Featuring The Institute for Reproductive Grief Care
When the Institute of Reproductive Grief Care (the Institute) approached SVP, it was following a period of growth in which the team had more than doubled and they were managing to the moment, with little space for thoughtful reflection about the overall direction of the organization. Dedicating the time to a strategic planning exercise turned out to be the right move, and the return on this investment has been high. In the CEO Michaelene Fredenburg’s words, the process “revolutionized” the way the Institute looks at itself and, today, it brims with quiet confidence as it works to provide support to those affected by reproductive loss.
After initial investigation to ensure the organization was on reasonable financial footing, Lead Tom Watlington and Partners Robin Pruitt and Bob Murtfeldt moved swiftly into visioning work, soliciting input from all levels of the organization. As a result of a highly organized process and the team’s skill in facilitating focused conversations, a robust draft strategic framework was ready in just five weeks’ time for the Institute’s springtime board retreat.
“Through [the team’s] hard work, expertise and leadership, we now have an excellent roadmap to strategically move toward our ultimate goal of affecting the widespread adoption of a reproductive grief standard of care.” – Michaelene Fredenberg, CEO
The board was similarly effusive in its praise, energized by the clarity that comes with having executable, practical metrics for each strategic objective. While the engagement was an accelerated version of a “classic” strategic planning project, a distinguishing factor was not just the product but the process.
" [The SVP team] took us as who we were and [acknowledged] our strengths…not as who we should be." – Brian Johnson, Board Member
This is a testimony to the deep respect with which SVP Partners approached the work. The result was an uplifting experience that has bolstered the Institute’s sense of self.
Equipped with a sharpened vision and mission and practical goals that replaced previously abstract ones, the Institute can now project itself in a more compelling way. Over the summer, Fredenburg shared two exciting developments: PBS NewsHour had featured the Institute-led screening tool for complicated grief after pregnancy loss, and the nation’s largest pediatric hospital had connected to collaborate. Both these developments are aligned with the new strategic plan, and she credits the work with the SVP team for her increased ability to tune into opportunities like these. We look forward to seeing the Institute continue to build momentum on this critical healthcare issue.
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