Setting the Strategy – SWOTting Your Way to Meaningful Goals

Setting the Strategy – II S.W.O.T.tingYour way to Meaningful Goals This module originated by: John Conway – PRO-DAIRY 123 Lake St. Cooperstown, NY 13326 jfc6@cornell.edu 607-547-2536

Learning Objectives: Answer: How risky is it setting goals in the absence of clear vision? Answer: What information is needed for thorough business level SWOT analysis Learn the value of and how to set long term DRIVE goals Learn the value of and how to set short term SMART goals Approximate Time Needed: Case Farm set up -- 15 minutes Rest of module – 45 minutes • AV Equipment Needed: • LCD Projector Laptop Computer running MS PowerPoint Flip chart, markers, tape that won’t peel paint • Pens/pencils

Further Reading: The Six Sigma Way, How GE, Motorola, and Other Top Companies Are Honing Their Performance. 2000 Peter Pande, Robert Neuman, Roland Cavanagh The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement. 1992 Eliyahu Goldratt, Jeff Cox The Dancing Wu-Li Masters -- An Overview of the New Physics. 1984 Gary Zukav

Presenter: DMAIC • The “you are here” slide will show up throughout the curriculum. DMAIC is the manager’s most fundamental tool and it made sense to organize around it. • Participants will use a Case Farm to further analyze on the way to setting long and short term goals. They will be applying measurements and analysis at a business level to formulate goals. Goals represent improvements at a strategic level.

Problem Solving Cycle Define Control You are here (but at a strategic level) Measure Improve Analyze

This slide is review from the “compelling vision” module. Pasted in below are notes from earlier use of slide: … “Living the Strategy”. Some individuals make a connection while viewing something as a schematic such as this. A compelling vision is the beginning of a strategy and has three definable attributes:  A sense of “significant purpose”  A clearly painted “picture of success” and  “Clear values” reflecting a melding of the values among the business’ people. Before taking the strategy into a first tangible step, you’ve got to know where you are currently at. An accurate assessment of the business’ resources and financial and production condition is essential. Basically we are applying the DMAIC cycle to setting the strategy, and we need to measure first, then analyze before making improvements. The biggest, broadest improvements will be captured as long term DRIVE goals. (mention the attributes of DRIVE). Each DRIVE goal can be parsed into one or more short term SMART goals (mention attributes of SMART). SMART goals are at the intersection of taking the strategy to where something connected to it begins to happen. Presenter: Compelling Vision

Presenter: Foundation • Pasted in are notes from last use of slide: • Other people see things better pictorially. Here is another view of setting the strategy, but with developing a compelling vision as the foundation. This is a quick review of compelling vision that is the foundation for goals to be written toward

“Foundation” View of Planning Tactics SMART Goals (Short Term) Accurate Assessment of Business’ Resources plus Financial and Production Condition DRIVE Goals (Long Term) Compelling Vision (Purpose, Success Picture, Values)

Presenter: Principle in Play • So what is the principle in play for setting long and short term goals? • Goals provide the motivation to move towards action. The bullets clarify how. This thought is continued on the next slide

Principle in Play: • Goal Setting is a Particularly Motivating Tool as it can: • Focus energy and attention on the target • Increase effort and intensity • Encourage persistence and practice over time • Promote development of problem solving skills • Drastically increase the probability of reaching what you seek!

Presenter: Principle in Play continued • More on the “principle in play” for setting long and short term goals… • Continuing with the boat analogy. Without a vision, you have no rudder. You may get lucky and drift in the right direction for awhile. But only with the ability to steer can you materially change direction. • Goals help refine direction. Broader, long term or DRIVE goals help give you a direction to steer (Northwest). Shorter term SMART goals further refine direction and give a specific reading (3150).

Compelling Vision – “the Rudder” Goals Refine Direction – “the Compass” Long Term (DRIVE) Goals – “Northwest” Short Term (SMART) Goals – 3150

Presenter: SWOT • SWOT Defined (as shown on slide) • Strengths -General farm resource assessment PA Dairy, DFBS, DHIA • Weaknesses – General farm resource assessment PA Dairy, DFBS, DHIA • Opportunities – Your view of Industry direction (in light of strengths/weaknesses) • Threats – What you see looming in theindustry/world likely to impact your business

… but before setting goals, you’ve got to know where you’re at! S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths – General farm resource assessment – PA Dairy, DFBS, DHIA Weaknesses – General farm resource assessment – PA Dairy, DFBS, DHIA Opportunities – Yourview of Industry direction (in light of strengths/weaknesses) Threats – What you see looming in the industry/world likely to impact your business

Presenter: Case Farm • After the May 7 & 8, 2007 Training Conference we agreed to develop two additional Case Farms. If you missed the e-mail alerting you to them, please check the MFS website. • Case Farm introduction. It is a real farm. Names have been changed to respect anonymity. • It is fair to say that this farm once had a sense of vision. Due to outside interests and a measure of neglect, that vision has faded and is pretty much non-existent. • This is a somewhat unique situation in that the supporting data and information is there in an unbroken stream. It allows the participant to see what it feels like to have a sense of what is going on and yet no real direction to apply it to. Participants are free to impose their own vision and set goals accordingly (based on SWOT analysis and supporting data) “If this were your farm what would be your thoughts about the vision of this farm?”

Our Case Farm is bundled in a separate packet. While there is a lot of information in the bundle, you may find everything you need in the first and second sections. Accordingly we have put it into sections, each with a cover page. They run from the most general to the most detailed. • You are free to speculate and draw conclusions. Intent is to give you something real to work with, but without squelching your imagination. You can work the farm as is in the short run, jump ahead a year with the son and daughter-in-law in the picture, or both (may consume a lot of time, though). • Sections •  General Description • SWOT Analysis • PA Dairy Tool Analysis (PA’s financial/production “expert” system) • DFBS Financial Comparison (NY’s Dairy Farm Business Summary) • Dairy Production Records/Analysis (PCDART here or could be DairyComp 305)

Presenter: Be the Case Farm • Case Farm introduction. It is a real farm. Names have been changed to respect anonymity. • It is fair to say that this farm once had a sense of vision. Due to outside interests and a measure of neglect, that vision has faded and is pretty much non-existent. • This is a somewhat unique situation in that the supporting data and information is there in an unbroken stream. It allows the participant to see what it feels like to have a sense of what is going on and yet no real direction to apply it to. Participants are free to impose their own vision and set goals accordingly (based on SWOT analysis and supporting data) • Bear in mind that you may have these MFS sessions structured in a way where Case Farm use may be unnecessary. That would happen with a targeted group who all have plenty of own farm info to do a reliable SWOT analysis and have mostly developed out their compelling vision. In this case they would develop DRIVE and SMART goals for their own farm.

Be the Case Farm You are in the frustrating position of using facts and data to set some goals without the benefit of a sense of vision. Things get increasingly more concrete as we look at the current situation and come up with longer term DRIVE Goals which will create the bridge to the future. They are supported by shorter term SMART goals which puts the stamp of specificity and due dates on strategy. You can dig as deeply in the supporting information as you’d like to determine which strengths can be further exploited and which weaknesses are critical to success and need to be shored up, maintained and continually improved. Let’s get to work! Other option: if you have accurate financial and production information on your farm go right ahead and work on your farm’s goals.

Presenter: DRIVE • It is fair to say that this farm once had a sense of vision. Due to outside interests and a measure of neglect, that vision has faded and is pretty much non-existent. • Attributes of Long Term or DRIVE Goals • Directional • Reasonable • Inspirational • Visible • Eventual Focus on good DRIVE goals and remind participants not to be too general.

Based upon what you’ve learned about the Case Farm and your best objective assessment of where the business is currently at, set:

Presenter: DRIVE • It is fair to say that this farm once had a sense of vision. Due to outside interests and a measure of neglect, that vision has faded and is pretty much non-existent. • This is a somewhat unique situation in that the supporting data and information is there in an unbroken stream. It allows the participant to see what feels like to have a sense of what is going on and yet no real direction to apply it to. Participants are free to impose their own vision and set goals accordingly (based on SWOT analysis and supporting data) • Worksheet for capturing DRIVE goals. • Give writing DRIVE goals a spin use the case farm or your own situation to do this. (Have them spend some time jotting down some DRIVE Goals for either their own Farm or the Case Farm.)

Case Farm or Your Farm Long Range DRIVE Goals Directional, Reasonable, Inspirational, Visible, Eventual - Goals

Presenter: Production Knowns for Case Farm • “Shrinking Pipeline” diagram portraying where milk appears to be leaking away based on DHIA records. Items with minuses are those reasonably well quantifiable from records. This info may be useful in setting short term SMART goals.

Some Production “Knowns” About the Case Farm: Herd’s Genetic Potential 90 lbs. -1 -11.3 -2.6 47 -12.8 -4

Presenter: SMART • Attributes of Short Term or SMART Goals. • Specific • Measurable • Attainable • Rewarding • Timed

Based upon Case Farm’s vision and objective assessment of where the business is currently at, and for each DRIVE goal set:

Presenter: Case Farm SMART • Worksheet for capturing SMART goals supporting a DRIVE goals. • Have participants take a DRIVE goal and set 2 or more SMART goals for that DRIVE goal. Have them spend some time jotting down some SMART Goals for either their own Farm or the Case Farm.

Case Farm or Your Farm Shorter Term Supporting “SMART” Goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Rewarding, Timed - Goals DRIVE Goal # 1: Supporting SMART Goal: Supporting SMART Goal: Supporting SMART Goal: Supporting SMART Goal: DRIVE Goal # 2: Supporting SMART Goal: Supporting SMART Goal: Supporting SMART Goal: Supporting SMART Goal:

Presenter: Dollars & Sensible • Yet to be determined (next two slides). Known by end of May, 2007 should be disposition of NECRME grant as well as how the Dairy Profit Monitor and DHI records can combine to help generate base information for business level SWOT analysis.

A Dollars and Sensible Offer… Some Managing for Success Workshop Participants have excellent information (Dairy Farm Business Summary (DFBS) or Farm Credit Financial Summary and either Dairy Comp 305 or PCDART Dairy Production Analysis). These are essential to conduct a meaningful SWOT analysis of the business as a prelude to setting long and short term goals. If you don’t have the information you would like to have and gearing up for a DFBS run is too big of a step at once, we will soon have financial and production information consultants available to get you started with the monthly Dairy Profit Monitor (see handout description) Please let us know if this is something you’re interested in. We will know by early May if we can provide this service free of charge!

Presenter: Dairy Profit Monitor • Yet to be determined (next slide). Known by end of May, 2007 should be disposition of NECRME grant as well as how the Dairy Profit Monitor and DHI records can combine to help generate base information for business level SWOT analysis.

The Dairy Profit Monitor is an outreach project that aims to provide dairy producers with a tool that allows them to track key parameters that are impacted by management decisions on a monthly basis while providing the opportunity to track these benchmarks against themselves and other farms in the system from around the country. We aimed to do this in a way that was simple, fast, and convenient for the producer yet flexible and valuable for their business at the same time. The information provided for the Dairy Profit Monitor is intended for use in business analysis, monthly/quarterly management meetings, and to serve as a guide to make operational decisions in the business that will impact profitability. The program was designed for easy use with consultants to facilitate a stronger producer-consultant relationship, as the DPM is a value-added service they can provide their clients with. The benchmarking capabilities will be very informative to dairy producers as they will be able to compare their business with businesses from different parts of the country, sorting by certain business characteristics like herd size, location, housing type, and milking system type. Although the program is in its early stages, we plan to expand to nationwide usage in the next three years. New features will be added in the future that are helpful and relevant to the end users, with feedback from users and industry trends driving additions to the program.

Setting the Strategy – SWOTting Your Way to Meaningful Goals