Building Sustainable Organizations
Turning strategic planning into organizational alignment
SECTOR
Nonprofit
SERVICE
Strategic Planning, Employee and Stakeholder Engagement
FORMAT
In person
The situation
The National Health Council (NHC) entered its strategic planning process at an important point for the organization. With a new CEO in place, NHC wanted to establish a clear direction for the future and strengthen its position as a leading voice for healthcare advocacy in the United States.
The organization wanted more than a strategic plan. NHC saw the planning process as an opportunity to meaningfully engage members and other stakeholders, build alignment between the Board and leadership, and give its new CEO a platform for clarifying and building support for his vision.
The process also presented an opportunity to strengthen the senior leadership team. NHC wanted its leaders to think beyond their individual areas of responsibility, collaborate more effectively across the organization, and take greater collective ownership for advancing its strategic priorities.
What we did
Springboard began by listening.
We conducted stakeholder interviews and multiple focus groups to understand different perspectives on NHC's opportunities and future direction. We also interviewed peer organizations to identify relevant trends, practices, and ideas that could inform NHC's thinking. A membership survey then helped validate the themes emerging from that outreach and broaden participation in the process.
The findings became the foundation for the strategic planning work that followed. Over several months, Springboard facilitated virtual planning sessions, first engaging the Board's strategic planning committee and then working with the senior leadership team. We also supported the CEO in keeping the Board informed and engaged as the strategy took shape.
The process was designed not only to determine where NHC wanted to go, but also to strengthen the organization's ability to get there. By engaging senior leaders directly in strategic thinking, Springboard helped the team move beyond working primarily within individual areas of responsibility toward greater collaboration and a more organization-wide leadership perspective.
To create a clear bridge between planning and implementation, Springboard developed an action planning approach that enabled the senior team to collaboratively identify specific annual actions connected to the new strategic plan. This gave leaders a practical way to translate high-level priorities into the ongoing work of the organization.
What changed
NHC emerged from the process with a clear strategic direction informed by broad stakeholder input and supported by its Board and leadership. The process helped the new CEO clarify and build support for his vision while also strengthening the senior team's ability to collaborate and think strategically across the organization.
The work also created a stronger connection between strategy and execution. Rather than ending with a strategic plan, NHC had an approach for translating its priorities into specific annual actions and engaging its leadership team in carrying the work forward.
The relationship did not end with that planning cycle. NHC later returned to Springboard to facilitate its next strategic plan, continuing a partnership built around thoughtful stakeholder engagement, collaborative planning, and turning strategy into action.
That continued partnership is an important part of the story: Springboard was not simply brought in to produce a plan. We became a trusted partner NHC chose to work with again as the organization looked toward its next chapter.
90% of our work comes from repeat clients and referrals.
THE NUMBER WE CARE ABOUT
THE SERVICE BEHIND THIS WORK
Strategic Planning
Part of Building Sustainable Organizations.
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