings
We determine the appropriate way to garner feedback from various subgroups, for example the Board, various staff members and community via group or individual meetings, focus groups and/or pre-retreat surveys.
3
Retreat Kick-Off with Leadership Team
The Leadership Team generally sets the stage for determining the retreat time schedule and number and type of goal categories, conducting the initial SWOT analysis and beginning to outline some of the strategic goals.
4
The Strategic Planning Retreat
Together we hold a full-day retreat with the Board and Staff to discuss the strategic planning process. It’s here that we finalize the SWOT analysis, identify SMART goals, lay out ideas as a large group, and break up into smaller working groups to finalize the selected goals and objectives.
5
Your Written Strategic Planning Document
We finalize your Strategic Plan by checking in numerous times with the Executive Director and Admin team as needed, categorize the goals into short, medium and long term, assemble the finished written plan and present the plan to the community and Board at a monthly meeting.
The highest regard for Carol personally and professionally.
“It was a pleasure to work with Carol on our Strategic Plan. We had several team meetings prior to the pandemic to get the process started. Carol and I decided to break some new ground and finish our plan with a set of Zoom calls during the pandemic shut down. This was challenging but rewarding in that we did not lose momentum to get the plan completed. Carol is open to reframing and allows for flexibility to work through challenges with a positive outlook at all times. Her enthusiasm in working with everyone on our team inclusively was so valuable. I have the highest regard for Carol personally and professionally, I highly recommend her to assist you with all of her services.”
—Marilyn Krieger | Executive Director, Zion Park District
An Illinois State Representative and Park Board Commissioner
I spent almost 10 years as an Illinois State Representative and four years as a Vernon Hills Park Board Commissioner. In fact, I’m back for a second stint on my local park board.
In 2016, I won the Illinois Association of Park District’s Legislator of the Year for my support of parks and recreation. I have facilitated countless strategic planning retreats for park districts and private companies. Additionally, I have worked with 50+ park agencies (and other local governments) and their boards and professional staff on building design projects for approximately 17 years.
RESOURCES FOR YOU
