A Q&A with Dr. Chris Watling – Checking in on the strategic planning process
Last month, the Strategic Planning Committee membership was shared with people at the School. What is the Committee’s role?
The Steering Committee will engage with the process in a number of ways including:
- periodically reviewing data from focus groups;
- identifying trends in focus group data and suggesting modifications to the data gathering approach as the process unfolds;
- linking environmental assessment data (where we are) with aspirational planning (where we want to go);
- Using the consultation data to define key goals for the School and to assign priority to the various goals;
- suggesting meaningful metrics for tracking our progress toward our goals;
- reviewing and offering feedback on the developing plan.
The Committee had its first meeting this week and it will continue to meet at least monthly until the plan is launched. I also plan to retain the committee after the plan is launched to periodically examine our progress toward the goals that the plan lays out. I think this element is critical – plans often fail at this stage, because they are launched but then not revisited. We’ll need to repeatedly ask, “are we getting there?”
Who has participated in the focus groups to date?
So far, we have met with faculty from a number of our clinical and basic science departments, a group of Chairs and Chair/Chiefs and residents, fellows and graduate trainees, School Directors, staff, Windsor Campus leadership and students, teams from Robarts and Dentistry and research intensive faculty members.
A few sessions had low attendance so we’re creating additional opportunities for these groups later in March or early in April.
I know that there are several strategic planning processes going on simultaneously. This can be challenge and even frustrating for our faculty, staff and students. We will continue to consider this in our requests to the teams at the School. Our goal is to end up with complementary and not competing plans.
I want to thank everyone who has participated so far, and I look forward to engaging with more teams in the coming weeks.
Where can people find the dates for the upcoming focus groups?
The information about upcoming focus groups has been posted online. If individuals would like to attend a session, they can sign up using a form that has been provided.
Can you share some reflections about the focus groups?
I’ve really been enjoying the opportunity to connect with people across the School and to brainstorm with them about the future.
Participation has been variable – while some groups have been very well represented, others have had thinner attendance. I think that’s understandable because of the challenges of getting groups together and as mentioned we will work to create additional opportunities in those cases.
Engagement during the sessions has been great. Whether we’ve had a large group or a small group, people have offered their ideas, hopes, and perspectives very openly. Across the board, people have a strong belief in the potential of the School, and have offered some important ideas about how we can ensure we realize that potential over the coming five to 10 years.
Next month, I look forward to sharing some specific findings from the focus groups so that people can engage with the information as it becomes available.
