Tag Archives: Strategic Planning

Economic Development

Strategic Planning is a Great way to Keep your Organization on Track.

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Strategic planning should be embedded into the regular operation of any organization. It helps organizations make sound decisions to guide its activities over time.

OMAFRA has partnered with the Ontario Business Improvement Areas Association (OBIAA) to deliver a free program to build organizational capacity using the Strategic Planning Train-the-Trainer (TTT) program. The program engages and trains a core team of volunteers from within the BIA to strengthen their leadership skills and build a network of support and collaboration that will assist them in creating a strategic plan for their organization.

To participate, BIAs must:

  • Be willing to participate in the strategic planning process
  • Have a commitment from the Board to the process
  • Not be in a crisis situation
  • Have five volunteers (the Core Team) that will commit to be trained to facilitate strategic planning

The program includes five hands-on sessions delivered via webinar, running on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 pm starting November 28, 2017 until March 2018. Volunteers will learn about each stage of OMAFRA’s strategic planning framework, and how it provides a foundation for the next stage. As homework, Core Team members will facilitate that stage of the strategic planning process with their own organization. If you missed the Lunch and Learn on October 24, the slide deck below provides an overview of the program:

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Economic Development

Teeny Tiny Summits Create a Big Impact!

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Small communities have particular needs and assets when it comes to building strong economies. This was the topic of conversation at the June 28-29 Teeny Tiny Summits, which drew over 200 volunteers, staff, local councillors, and support organizations.

Participants were treated to an inspiring dialogue with keynote speaker Peter Kenyon, a social capitalist and community enthusiast. Over the last four decades, Peter has worked with more than 2000 communities all over the world seeking to facilitate fresh and creative ways that stimulate community and local economic renewal. Continue reading Teeny Tiny Summits Create a Big Impact! →

Economic Development

What Running Has Taught Me About Setting Goals

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I enjoy running … most of the time.

To help stay motivated I sign up for races. Without a race to train toward it’d be easy to skip runs on cold-rainy days. This year, surrounded by 15,0000 other runners, I ran the Ottawa half-marathon, for the second time. Races are wonderful motivators, they are hard, and they test you on so many levels. The results of a race (your finish time) are black and white, no questions asked. Continue reading What Running Has Taught Me About Setting Goals →

Organizational Development

Chairing Effective Board Meetings

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Meetings are an essential part of conducting the business of any board or organization. Meetings provide the forum for discussion and making decisions on programs and initiatives. Having a structure for running meetings will minimize distractions (i.e. participants talk off topic, monopolize discussion time, have difficulty making decisions or fail to respect the contributions of others).

It is the responsibility of the Chair to ensure that: Continue reading Chairing Effective Board Meetings →

Organizational Development

Be an Effective Leader

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Anyone can become an effective leader with the willingness to learn and practice the necessary skills. Everyone has a unique set of competencies, life experiences, and values that they bring to any situation. These competencies are the building blocks for making a good leader. The role of a leader  is to inspire and guide people to reach solutions, not manage them.

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Economic Development

Let Analyst Data Help Make Your Economic Development Decisions Easier

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I’m finding that with the Olympics taking place, there is a lot of talk about global economic trends and the potential financial impacts making the rounds at the local coffee shop.  Will your community be affected?  You might be thinking “How can I get started on answering this question and still get away from the office?” Simple, book an appointment and ask Analyst, EMSI Analyst.

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Economic Development, Organizational Development

The Importance of Supporting and Attracting Youth in Rural Ontario

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Supporting, engaging, attracting and retaining youth in rural communities is increasingly the “talk of the town” amongst governments, communities, and concerned citizens across Ontario.

Rural communities across Ontario have been seeing a net outmigration of youth (between the ages of 15-29) for years. Much of the outmigration of youth from these communities can be attributed to a number  of factors, from opportunities for post-secondary education, to finding employment, to the variety  of amenities offered in larger urban centres. Many of these same rural communities  face challenges in providing comparable opportunities for their youth to grow and develop relative to more prosperous urban communities. Continue reading The Importance of Supporting and Attracting Youth in Rural Ontario →

Organizational Development

Resolving Conflict in Your Organization

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Conflict is a normal and healthy part of our lives, when properly managed. We all need conflict in our lives, as it is an opportunity for us to test limits and set new boundaries. But when differences of opinion are not constructively managed, they can escalate into big problems around boardroom tables. Conflict can cause heightened emotions and board members to take sides, and a disagreement can grow into something much more difficult to resolve.  Successful conflict resolution can build trust and strengthen interpersonal relationships.

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Economic Development

Lasting Impressions from the Main Street Now Conference

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Downtowns are back. In fact, many all over North America are thriving under the guidance of people and organizations passionate about their Main Street areas. That was the key message shared through the 2016 Main Street Now conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The annual conference brings together key private and public sector decision makers to share successes and challenges, as well as foster new ideas and solutions for preservation-based downtown revitalization.

Here are five key takeaways from the conference to consider when thinking about revitalizing your own community:

Continue reading Lasting Impressions from the Main Street Now Conference →