Plugging into the Vision – How do you become a Vision Partner?

Visioneering Wichita is a living grassroots movement, not just a plan on paper. It is hoped by the end of 2005 our vision will be comprised of hundreds of organizations and thousands of people who are working every day to make our dream come true.

Getting involved is easy. All it takes is a commitment to do something positive.

To become a part of Visioneering Wichita, an individual or company can become a Vision Partner (click here for Vision Partner Commitment form). Vision Partners are the driving forces behind Visioneering Wichita. Any organization, business, civic group, government entity, church, etc, that wants to collaborate to make Visioneering Wichita a reality can become a Vision Partner.

Current list of Vision Partners (Excel Spreadsheet)

Vision Partner responsibilities:
• Endorse the Visioneering Wichita plan
• Adopt Strategies (as found in the Visioneering Wichita document)
• Develop Action Steps to carry out the strategy and create benchmarks to measure their success
• Provide resources to implement the Action Steps and meet the benchmarks
• Include affiliation with Visioneering Wichita in printed and advertising materials and create links to the Visioneering Wichita website
• Participate in periodic progress reports and Visioneering Wichita Annual Meeting
• Review, revise and refocus Action Steps when success is not at hand

Vision Partner Commitment Form
Vision Partner Strategy Adoption Form

What is a Strategic Alliance?

A Strategic Alliance is a group of Vision Partners who work together to implement a specific Strategy. It can be formed when more than one company, agency or other organizations resolve to work on achieving a specific Strategy.

Should we form a Strategic Alliance for a specific Strategy?
• Consider whether you need to work along or in a Strategic Alliance
• List all possible Alliance Partners
• Contact them about joining your organization in an Alliance
• Decide on a Strategic Alliance chair and staffing
• Develop Strategy Action Steps, Benchmarks and tactics
• Individual Alliance Partners adopt appropriate tactics and then develop Strategic Partner internal Benchmarks and tactics
• Review, revise and refocus tactics when program reports are negative.

Getting Started – Becoming a Strategic Partner
• Each Strategic Partner reviews the Action Steps
• Adopt all the Action Step(s) that are appropriate for your organization
• Join a Strategic Alliance if appropriate
• Report your Action Step adoption to suzie@wacc.org
• Develop Benchmarks
• Begin implementation

Benchmarks – What are they and what do they do?
• Provide accountability for the process
• Develop only for action steps adopted by a Vision Partner or Strategic Alliance
• Measure output not input
• Compare to community history, state and/or best practices in other communities
• A Benchmark will be an annual measurement for a particular action step that represents the action step’s contribution to meeting the strategic goal.
• Vision Partners may have an internal action step benchmark when many partners are working on an action step in an Alliance
• When the progress report is negative, the Vision Partner or Strategic Alliance will review, revise and refocus the action steps for future success