Develop a strategic plan for a department or division within a health care organization, taking a balanced scorecard approach.
Nurse leaders will be increasingly called upon to collaborate in strategic planning as they partner in the redesign of health care in the United States (Institute of Medicine, 2011). To be an integral partner in health care redesign, nurse leaders must be able to leverage political power and data in strategic planning. Analytical tools, such as the balanced scorecard and SWOT analysis, are used to construct a solid, defensible strategic plan.
This assessment provides an opportunity for you to develop both the knowledge and skills required for strategic planning, using a balanced scorecard approach. With insight into the importance of an organization’s political landscape and a comprehensive understanding of the priorities of the organization you are studying, you are well-prepared to develop a strategic plan for a department or division within that organization.
Demonstration of Proficiency
- Create a balanced scorecard for a department or division.
- Each scorecard domain must include an objective, performance metric, benchmark target, and prospective initiative.
- Determine departmental strategic priorities.
- Include at least one strategic priority for each balanced scorecard domain (financial, customer, internal processes, learning and growth).
- Why are these priorities important?
- Are these priorities feasible?
- For example, do they reflect departmental objectives, available resources, and a specific time frame?
- Evaluate the effects of organizational policies on departmental strategic priorities.
- How do existing policies hinder or facilitate what you hope to accomplish?
- Align departmental strategic priorities with elements of an organization’s strategic plan.
- Represent the alignments graphically in a crosswalk table, Venn diagram, or any other format that clearly illustrates the alignments.
- Communicate clearly and concisely in a form and style appropriate for the audience and for the substance, purpose, and context of the message being conveyed.
- Consider the needs of your audience.
- Be succinct and mindful of communication best practices.
- Carefully review your materials to avoid errors that could distract the audience and make it more difficult for them to focus on the substance of your strategic plan.
