When an organisation has already gathered mountains of feedback, ideas, and evaluation reports, the hardest part of creating a new strategy is often knowing what not to include.
That’s where we began in our recent work with Connected Voice.
Connected Voice is what’s known in the third sector as a Local Infrastructure Organisation (LIO). They play a critical role in Newcastle and Gateshead, supporting the voluntary sector to thrive, and strategically engaging with public and commercial partners to make that happen.
When we joined the process, they had already done a lot of listening — to board members, staff, and members, and through project evaluations. The challenge was making sense of it all, spotting the common threads, and separating the strategic from the tactical.
We began by mapping the big themes and testing them with the team. Then we facilitated live workshops with staff and members, plus online focus groups with other stakeholders — particularly other charities who are members of Connected Voice. The energy and commitment people brought to these sessions was impressive, with participants leaning into the process and taking it seriously.
From there, we worked closely with the Chief Executive and nominated board members to refine the draft plan, iterating until it felt clear, focused, and ready to launch.
The new strategic plan will be unveiled this autumn. It’s designed to steer Connected Voice through the choppy waters facing the sector, while giving them the clarity and confidence to seize key opportunities ahead.
For us at Goodlabs, this was strategy development at its best: turning complexity into clarity, keeping the focus on what really matters, and building ownership across the organisation.
If your charity is ready for a strategic plan that cuts through the noise and sets a clear course for the future, we’d love to help.