Multi-year strategy and annual plans for SKH
Stichting Kinderopvang Huizen (SKH) has day-care centres, preschool and out-of-school care spread across Huizen, Blaricum, Laren and Eemnes, making it one of the largest players in the region. In early 2022, SKH welcomed Irene as its new managing director. Irene, with a fresh perspective from her previous position at GO! Childcare, joined a horizontally organised organisation with a sizeable management team. The organisation had already taken steps towards ‘co-management’, a philosophy that encourages ownership and responsibility.
The challenge
The challenge for SKH was to bring the strategy put on paper to life, for all employees. What are the principles and goals? There was a strong need to do this in a visually appealing way. Clear, bright and appealing. So that the teams could start working on their own annual plans in an unambiguous way, thus making the strategy belong to everyone.
From her positive experience with Flatland at GO! Childcare, Irene decided to invite our team to guide this process. She was looking not only for an effective and practical outcome, but also for an inspiring process that would release energy and commitment throughout the management team. The key questions that guided us were:
- How can we make the multi-year strategy alive, clear and tangible for every employee?
- How do we ensure that all sites can seamlessly align their annual plans with this vibrant strategic direction?
''In working with Flatland, you are stimulated to think on a deeper level about the choices made of your strategic direction. This leads not only to a sharper focus, but also to making it more tangible for the entire organization.''
The solution: translating strategy as a co-creative process
Our approach is characterised by a user-centred and visual method that appeals to all layers of the organisation. In a number of sessions with a delegation from the MT, we brought to life the strategy translated into the organisational annual plan for 2023. Its visual representation in the form of a talking plate was designed to encourage involvement and enthusiasm. It was very positively received by employees.
Not only the drawing as a translation of the organisational annual plan was delivered. A template was also developed for the sites and units to display their specific annual plan. With this format, drawing up an annual plan has become easier, clearer and more uniform. It is the result of intensive collaboration with the core team and had to be flexible enough to take into account the unique characteristics of each location, while being aligned with the overall strategic pillars and spearheads.
During a thorough validation moment, we tested the format for usability and collected feedback to refine it further.
The result
Result
The process has not only resulted in a clear and practical translation of the organisational annual plan (as an extension of the strategy). The format for preparing a site or unit annual plan is also perceived as user-friendly. Each site received a framed version of the drawing and a printout of the annual plan format. In addition, it has been made available digitally so that it can be completed and adapted online during the year.
By now, the new way of working has been embedded within SKH and the visualisations and online templates are being used. This success led us to similarly revise and visualise the multi-year strategy for 2024-2025.
Managers update their plan annually so the annual plan format is now enriched with versions for 2024 and 2025. This allows them not only to review the current status, but also to look ahead and plan based on previous years. At quarterly meetings, they share the completed annual plans to discuss progress.
Curious about an example? You can view that here .
''Working with Flatland in such a creative process has been very valuable to me. As a result, the entire organization started working on the annual plan and format with enthusiasm and commitment. The first results were presented during a quarterly meeting with the MT.''
Want to know more about using visual thinking for your organisation?
Get in touch with Michelle. She will be happy to tell you about it!
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