Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals: Executing Growth While Planning

Mission + Strategy Consulting began a business planning process focused on strategies for doubling the number of housing units Facing Forward could provide to reduce homelessness in Chicago. During the planning process, Facing Forward was presented with a huge opportunity for growth—time to stop planning and start doing!

Context and Background

Facing Forward to End Homelessness contracted with M+S to create a plan with the goal of doubling the housing units they provide to reduce homelessness in Chicago. Facing Forward’s perspective was one of strength and they partnered with M+S to conduct a landscape analysis, review all internal operations and infrastructure, and consider scenarios for growth given the current market. As their planning committee began the work of considering growth scenarios, Facing Forward was presented with an opportunity to absorb contracts that would more than double the housing units they provide within 2 years. M+S then re-structured the nature of our engagement with Facing Forward to deliver a strategic plan, alongside an intensive tactical and operations plan to absorb such significant growth alongside dashboards for the Board to monitor progress.

Goals of Engagement

  • Develop a strategic plan documenting the goals and objectives necessary to absorb growth
  • Develop an intensive tactical and operations plan in partnership with senior management to track activities, owners, and timing to absorb growth
  • Develop a dashboard tool for the Board to monitor progress on the operations and strategic plans by month
  • Develop a plan for the Board to execute and own activities related to Board restructuring
  • Given that Facing Forward was presented with the opportunity for the growth (and more!) they had been seeking, M+S was challenged with restructuring the engagement to fully partner with Facing Forward to prepare for a very big transition

Challenges

  • Given that Facing Forward was presented with the opportunity for the growth (and more!) they had been seeking, M+S was challenged with restructuring the engagement to fully partner with Facing Forward to prepare for a very big transition.

Mission Plus Strategy’s Lens

M+S values meeting clients where they are and working together to create big solutions in response to big questions. Working with Facing Forward to plan for and absorb such significant growth is yet another way M+S is fully responsive to the needs of the largest transitions for organizations.

Results

  • Tools for planning and reporting that are easy to use and understand at the Board and staff levels
  • An analysis of gaps in planning and activities related to the anticipated growth
Facing Forward