The Plight of Pollinators - The University of Tennessee Institute of ...

UT Extension’s road map for the futureby Tim Cross, dean, UT ExtensionThe zero-energy Living Light house.As I think about strategic planning, a quoteby Benjamin Franklin always comes to mymind. Franklin said, “To fail to plan is to plan tofail.” Strategic planning can be expensive and timeconsuming, but what about the costs for an organizationof not establishing a common vision, anexplicit mission statement, and strategic directionsand goals for the future? In the absence of strategicorganizational plans, each individual is left to settheir own goals and directions, which can lead toconflict, stress and tension as individual agendasare carried out. Just as in our personal lives, organizationallong-term decision-making is very challengingwith no priorities or end points in mind.According to Yogi Berra, “If you don't know whereyou're going, you'll end up someplace else.”While it’s easy to talk about the benefits of strategicplanning, what most of us want to see is directevidence that positive impacts have occurred dueto the development of a strategic plan. Cause andeffect is often difficult to prove, but I’d like to illustratewhat I see as several direct benefits in UTExtension that have resulted from the developmentof our Advancing Tennessee strategic plan.• UT Extension partnered with the College ofArchitecture and Design and other collegesfrom UT Knoxville to co-host a statewide tour ofthe award-winning Living Light solar and greenenergy home.• A new 4-H Lodge in Greeneville, Tenn., was madepossible through a private gift to the Clyde Austin30Taking research-based information to Tennesseans.The new lodge at the 4-H center in Greeneville.