San Diego Regional Chamber Turns to NST for New Strategic Plan
Opportunity
To adapt to a rapidly shifting political climate and evolving approaches among membership organizations, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce – a 501(c)(6) membership organization – tapped NST to guide them through an extensive strategic planning process to ensure the organization’s clout and relevancy will persist for years to come.
Approach
As the largest chamber on the West Coast, NST was tasked with designing a planning process that would solicit input from not only the group’s current membership, but also from the political leaders and broader business community throughout the binational region. From small business owners and solo practitioners to some of the U.S. largest and most established government contractors, utility companies and corporations, the interest of the membership were varied, and these often-conflicting viewpoints required a carefully designed process to solicit input and garner support for the plan throughout the process. Additionally, LEAD San Diego, the Chamber’s newly acquired leadership development arm, needed to be woven into the Chamber’s strategic direction, but had unique needs of its own. NST facilitated inputs in a variety of ways: individual telephone interviews with key board members and executive staff, electronics surveys of the full Chamber and LEAD San Diego staff and board of directors, surveys of chamber membership, facilitated planning sessions with the Chamber and LEAD San Diego teams and guidance on sharing back the plan to the full membership and broader community to garner support for the result.
The result was a plan that adopted – for the first time – a combined vision and purpose statement designed to articulate the end benefit of the Chamber not only to the business community but to the broader region: making the San Diego region the best place to live and work.
Results
Successful adoption and roll-out of a new five-year strategic plan, including a new vision and purpose
Development of a separate strategic plan for LEAD San Diego, a 501 (c)(3) organization, which was structured to serve as a priority under the broader Chamber plan
A structure for ongoing evaluation, including annual work plans and SMART objectives that allow the organization to track their progress over time and adjust their efforts as needed
Services Provided
Strategic Planning, Graphic Design