EMBA 657: Leadership & Human Capital

PUAF689Z & BUSI758N: Strategic Management for Nonprofit & Public Organizations 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays Room 2505, Van Munching Hall Fall Term 2014 School of Public Policy University of Maryland

Syllabus

Professor: Robert M. Sheehan, Jr., Ph.D. Academic Director, Executive MBA Lecturer, Faculty of Management & Organization Robert H. Smith School of Business Affiliate Professor, Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership 4511 Van Munching Hall (Office hours by appointment)

301-523-1864

[email protected] http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/management/faculty/sheehan.aspx http://strategyleadershipmissionimpact.blogspot.com/ @SheehanImpact

Teaching Assistant: Kahlil Kettering [email protected] 301-905-2531

Course Description

Serving as a successful leader for a nonprofit or public organization of any kind requires an understanding of the strategic management process, as a well-developed and managed strategy is a key to an organization’s performance. This course provides an integrated approach to leading theories and concepts, research, and modern practices related to strategy development and execution. Students will gain a deep understanding of how strategy can be effectively developed, implemented, and managed in these organizations. The course will be relevant for students who want to work for and/or consult with nonprofit and government organizations. However, most emphasis will be focused on nonprofit organizations. The AIM of the course is to develop the knowledge and understanding of the students on strategy development and implementation for nonprofit and governmental organizations so they are prepared to provide leadership and guidance to these organizations.

2 Books & Readings

You will need to purchase the following books for this course (the prices are quotes from Amazon:

Mission Impact: Breakthrough Strategies for Nonprofits, by Robert M. Sheehan, Jr. (ISBN: 978-0-44980-6, $26.63). On Kindle: $22.99.

Leap of Reason, by Mario Morino (ISBN: 978-0-9834920-1-6, $2.66). This book is available for free on Kindle, iBooks and as a PDF at the web site: http://www.vppartners.org/leapofreason/getit

A course pack will also be prepared for your purchase through Copy Services in Van Munching Hall.

The following text is recommended, but not required. Chapter Two of this book is included in the reading pack:

Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, 4th Edition, by John Bryson (ISBN: 978-0-470-39251-5, $39.69). On Kindle: $34.10. NOTE: Make sure to get the 4th edition of the book, and not the workbook.

Class Attendance

Attendance is expected for every class session. If for some reason you cannot attend class, please communicate this to me as soon as you know. Students who miss a class session are responsible for the learning they miss from that class. Missing class will impact the student’s class participation grade (see below for more) and research suggests that missing class may impact a student’s grade on exams.

Guest Speakers

We will have numerous guest speakers throughout the course as a way to bring real world experiences and perspectives of nonprofit and government executives to increase our knowledge and understanding of strategy.

For each guest speaker, we will need one volunteer from the class to introduce them at the beginning of the class and another to thank them at the end – with a small gift of appreciation from the class. I will pay for the gifts if you all can help buy something appropriately Terpish to thank our visitors.

IMPORTANT: At the beginning of a class when we have a guest speaker, each student is to submit three questions they will be prepared to ask, based on your review of the

3 speaker’s background and experiences. Basic information on each speaker will be provided, but you will need to do some research on them. Submitting the questions is part of your class participation grade, and these should be submitted to our course Teaching Assistant, Kahlil Kettering, either in hard copy or via email.

Grading

Your final letter grade will be determined by the letter grades (A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- or F) you earn on the weighted assignments below.

1. Class Participation (Graded A+ – F): 20%

*Missing class will impact the student’s class participation grade (see below for more).

*See below for more information regarding class participation grading.

2. Take Home Exam (Graded A+ – F): 50%

*An open book, open notes, take home exam will be distributed at the end of class on October 29 and then will be posted on Canvas. You are to complete your exam and submit it no later than midnight on November 4 using the Assignments Tab on Canvas.

*IMPORTANT: Once the exam is distributed, you are not to discuss it with anyone in or outside of the class until class time on November 5.

*I have four – five exam questions I am considering for the mid-term, but the best way to prepare for the mid-term is to imagine that the exam question might be: “Compare and contrast at least two of the various strategy approaches discussed in the course. Provide your evaluation of the strengths, weaknesses, and trade-offs of each of the approaches.”

3. Strategy Consulting Project (Graded A+ – F): 30%

*You are to form teams of three – four people to complete a case study on a nonprofit organization in the Greater Washington DC – Baltimore Area. Please inform me of your team make-up by September 17.

*Obtain agreement from a nonprofit for their participation as a case study organization by October 1. I can help with suggestions if you need them. The organization should have annual revenues of at least $1 million and be a 501c3 charitable nonprofit. You should not choose an organization where you work. Addendum B in the syllabus lists the organizations which have been studied during the past three years by other student groups. Please do not choose any of these organizations.

4 *Complete the Team Charter exercise on Canvas and submit your results of the questionnaire via the Canvas Assignments tab by October 8.

*Collect and review a variety of organization information to develop an understanding of the organization. This may include the organization’s web site, most recent strategic plan, past years of annual operational plans, staff list, organization chart, past years’ budgets, newsletters, minutes of Board meetings, past years’ annual reports, and more. Review these materials before you conduct your interviews.

*Create an interview protocol (list of questions) that you will follow as you interview organizational leaders. Please submit your protocol to me no later than October 15 and do not conduct any interviews until I have approved your protocol. I plan to post all team protocols on Canvas for others to learn from.

*Schedule and conduct at least six interviews with leaders from the organization to learn about the organization’s strategic planning process and how effectively it is implementing its plan. At least one of the interviews must be conducted with the organization CEO. At least two team members must be present for each interview. If permission is granted, you should record all interviews. You should keep details of what is shared in each interview confidential.

*Your final report is due no later than December 12 and should be submitted using the Assignments Tab on Canvas. All reports will be posted to Canvas for others to review after December 12. The report should answer the following questions:

-What was the strategy development process most recently used by this organization? Explain the various steps of the process used.

-What role does the strategic plan play in the current management and operations of the organization?

-What changes have been made to the plan over time and why?

-What is your analysis of how well the organization did its planning and how well it is utilizing the strategy? How well is its strategy guiding its performance? How could the overall process of strategy development and implementation be improved?

*As an addendum to your final report, you need to write a memo of no more than two pages in length to the CEO of the organization with your recommendations for how the strategy development and implementation process could be improved upon for the future. Once I read over and approve your memo, then you will send it to the CEO. [You will not send the full report, just the two page memo. You may have confidential information from interviews in the report which should not be shared with the CEO.]

5 *The organization’s most recent strategy document should be included as an appendix to your report.

*Your team will make a presentation on December 17 which summarizes your final report. Your grade on your case study will be based upon your written report. Your performance on your presentation will be factored into your class participation grade. The purpose of the presentation is to share with your classmates what you learned so they have an understanding of how the organization has been operating. Presentations should be no more than twelve minutes long with a few minutes left for Q&A.

*Typically, the grade on the team report will be the grade each member of the team receives for the project. However, team members will be asked to complete a feedback form which evaluates the performance of each team member. In extreme cases, this feedback may influence an individual’s grade (e.g., in the case of “free riders”).

4. Additional Assignments (Graded Pass/Inc)

*There will be additional assignments which will be graded will be “Pass/Inc (Incomplete).” Any individual who receives an Inc for an assignment will have an opportunity to redo the assignment for a Pass.

*The late submission of Pass/Inc assignments will be counted against the Class Participation grade.

Criteria for Grading Class Participation

*Strong class participation is reflected by several factors including:

-Attendance in class (being there, being on-time and staying until the end of class)

-Active participation in class discussions (offering ideas that expand the scope of the class discussion and/or build on others' contributions)

-On-time completion of all assignments

-Active, meaningful participation in all class small group activities and exercises

-Active, meaningful participation in the course blog. Each student will sign up to blog about a particular class session and all are encouraged to add additional thoughts, insights, etc. See Addendum A for more information.

*Generally, those who are considered excellent in class participation are those who:

-Volunteer unique insights during class sessions

6 -Show evidence of thorough preparation of readings and other assignments

-Do not dominate class discussions or offer redundant ideas or “long-winded comments”

-Provide contributions that are valued by classmates

-Focus on quality of comments, not quantity

-Are prepared to answer “cold call” questions

*The use of “killer phrases” (e.g., that will never work”, “that is a dumb idea”) and non- supportive nonverbal gestures (e.g., not looking at people when they speak, interrupting others, etc.) are discouraged.

*If at any time I notice that a student is heading for a “C” or worse in Class Participation, this will be communicated to the student.

Prep for Class Reading Assignments

There is a respectable amount of reading in this course and we need everyone to come to class prepared. You will need the learning from the readings for the mid-term exam and your group project. But, the exam is not going to require you to understand the fine details of any of the readings you do, nor am I going to expect you to know those in class. We want to focus on understanding the broader strategy process as suggested from various perspectives.

Supplemental Readings & Resources

A list of supplemental readings and resources can be found on the course Canvas site. You are not required to read any of these, but you may find them as helpful resources as you prepare for and complete your take home exam as well as your case study.

7 Course Session Schedule*

*This is the plan for the course, but – as I often say – everything is subject to change. If I come across additional readings of value, I may add them, for example. But I will communicate any changes far in advance and no additional graded deliverables will be added.

September 3

*Reading Due: -None

*Topics: -Course Aim & Overview -Learning Goals -The Traditional Model of Nonprofit Strategic Planning

*Assignment: Please complete and submit the Learning Community Info Form (on Canvas) using the Assignments Tab on Canvas by September 9

September 10

*Guest Speaker: Jatrice Martel Gaiter, Executive Vice President, External Affairs, Volunteers of America

*Assigned Reading Due: -Mission Impact (Sheehan), Chapters 1 – 3

-Breakthrough Strategy Workbook (Canvas)

-Leap of Reason (Morino), Chapter 1

-Colby, Stone, & Carttar. “Zeroing in on Impact,” Stanford Social Innovation Review: http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/zeroing_in_on_impact/

*Topics: -What is Nonprofit Strategy? -Designing the Strategy Development Process -Mission Impact

8 September 17

* Guest Speaker: Kim Gifford, Executive Director/CEO, American Society of Transplant Surgeons

*Assigned Reading Due: -Mission Impact (Sheehan), Chapters 4 – 5

*Topics: -Creating an Aspirational Vision -Strategic Stretch Goals

*Assignment: Group Project team make-up turned in by September 17

September 24

*Guest Speaker: HyeSook Chung, Executive Director, DC Action for Children

*Assigned Reading Due: -Mission Impact (Sheehan), Chapters 6 – 7 -OCAT 2.0 & Sample Results (Canvas)

*Topics: -Organization Assessment -Strategy Development

*Assignment: Read and prepare to discuss the NFL Strategic Planning Case Study (Canvas) for class on October 1

9 October 1

*Guest Speaker: Bethany Blakey, Performance Manager, Performance Improvement Council, Office of Management & Budget

*Assignment Due: - Read and prepare to discuss the NFL Strategic Planning Case Study (Canvas)

*Assigned Reading Due: - NFL Strategic Planning Case Study & web links (Canvas)

*Topics: -Case Study: The NFL Strategic Planning Process

*Assignment: Group Project organization identified by October 1

October 8

*Guest Speaker: Jennifer Clinton, Ph.D., President, Global Ties

*Assigned Reading Due: -Bryson (Chapter 2; Coursepack)

*Topics: -Bryson Overview -Bryson’s Strategy Change Cycle, Steps 1 – 5: Initiate and agree on a strategic planning process, Identify organizational mandates, Clarify organizational mission and values, Assess the external and internal environments to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, Identify the strategic issues facing the organization

*Assignment: Group Project Team Charter due by October 8

10 October 15

*Guest Speaker: Rick Moyers, Vice President, Programs and Communications, Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation

*Assigned Reading Due: -Bryson (Chapter 2; Coursepack)

*Topics: -Bryson’s Strategy Change Cycle, Steps 6 – 10 : Formulate strategies to manage the issues, Review and adopt the strategic plan or plans, Establish an effective organizational vision, Develop an effective implementation plan, Reassess strategies and the strategic planning process

*Assignment: Group Project Interview Protocol due by October 15

October 22

*Guest Speaker: Rosie Allen-Herring, President & CEO, United Way of the National Capital Area

*Assigned Reading Due: -Allison & Kaye (Chapter 1; Coursepack) -Nutt & Backoff (Chapter 7; Coursepack) -LaPiana (Chapter 1; Coursepack) -From the Field: Report on Interviews with Strategy Consultants (handout)

*Topics: -Alternative Approaches to Strategic Planning

October 29

*Guest Speaker: Michael Feinstein, Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington

*Assigned Reading Due: -Strategy & Strategy Implementation Reports: Maryland Humanities Council (Canvas) -Strategy & Business Plan Reports: Global Communities (Canvas)

*Topics: -Strategy Implementation

*Assignment: Take Home Exam due midnight, November 4, submitted to Assignments Tab on Canvas

11 November 5

*Assigned Reading Due: -None

*Topics: -Application: Creating a Vision -Application: SWOT Analysis -Strategy Facilitation Techniques

November 12

*Guest Speaker: Kevin Lindamood, President & CEO, Healthcare for the Homeless

*Assigned Reading Due: -Eisenhardt, K. M., Kahwajy, J. L., & Bourgeois, III, L. J. 1997. How Management Teams Can Have a Good Fight, Harvard Business Review, July – August, pp. 77 - 85. (Available on-line from UMD library or VBIC).

-Weiss, J. & Hughes, J. 2005. “Want Collaboration? Accept – and Actively Manage – Conflict,” Harvard Business Review, March, pp. 93 - 101. (Available on-line from UMD library or VBIC).

*Topics: -Creating & Leading High Performance Teams

12 November 19

*Assigned Reading Due: -Roberts, L. M. et. al. 2005. How to PLAY to Your Strengths. Harvard Business Review, January, pp. 75 - 80. (Available on-line from UMD library or VBIC).

-Drucker, P. 2005. Managing Oneself. Harvard Business Review, January, pp. 100 - 109. (Available on-line from UMD library or VBIC).

-Goleman, D. 2004. What Makes a Leader? Harvard Business Review, January, pp. 82 - 91. (Available on-line from UMD library or VBIC).

-Buckingham, M. 2005. What Great Managers Do. Harvard Business Review, March, pp. 70 - 79. (Available on-line from UMD library or VBIC).

-“Marcus Buckingham Thinks Your Boss has an Attitude Problem,” Fast Company: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/49/buckingham.html

-Optional: StrengthsFinder 2.0, Tom Rath ($13.70 on Amazon). Quick read, gives access to The Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment we will be discussing in class. You can also take assessment for $9.99 on line: https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/Purchase

*Topics: -Strategy & Leadership -Your Leadership Development Plan -Strengths-Based Leadership

*Assignment Due: Homework on the AARP Harvard Case is posted on Canvas and is due by November 23.

November 26

*Class moved to December 17, Pending Class Discussion

13 December 3

*Guest Speaker: John Kuo, Associate Administrator for Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Administration

*Assigned Reading Due: -Mission Impact (Sheehan), Chapter 8

*Assignment Due: -Complete the OCAI (Canvas) and bring results to class

*Topics: - Strategy Implementation & Culture

December 10

*Guest Speaker: Keanne Henry, Director of Strategic Planning, AARP Foundation

*Assigned Reading Due: -Mission Impact (Sheehan), Chapters 8

-Kaplan, R., & D. Norton. 1992. The Balanced Scorecard. Harvard Business Review, January – February, pp. 71 – 79. (Available on-line from UMD library or VBIC).

-Kaplan, R., & D. Norton. 1996. Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System. Harvard Business Review, January – February, pp. 75 – 85. (Available on-line from UMD library or VBIC).

-AARP Foundation Cases (A & B), HBS Publishing (Coursepack)

*Topics: -Strategy Implementation & The Balanced Scorecard

*Assignment Due: Group projects due to uploaded on Canvas by Friday, December 12.

December 17

*Strategy Case Study Presentations

14 January 25, 2015 (tentative date)

*Class reunion, hosted at the home of Michelle Gilliard & Rob Sheehan in Silver Spring

Academic Integrity

The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.shc.umd.edu.

To further exhibit your commitment to academic integrity, remember to sign the Honor Pledge on all examinations and assignments: "I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this examination (assignment)."

Below are some examples for how you might cite reference material.

Academic Articles: Russell, J. E. A. (2004). Mentoring. Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology, vol. 2, 609- 616.

Magazines and Newspapers: Schlender, B. (2000, May 1). The odd couple: Fortune, 141 (9), pp. 106-110, 114, 116, 120, 122, 124, 126.

Books: Welch, J. (2005). Winning. New York: HarperCollins.

Internet Cites: GartnerGroup (2000). Telecommuting trends. The Gartner Report. Retrieved 3/21/00, from http://www.businesswire.com

Taping of Class Sessions

You may audio-tape any of the class sessions if you so desire. All sessions will also be video-taped and available on Canvas (assuming technology works).

15 Use of Technology in Classroom

Permission to use laptops/iPads is granted during this course, but this privilege may be revoked if it becomes a distraction. Web surfing (unless related to class), use of email, instant messaging, text messaging, cell phones (on vibrate only if you are reasonably expecting an emergency call), Blackberries, Smart Phones, or any other similar devices is prohibited – except during breaks.

Course Web Site

The course syllabus, many of the PowerPoint slides used in class, and general announcements concerning the course will be included on the Canvas course web site. PowerPoint slides are most frequently posted after class.

Accommodations and Special Needs

All known student disabilities will be accommodated as needed. If you have a documented condition (e.g., learning or physical disability, pregnancy, etc) or a religious holiday that requires accommodation, please see me as soon as possible so that we can determine appropriate actions.

Inclement Weather

In the event of inclement weather (snow, ice, tornadoes), you should check the campus web site http://www.umd.edu to learn whether the campus is open or closed. You can also listen to the radio or TV for University of Maryland at College Park closing announcements. Classes will always be held unless the university has cancelled classes. If you feel the weather poses too much of a threat for you to attend class, use your best and safest judgment. If you are unable to attend class, please email or phone me to let me know that you will not be in class. Similarly, in the event of a city/state/national emergency, please follow the same instructions.

Lifetime Guarantee

This course comes with a Lifetime Guarantee. As long as I am alive I am will to be a resource for you on topics of Strategic Management & Leadership. I am also available for your career support, networking, leadership development, and general guidance anytime you are interested.

16 Special Thanks

Special thanks to various faculty at the University of Maryland and other universities who have shared their syllabi on this and related courses as a contribution to the design of this course. Consider this a footnote for you all!

17 ADDENDUM A

THE CLASS BLOG

We have created a class blog that will be public and will chronicle your thoughts about the various learning experiences we have in the course.

Each week, two – three students will be assigned to blog according to a schedule that will be provided. You will be asked to post your blog within 48 hours after each class session.

Everyone else is encouraged to react to the blogs and/or add your own insights. Providing meaningful blog entries and comments will count toward class participation.

While you will be assigned a time to blog, you are also free to add additional blogs if you so desire.

Your blog entries could discuss a Guest Speaker’s comments, provide your reaction to something from the required reading, give your thoughts from something discussed in class, or even give insights from your group project work. In addition, if you read something from another source that you think would be interesting to the class or learn about a current event that would apply to the class, feel free to comment on that as well.

You are encouraged to keep your posts to one, clearly written paragraph. Quality posts will be those that provide analysis and insights – not a regurgitation of what a Guest Speaker said in class, for example.

Please keep your posts relevant to each week’s class. In other words, don’t wait two weeks to comment on something that someone else blogged about earlier. We want to keep current.

Encourage your friends to read our blog. I will be tweeting about the blog and posting links on Facebook and Linked In. We’ll encourage our Guest Speakers to follow us as well. In time, the blog will go viral and you will all be famous with lucrative job offers from strategy consulting firms.

When you are ready to post a blog, please send it to our course TA, Kahlil Kettering, at [email protected].

Otherwise, you can comment on any blog any time you want on your own. You can check out the blog at: www.collegeparkstrategy.wordpress.com

18 ADDENDUM B

ORGANIZATIONS PAST STUDENT GROUPS HAVE STUDIED

Following is a list of the organizations which students have studied in this course during the past three years. Please do not contact any of these organizations for your group case study. Thanks.

A Wider Circle Advocates of Children & Youth Annie E. Casey Foundation Arc of Montgomery County Capital Area Food Bank Chesapeake Bay Foundation Colon Cancer Alliance Community Crisis Services, Inc. Cornerstones Cultural Academy for Excellence DC Central Kitchen DC Scores FSG Social Impact Consultants Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington KIPP DC Lutheran World Relief NeighborWorks America Partnership for Public Service National Academy of Public Administration National Parks Conservation Association Parks and People’s Foundation Prince George’s Child Resource Center Take Charge Juvenile Diversion Program, Inc Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults Whitman-Walker Health Wildlife Habitat Council