A Better Strategic Planning RFP: What Nearly 200 RFPs Teach Us

Send us Fan Mail Mike Burns, Co-Founder and CEO of StratSimple, and I went through almost 200 strategic planning RFPs for a white paper we wrote together. As a fellow strategic planning nerd, he joins me to talk about what we found: RFPs that prescribe a five-year plan before anyone has done the listening, no budget or range, and very little about what happens once the plan is approved. We get into why so many plans end up on a shelf, how many survey responses you really need, and how long a planning cycle should take now. I also asked Mike what StratSimple does that Asana or Monday doesn't, and what advice he'd give an association CEO or board chair who's drafting an RFP right now. In this episode: Why Mike started StratSimple after a plan he helped build went nowhere Why software can't replace a facilitator, and where it can help before and after the retreat What surprised us most across almost 200 strategic planning RFPs The "implementation cliff" and why staff shouldn't be left holding the bag The CFO who admitted, "We don't hold anyone accountable for anything, ever" How much lead time an RFP needs, and why 100 thirty-page proposals helps no one Why 250 to 300 survey responses can be enough for a 5,000-member organization Our wish list for your next strategic planning RFP About Mike Mike Burns is Co-Founder and CEO of StratSimple, a software company that helps nonprofits and associations with the listening at the front of strategic planning and the implementation at the back. Read the white paper https://associationtransformation.org/strategic-planning-rfps Connect with Mike Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.stratsimple.com Association Transformation is hosted by Elisa Pratt, CEO and Chief Strategist of Brewer Pratt Solutions. Find every episode at https://associationtransformation.org. Until next time, put your members and your mission first!