CLIENT
Folkhälsan is a Finnish non-profit organisation working across health, social care, education and wellbeing. Founded in 1921, it has developed over a century into a broad organisation serving people throughout different stages of life.
As Folkhälsan approached its centenary, it wanted to define a new five-year strategy that could provide a shared direction across its different activities and stakeholders.
Co-founders was invited to lead the strategy process in close collaboration with the organisation.
CHALLENGE
Folkhälsan’s breadth is one of its strengths. It is also what makes strategic choices demanding.
Different parts of the organisation operate in different environments, serve different needs and bring different perspectives to what Folkhälsan should prioritise. At the same time, changes in Finnish society, demographics, healthcare, education and public services were reshaping the context in which the organisation operates.
The challenge was to look across this complexity and determine what mattered most for Folkhälsan’s future.
The central question became:
How could a diverse organisation find a shared direction for its next chapter?
PROCESS
We began by building a comprehensive understanding of both Folkhälsan and the changing world around it.
We analysed existing research and organisational material, explored societal and systemic changes affecting Folkhälsan and interviewed key people across the organisation. Rather than beginning with predetermined strategic priorities, we used these different perspectives to identify recurring themes, tensions and opportunities.
The external analysis and internal perspectives were then brought together into a shared strategic process. Working closely with Folkhälsan, we translated this understanding into choices about where the organisation should focus, what it wanted to achieve and what those choices would require in practice.
WHAT CHANGED
The process resulted in a five-year strategy that established shared priorities and critical goals across Folkhälsan’s different activities.
The strategy translated a broad range of organisational perspectives and changes in the surrounding society into a common direction, together with concrete steps for moving from strategic priorities towards implementation.
Photo credits:
Folkhälsan / Nina Ahtola
Folkhälsan / Mikko Käkelä
