Second Joint Strategy Day: The Vision and its Core Topics
The free-text vision was relevant and created commitment but it was difficult to
transform it into operational goals. This was adopted as the theme for the next step in the
strategic planning—a workshop to which all staff members were invited (Figure 1).
This work was accomplished as a blend of individual reflections, group discussions
and presentation in plenary sessions. First, the free-text vision was revised during lively
discussion, and an effort was made to prioritize single points. Research administrator asked
the staff members to choose subjects on the basis of the questions: What do we want most?
What are we enthusiastic about? The SWOT analysis was employed to narrow the vision by
addressing the question: What critical problems are facing RU if we are to move from the
present situation described in the SWOT analysis to a realization of the vision? Everyone
was asked to look forward five years in time. On the basis of the posters produced by the
groups, the analogy of a modern firm developed, with the following core topics to describe
the critical problems:
a. Research or “production” in the factory analogy
b. Positioning or marketing department
c. Development – internal and external or development department
d. Balance or analysis department
e. Resources or HR/economics department
f. Well-being and internal environment or HR/well-being department