A Fantastic SWOT

On Saturday,members of the Sangha came together at the Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple in Northeast Portland for informal kick-off of KCC's strategic planning process.  We were meeting to assess the KCC's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats/challenges.  This followed a period where Sangha members were invited to offer their suggestions via questionnaire.  In all, fifty members filled out the questionnaire and around sixty people came to the meeting.  Extraordinary!

In the coming days, we will make all that input available--the full, unedited document containing all responses as well as a distillation of some of the key themes.   We'll put those out via this blog, on the Community listserv, and provide a link at our Facebook page.  Also, at the end of the meeting, facilitator Julia King Tamang asked attendees to fill out cards identifying their five most important topic areas for KCC to address.  We'll provide information about what folks said on those, too.

Next Steps/Further Information

Assessing KCC's S, W, O, and Ts was just the first step in strategic planning.  These will help guide the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) as it decides on several key areas of planning.  When Dharma Rain went through a similar process, these were the issue areas ("focal points") they identified:

• Facilities
• Rigor in Practice (essentially curriculum and programs)
• Children and Families
• Succession and Leadership
• Related and Cohort Groups
• Staffing and Finances

 As the Strategic Planning Committee begins to narrow its own focus, we will ask for Sangha input on whether the topics seem well-selected and appropriate to address KCC's challenges.  After we have a set of topic areas, the SPC will schedule public meetings so Sangha members can help shape and direct the strategic plan.  Stay tuned!

Below are a few photos (not spectacular photographically--the light was terrible) for those of you who missed the meeting. 

Resident Teacher Michael Conklin gives an introduction.

Julia King Tamang was a spectacular facilitator.

Dora DeCoursey and Alan Gladstone recorded Sangha input.

Tanya Barham offers input.