A strategic plan is a roadmap for the organization to follow to successfully deliver on its mission. Whether a single session to devise a short term, strategic directive, or leading a process over time to develop a long-term plan to direct the work of the organization, our consultants can guide you through a tailor-made, results focused effort to meet your needs. To get the process started, contact Kim Carpenter Drake, Vice President, at (615) 259-0100 ext. 305 or kim@cnm.org.

Client Stories

"It was only a couple of years ago when the Nashville Public Library Foundation board of directors groaned at the thought of having an outside facilitator for our retreat. That was fine then, but we soon found ourselves on a major growth trajectory that caused us to ponder the strategic direction of the Foundation. We decided that it was time to do some serious planning with the help of outside counsel. After conferring with CNM, we decided to work with Cissy Mynatt.

Cissy began by learning about the Foundation and its relationship with the Library. With that information in hand, she helped us shape the scope of our planning process. The Nashville Public Library was embarking on a 9-month "Strategic Conversation" regarding its future. We decided that the Foundation's 5-year strategic plan must be informed by the findings from the library's process. So in Spring 2008, we identified our main goals for the long term, but decided to focus the strategies and objectives on the next fiscal year only.

We were so pleased with Cissy's leadership for the Foundation, that we hired her to help facilitate some of the meetings in the Library's "Strategic Conversation". We have just engaged her to work with the Foundation this spring to complete its 5-year strategic plan.

Working with Cissy has been such a pleasure. She takes the tediousness sometimes associated with strategic planning right out of the equation. She has a wonderful way of asking questions, listening and then asking another question that leads to an "aha" idea, making us all feel like geniuses! Her follow-up, responsiveness and attention to detail are impeccable. And by the way, our board thoroughly enjoyed Cissy's facilitation. I think they are sometimes slightly disappointed to come to a meeting that she is not leading!"


Tari P. Hughes
Nashville Public Library Foundation