Strategic Doing in Douglas, Wyoming: Bridging the Gap Between Ambition and Action

In today’s fast-paced world, strategic planning alone is insufficient to drive meaningful change. Organizations, especially at the municipal level, need to shift their focus from planning to doing. The City of Douglas, Wyoming, has embraced this approach with its Strategic Doing framework, which emphasizes collaboration, action, and continuous improvement. This article explores how Douglas is setting the groundwork for success by aligning its strategic goals with staff performance, focusing on actionable outcomes, and fostering community partnerships.

The Tension Between Governing Ambitions and Realistic Goals

One of the most significant challenges for any governing body is balancing ambitious goals with realistic outcomes. While leaders often envision transformative changes, turning these aspirations into practical solutions can be challenging. The City of Douglas recognized this challenge and adopted a unique approach: beginning the process with the city staff and engaging a neutral third party to facilitate collaboration and realistic goal setting.

"My goal as a City Manager is to ensure that the goals of our governing body translate well into our ability to deliver," said J.D. Cox, City Manager of Douglas. "By starting with our staff and aligning their performance with our strategic objectives, we set the groundwork for a solution that’s both achievable and inspiring."

Leveraging the Expertise of KU Public Management Center

The involvement of the KU Public Management Center provided the extra perspective and staffing that the city needed to move forward with the project. Acting as a neutral third party, KUPMC provided an objective viewpoint that helped guide the city's strategic efforts. Their expertise in public management and strategic planning ensured that Douglas’s vision was grounded in practical, actionable steps.

Marilu Goodyear, Interim Director of KUPMC, emphasized the value of having an external partner in the process: "Our role was to bring in fresh perspectives and research-based insights that helped Douglas align their ambitions with achievable outcomes. As a neutral third party, we facilitated conversations that led to consensus around clear strategies and measurable goals."

This collaboration enabled Douglas to align its strategies with its long-term vision while maintaining flexibility to adapt to changing needs.

Reassuring Governing Bodies: From Goals to Action

One of the primary concerns for governing bodies is whether their strategic goals and objectives will translate into tangible action. In Douglas, the Strategic Doing process reassures leaders that their vision will be realized through a well-defined framework that aligns staff performance with the city’s overall objectives.

Douglas has developed a process to ensure that staff performance reviews are directly linked to the city’s goals and objectives. This alignment creates an effective connection between the staff work and the city’s broader strategic aims. When staff evaluations are tied to these goals, it guarantees that individual contributions are in sync with the city's priorities, providing measurable outcomes that are both effective and transparent.

The Role of Strategic Conversations

Strategic Doing encourages open conversations between staff, leadership, and external stakeholders. These discussions play a crucial role in deciding the best paths for implementation, allowing for continuous feedback and adjustments. It’s in these conversations that Douglas found the balance between ambition and practicality, ensuring that the strategy evolved based on real-world results.

"The conversations facilitated by KUPMC were instrumental in helping us gain momentum for implementation," noted J.D. Cox. "Their ability to bring a neutral perspective was invaluable in shaping our organizational alignment to ensure the best possible outcomes."

From Planning to Doing: A Shift in Mindset

A key component of the Strategic Doing framework is its emphasis on action rather than detailed planning. While planning is essential, there comes a point when the focus must shift to implementation. Douglas did this by creating a system that prioritizes doing — taking concrete steps to achieve the set goals and objectives, making progress, and shaping the results in a way that was both visually appealing and matched the organization's identity.

The Importance of Communication Strategies

Communication is a cornerstone of successful strategic implementation. While the strategy itself is vital, how it is communicated and who is involved in that communication process can often determine its success. Engaging the governing body in the communication strategy ensures that they remain informed and involved throughout the journey.

The City of Douglas emphasized the active participation of the governing body in its communication strategies. Involving city leaders in these discussions created a more cohesive approach to strategy implementation, where everyone was on the same page. This involvement also strengthens the accountability mechanism, ensuring that the governing body’s expectations met and that they were active players in the process.

"Communication strategies are just as important as the plan itself," explained Marilu Goodyear. "By involving the governing body in these discussions, we ensure transparency and build trust, which are crucial for sustained progress."

Strategic Doing: A Model for Agile and Responsive Governance

The City of Douglas's approach to Strategic Doing is a model for how local governments can become more agile and responsive to the needs of their communities. By focusing on actionable goals, aligning performance with strategy, and fostering a culture of communication and partnership, Douglas has set a new standard for municipal governance.

Through its Strategic Doing framework, Douglas has transformed potential challenges into opportunities for growth and improvement. The city’s focus on continuous iteration and adaptation allows it to respond quickly to changes, ensuring that it remains aligned with both its strategic goals and the evolving needs of its residents.

Conclusion

Strategic Doing in the City of Douglas, Wyoming, is more than just a plan—it's a dynamic process that turns ideas into action. By focusing on staff engagement, aligning goals with performance, emphasizing communication, and building strong partnerships with entities like the KU Public Management Center, Douglas is leading the way in turning planning into action. This approach not only reassures the governing body that their vision will be achieved but also inspires the community to take an active role in their city's future. As other cities look to modernize their strategic frameworks, Douglas's Strategic Doing model offers a blueprint for turning ambition into measurable action.