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Episode #306: Strategic Planning Tips with Kate Scherr-Adams

In this episode, I discuss the importance of strategic planning tailored to the size and needs of your organization with special guest Kate Scherr-Adams. We talk about the significance of stakeholder engagement, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and how to develop focused, actionable plans. Plus insights on right-sizing your strategic initiatives, making data-informed decisions, and fostering a collaborative environment within your team.

Episode Highlights

03:09 Challenges and Changes in Strategic Planning

05:16 Strategic Planning Essentials

07:25 Tailoring Strategic Planning to Organizational Needs

11:31 Importance of Stakeholder Engagement

16:45 Adapting to Organizational Challenges

20:26 Uncovering Organizational Issues Early On

20:58 The Importance of External Perspective

22:15 Strategic Planning vs. Organizational Readiness

24:20 Defining and Engaging Stakeholders

27:41 Collecting and Utilizing Data Effectively

32:47 Incorporating DEI in Strategic Planning

Meet the Guest

Kate Scherr-Adams, is a strategist, trainer, and facilitator dedicated to helping nonprofits and public-sector organizations navigate challenges and drive meaningful change. With a background in social work and nonprofit management, she founded KS Solutions Consulting in 2011, specializing in professional development, DEI, and workplace wellness.

Kate has held senior leadership roles at Business Volunteers Maryland, the Family League of Baltimore City, and more, bringing expertise in strategic planning, board dynamics, and partnership building. She also teaches strategy and community engagement at UMBC.

An avid volunteer, nature lover, and community advocate, Kate believes in listening to the birds, not the thunder—an outlook that guides both her work and life.

Connect with Kate:

website: https://www.kssolution.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katescherr-adams/