President's Perspective
Local Adopts Strategic Plan

(Nov. 19, 2009) Even if the news industry weren’t absorbing heavy blows in the marketplace like a punch-drunk boxer, the Newspaper Guild would need a strategic plan. The Washington-Baltimore Guild has adopted one, and I hope it can serve as a model for other Guild locals so that they can adapt it to their own situations.

What is the situation in the Washington-Baltimore Guild? We recognize our strong points and our weak points. A strategic plan aims to capitalize on the strengths and strengthen the weak points. As we build our weaknesses into strengths – and I’m confident we will – the Guild will be able to capitalize on them as well.

Take a look for yourself at our strategic plan. Even though the news industry has been shrinking, we are now better poised to grow. Already in the first week since the local’s Executive Council approved the strategic plan, we’ve been approached about an affiliation agreement with a 65-employee workplace. Will there be many weeks were we are presented with an opportunity to gain 65 new members? Not likely. But where we can add, we will add. The more members we have, the stronger our union is. And the stronger our union is, the more we’ll be able to do for our members – and, more importantly, the more our members will be able to do for each other.

It’s a process that began four years ago when the WBNG Executive Council conducted a strategic analysis. From there, we methodically developed the plan. Much credit should be given to my predecessor as president, Bill Salganik, who saw the value in the local analyzing itself. Credit, too, has to be given Cet Parks, WBNG’s executive director, who assembled the draft document on how to take the local from its then-present state of affairs into a preferred future.

Cet served on the strategic plan task force along with Tiffany Heath, who revised the document in such a way that making our declaration of intent to grow – and grow stronger – was easy. Miranda Nelson and Jim Grossfeld also served on the task force and made significant contributions. The Executive Council as a whole made strategic planning the first order of
business in each meeting since February to make this document the best it could be.

But all the nice words in such a plan aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on unless Guild leaders and activists follow up and follow through. If they believe the local is about to undertake something that is inconsistent with – or contrary to – the strategic plan, then they are obligated to let their fellow leaders and activists know so that we can proceed in a manner that upholds the vision we’ve outlined.

I welcome your comments on the strategic plan. Feel free to e-mail mpattison@catholicnews.com with your thoughts.