Catalyst Vision and Strategy Exploration
Partner with Catalyst to support your vision and strategy exploration.
Catalyst supports a select number of divisions, departments, programs, or other entities per year to co-design a strategic direction-setting process to help you meet your goals. Catalyst helps you engage staff, hear from patient families, explore the national landscape, and/or hear from your leadership as you establish new—or improve existing—structures and processes to enhance your success. Requests are reviewed on a rolling basis and will be addressed based on availability. Submit your request now to talk with a Catalyst team member.
What does it look like to co-design your strategic plan with Catalyst?
Together, we leverage mixed methods and data-driven strategies to discover answers to pressing questions and catalyze influential change. Catalyst has experience using a variety of methods to support this work, including facilitating group brainstorming and planning, co-developing goals and measurable outcomes, and operationalizing plans through developing comprehensive data strategies and measure specifications.
Our approach involves three iterative phases: initiation and co-design, data collection and analysis, and decision-making and action. Catalyst can partner with you at any stage; from vision setting, to data collection and analysis, to collaborative strategic planning and implementation.
Catalyst will work with your team to identify key sources of information and define data collection levels. Most often we start with a foundational level, focusing on your primary constituent group. The next level expands the frame by including the perspectives of other relevant departments, units, or groups. The final level brings in insights from your community and external, peer institutions.
Examples of Our Work
Leaders of a new Lurie Children’s program are seeking input from internal and external partners to shape their strategic direction. Through key informant interviews and targeted surveys, we gather diverse perspectives and help them formalize a theory of change that lays the foundation for a focused strategy.
A department chair is launching a new initiative. We partner to host co-design sessions with key team members to generate a logic model with clear mission, vision, outcomes, and key evaluation metrics.
Leaders of a new strategic plan are selecting a rare disease for upcoming precision medicine investments. We conduct nationwide interviews with key informants to understand the national landscape and shape strategy.
Division leaders want to develop a strategy to strengthen research within their division. We assess the national landscape of research in their field, gather insights from key informants, and synthesize findings to co-develop a logic model and recommendations for strategic next steps.
Testimonials
“We had a phenomenal experience with the Catalyst team. They led the way through an organized process, kept everyone on track, and exceeded our expectations. We cannot thank you enough and look forward to continuing to work with you!” — Genevieve M. Frey, MSN, RN, CPN, Associate Vice President, Heart Center Transformation
“The Catalyst team was instrumental in supporting the Department of Pediatrics to implement and analyze a departmental climate survey in 2021. The team was incredibly professional and helpful and made it easy to utilize their expertise to drive the qualitative analysis, while simultaneously allowing departmental team members to learn and participate in the analysis. Their final report was incredibly useful, well-written, and delivered in an accessible way with key recommendations. We would not have been able to create the high-quality report to drive future actions without their critical expertise. I would strongly recommend the team for any future projects. They were superb!” — Jennifer L. Trainor, MD, Associate Chair for Education, Department of Pediatrics
“The Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities partnered with the Catalyst team on the development of Lurie Children’s Youth Engagement Strategy for community programs, and they were helpful. From the start, the Catalyst team demonstrated expertise, professionalism, and a collaborative approach. They took time to understand our goals and facilitated thoughtful discussions. They provided a final report that reflected the entire process, including a comprehensive and actionable strategy, and the next steps for implementation. The Catalyst team demonstrated a deep commitment to inclusivity and engagement, ensuring that every voice was heard throughout the process. We recommend the Catalyst team to any team seeking strategic support and meaningful impact.” — Renee Walker, DrPH, Senior Director of Community Initiatives and Program Development, Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities
