TESTIMONIALS
“I just want to take this opportunity to thank you again for such a great retreat. You helped put in place what has been swirling in my head for my area. Still amazes me how we covered all of it in one day.”
– Clay Aragon, Manager of Community Social Planning at City of Airdrie
“The Alberta Insurance Council has retained the services of Finley and Associates for both the development and update of our Strategic Plan. Donna Finley facilitated sessions with the Board of Directors and management. Information was laid out perfectly, communication was open and focused and the discussions flowed smoothly.
Donna is extremely knowledgeable and very skilled at obtaining full and active engagement from all participants. The end result is a well defined strategic plan with clear and measurable objectives which will assist the Board and management in data driven decision making. I would not hesitate to contract Finley and Associates for governance and strategic planning support and highly recommend their services.”
– Joanne Abram, CEO at Alberta Insurance Council
“Strategic thinking is essential to long-term planning and success. We are highly impressed by the methods employed by Donna Finley and her team at Finley & Associates to elevate both our thinking and level of discussion to support the development of effective strategy.
Donna’s aptitude for strategy development and her ability to ask thought provoking questions has evoked deep insights for our Board and stimulated conversation that will continue to serve in the refinement of our strategic priorities, actions, and key performance indicators in the years ahead. We were referred to Finley & Associates from a number of its past clients and would highly recommend Donna Finley and her team to other organizations.”
– Karen Kirkwood, CEO at Alberta Chicken Producers
“I would strongly recommend Donna Finley. Her team has provided the CDA with some outstanding advice, counsel and strategic planning over the past year. Her team is first class and right on the cutting edge of BIA work. I’ve personally hired many, many consultants from across the country over the past 17 years and have to say I have no doubt she can help you.”
– Marco De Iaco, former Executive Director at Calgary Downtown Association
Multi-year visioning and direction-setting for changing times
Planning with the intention of reviewing and invigorating your organization or sector for future success typically has a multi-year focus and looks beyond current operational issues. It can be achieved through a single or multi-day Retreat, or a series of two to three hour sessions stretched over several weeks. The Finley & Associates team guides and supports leadership through the following: Strategic Renewal, Strategic Context, Strategic Initiatives, and Strategic Plans.
Strategic Renewal
Facilitated workings with Board or Executive leaders to re-establish focus and direction. Typically includes review and discussion of strategic context, candid self-assessments and strategic imperatives. Can include capability assessments and fresh perspectives from guest speakers, and case studies.
Strategic Context
Analysis and insights on the forces affecting your sector and organization. Can include benchmarking of analogous sectors and organizations; membership and key stakeholder feedback gathering; organizational and client data analysis; and, best practices scan.
Strategic Initiatives
Definition and scoping of ‘the vital few’ – the key initiatives the organization must undertake to achieve its vision. Can include project scoping; data analysis and fact gathering; implementation planning; leadership support and project management; a collaboration technology platform; and, project team training and development.
Strategic Plans
Documentation of the outcomes of the strategic context and renewal efforts, including identified key success factors, performance indicators, strategic initiatives, priorities and action plans. Deliverables can include summary and detailed documents, communication plans, storyboarding for various stakeholder groups and Board follow-up scheduling.