A
good strategy map should
identify key “landmarks”
such
as
financial constraints and
customer expectations.
Strategy maps can also highlight
areas that, if neglected, may
hinder mission success.
Using this map, a leadership team can
explain how they expect to achieve
success. In a Harvard Business Review
article titled, “Having Trouble with Your
Strategy? Then Map It,” Drs. Kaplan and
Norton say this about strategy maps:
“The key to executing your strategy is to
have people understand it – including the
crucial but perplexing processes by which
intangible assets will be converted into
tangible outcomes. Strategy maps can
help chart this difficult terrain.”
Strategy maps are first and foremost a
communication tool, so they should neve
r
be overly complicated or perplexing.
While this white paper is not an exhaustive
study, it does include a few strategy map
best practices as well as a number of
useful examples.
Strategic Perspect
ives
Typically, a strategy map starts with
a
few broad perspectives. Using the
Balanced Scorecard methodology,
broad areas may include the customer’s
perspective of success, a financial
perspective of success, an internal
process perspective, and a final
perspective, learning and growth,
which describes culture and capacity.
Each of these perspectives serves as
a frame of reference for tangible
objective statements.
Strategy Maps are used by many social and public-sector
organizations to clearly communicate their stra
tegic plan.
Objective Statements
The next step to building a strategy
map is to begin identifying t
he most
critical objectives in each perspect
ive.
Objectives are short statements that define
what an organization must continua
lly do
to
achieve its mission. Objective statements
can be phrases or complete sentences.
They can be written as declarative
statements (“We must develop new
technology”) or in the voice of the custome
r
(“My family received the best care”).
Building Consensus
Building a strategy map is a team
effort that requir
es real time and
dis
cussion, especially at the highest
levels of leadership.
Each of the example strategy maps below
illustrates a strategic plan designed for an
organization in a particular situati
on.
Certain maps may have elements that
resonate with your team; however, it is
recommended that a leadership team
only
adopt a strategy map after thorough
discussion of the situation and selection
of the few critical pieces that will contribute
to mission success.
Vision & Mission
Financial
Customer
Internal Processes
Learning & Growt
h
Figure 1: Perspectives in a Nonprofit Organization
Reading is a critical life skill and this
or
ganiz
ation is hoping to make a
difference by encouraging families
to read to their childr
en starting at
an early age.
While the map does not specify any
target communities, there is an emphasis
on turning field research into quality
programming that can readily be
distributed. Vocabulary, grammar
, and
spelling are all topics children will be
studying in school. With the assistance and
advocacy of this organiza
tion, hopefully
an increasing number of students will be
comfortable reading out loud to their peers
during story time.
Example Strategy Map Template for a Reading Advoca
cy Organization
Early Literacy Organization
*Strategy Map is Mod
ified for Educational Purposes*
Improve literacy rates by encouraging families to start reading to their children at an early age
.
Internal Perspectiv
e
Advocacy/Fundraising
Become Early
Literacy
Advocates
Create Diverse Donor Base
Training Management
Deliver Effective
Staff Training
Deliver Effective
Parent Training
Operations
Ensure Scalable
Operating
Procedures
Create Communications
Systems
Learning and Growth Perspect
ive
Utilize Feedback to Expand Quality Programs
Capture Cutting-edge Field Knowledge
Customer Perspectiv
e
Provide Quality
Training
Provide Early
Literacy T
ools
Financial Perspective
Build Sustainable
Relationships
Maintain a Cost-
effective Organiz
ation
H
omeless shelters typically serve a
very diverse populat
ion. Tenants may
have gone a number of years without
permanent housing while other may
be
facing temporary crises and need short
term shelter for
their children.
In this organization’s ca
se, the “shelter”
provides much more than just a roof to
sleep under. They want to a hub of services
to help people get back on their feet. To
do this they provide longer term solutions
such as workforce development classes,
rehab support groups, and more permanent
housing solutions in addition to short ter
m
shelter. Based on the strategy map, this
shelter also appears to also take a lead
role in organizing a number of community
efforts to meet the diverse needs of the
homeless population.
Example Strategy Map Template for a Ho
meless Shelter
A Homeless Shelter
*Strategy Map is Mod
ified for Educational Purposes*
To provide shelter to end homelessness.
Culture
Maintain an engaged and
effective volunteer bas
e
Champion a culture of
service excellence
Ensure volunteer and
community contribut
ions
are appreciated
Management and Finances
Maintain Accurate and Transparent Records
Maintain a Sustainable Financia
l Base
Customer Perspectiv
e
Provide tenants wit
h positive alternatives
to homelessness
Reduce the number of homeless
citizens in our Region
Internal Processes
Lead the Regions
efford to end
homelessness
Provide safe and
secure guest-focused
shelter
Prepare the tenants
with the necessary skills
for permanent housing
Support successful
transitions to
permanent housing
Microfinance is an exciting field that
has proven to be a great way of helping
people help themselves. By pr
oviding
startup capital, communal support, and
introductory level business management
classes, micro
-
business ow
ners can break
the cy
cle of poverty and begin building
local enter
prises.
Recent headlines have brought troubling
news however. A few major microfina
nce
organizations are being investigated for
mismanagement and the entire sector is
now scrambling to prove their own trust
worthiness. One tool that might help a
microfinance group focus on strategic
objectives is a Balanced Scorecard Strategy
Map such as this one. It can be a great to
ol
to communicate with funders and regional
leadership as well.
Example Strategy Map Template for a Micr
ofinance Bank
Microfinance Organization
*Strategy Map is Mod
ified for Educational Purposes*
Develop and distribute the financial programs that micro-business
o
wners need to escape the cycle of povert
y.
Internal Perspectiv
e
Program Effectiveness
Consistently monitor an
d
execute on strategic plans
Improve the effect
iveness
of services & pr
ograms
Program Scope
Identify & suppor
t
local needs
Expand geographic
coverage
Collaboration
Partner to maximize Reach
Leverage volunteers an
d
donors to drive change
Customer Perspectiv
e
Easily accessible
products
High quality financial
services deliver
ed
with compassion
Financial Perspective
Achieve financial
sustainability
Create a diverse
donor base
People
Foster an en
vironment
of accountability
and ethics
Increase employee
engagement
Jointly develop and
achieve team goals
Promote recept
ive
mindset towards
foreign volunteer
s
As the metaphor goes, “give a man a
fish, he will eat for a day; teach a man to
fish, and you feed him for a lifetime,” so
too does this or
ganiz
ation try to solve
immediate needs while also working to
try and correct
the root causes on a much
deeper level.
This organization seeks to support a
number of local needs by connecting a
network of volunteers and full time
professionals behind local initiatives.
To ensure local donors and volunteers
understand the full impact of the
organization, senior leaders utilize a
strategy map like this one to show the
full interaction and scope of impact that
time and financial donations can cr
eate. In
addition to providing for local needs, this
charity actually takes a stake
in
i
dentifying
local needs and then advocating on local,
regional, and national levels to help find
solutions to the roo
t causes of local needs.
Example Strategy Map Template for a So
cial Services Charitable Organization
Social Services Organization Strategy Map
*Strategy Map is Mod
ified for Educational Purposes*
Our Mission: Connecting a community of volunteers to support the diginity of those needing a han
d.
Making a Difference
Ensure Program Impact
Partner to Maximize Reach
Manage Programs
as a Portfolio
Voice of those needing a hand
S
hape the State &
Federal Agenda
Leverage Volunt
eers and
Donors to Drive Change
Identify local needs
Operational Excellence
Establish Reputation for
Excellence
Diversify Revenue St
reams
Provide for
Fundamental Needs
Ensure Service
Availability
Support Durable
Self-Suf
ficiency
Ensure Financial
Health and Viability
Provide Inspirational
Leadership
Equip Staff and volunteers wit
h
the tools necessary to suppor
t
the strategy
Create a Positive Performance
Driven Culture
Saving the world is no easy task.
This or
ganiz
ation proposes that they
will do their part to minimize
en
vironmental threats with partners
throu
gh both education and action.
By using a nontraditional for
mat in their
strategy map, this leadership team focuses
on protecting sensitive ecosystems like the
live coral reefs shown in the background.
The leadership team reminds viewers that
the colorful background could very well be
replaced with wilted coral and diseased fish,
something that could happen without their
combined intervention. The other unique
feature of this strategy map is the heavy
reliance on partnership. Rather than trying
to do all the labor themselves, it seems
this group prefers to prototype successful
methods and then relies on marketing
and education to leverage their impact
around the world. Local partners can sustain
projects for longer periods of time and it
also allows this group to impact a
larger
number of projects with a lower number of
staff and overhead expenses, leaving more
money for conservation pr
ojects.
Example Strategy Map Template for an Environmental Protection and Conservatio
n Group
E
nvironmental Organization
*Strategy Map is Mod
ified for Educational Purposes*
Protect the Environment thro
ugh Education and Action
Build partnerships and capabilities
Change attitudes and local behaviors
Expand fundraising, human capital, and marketing reach
MINIMIZE Evironmental Threats and Attain MEASURABLE Results
Replicate Successful
programs across Planet Earth
Maximize each program’s
effectiveness
P
ublicize positive impacts
and results
Conclusion
Successful strategy maps come in a
number of shapes, styles, structures, and
complexities. Aside from sector-by-sector
differences, varying formats can be found
across many languages, cultures, and
strategic environments. The one unifying
goal is to make a communication tool that
engages the entire team and community
behind a shared plan of action to achieve
the mission at hand.
