At a recent board meeting, while we were making introductions,
I was struck by the fact that many of our board
members mentioned that they have been both a member
of CCDA and on the board for many years. As a new
board member and someone who is relatively new
to the profession, I quickly realized that I wanted
to know more. I wanted to know the history of CCDA.
Coincidently I had recently attended a graphic facilitation workshop
presented by Grove International Consultants of San Francisco. After
sharing what I had learned with Michelle Beese, CCDA President, and
Serena Santilles, CCDA President-Elect, they asked me to begin a multi-step
strategic planning process that will take place during board meetings
over the next two years.
The process includes completing templates for a history map, a context
map, a SWOT analysis, a future vision, and five bold steps. If time
permits, we’ll also create a game plan that brings information
together from all the previous templates.
The first step in this process, the Graphic History Map, took place
at our November board meeting in Oakland. Using a four foot by eight
foot template from the Grove, I facilitated a discussion and recorded
information from our various board members, including Greg Jackson
and Robert Chope. After capturing a wide variety of information, events,
and stories, we were able to step back and look at key events that
have helped shape the organization.
Response from board members was so positive, that they asked me to
hang the map at the CCDA membership meeting the following morning.
Again, response was excellent with many people adding even more information
and events. Spenser Niles, NCDA President 2003-04, who addressed our
membership, was also very impressed.
The final stop for the map during the conference was to hang behind
our CCDA booth in the exhibit hall. Again, many people stopped by to
look, add comments and stories, change dates, and generally take in
the information they found on the map. It helped new members get a
sense of the history of CCDA and helped remind older members how much
has been achieved since the organization was first founded in 1968.
The next step in the strategic planning process was to complete a Context
Map. This map captures what our current situation is from a variety
of perspectives, including trends, governmental and political factors,
economic factors, technology, customer needs, and uncertainties. Our
board meetings are held in four locations – Northridge, Fresno,
Sacramento State, and San Francisco – which meant that the process
was done via video conference. To facilitate this challenge, we had
each group complete their own context map and then share their observations.
The next step is to compile all maps into one large map.
Over the next few months we will be continuing this process to allow
us to vision a future for the organization and look at ways to meet
the needs of our membership. We look forward to sharing our work with
the membership and hope that interested members will feel free to contribute
by joining the board and committees and providing feedback and insights.
To add your thoughts, perspectives or comments to this process, contact
Mary Robbins via email at mrobins@ndnu.edu.
