The Long-Term Future of Ijams Nature Center
Wednesday November 01, 2006
Ijams Nature Center is
an ever-changing organization. In the
past few years, we have expanded the park, opened Mead’s Quarry,
installed new exhibits and facilities as well as broadened educational programming. At the same time, many of you may have
read about our efforts to house endangered whooping cranes, build a
large wetland habitat and install complimentary educational exhibits. If this were to
happen, how might such a project fit into the long-range vision of the nature center? What other projects or new programs are in
the pipeline? The answer to these questions will be considered and discussed as
part of a strategic planning process commencing this month. It has been quite a few years since Ijams Nature Center produced a
strategic planning document, the last one was produced in the mid 1990s.
A new vision and road map for the future will allow the organization to
stay focused, be better equipped to respond to new opportunities and
challenges and grow in smarter and more confident ways. The driving question
for this planning process is what
should Ijams achieve in the next seven years to take the organization from good
to great? "Good
is the enemy of great. Greatness is not
a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of
conscious choice and discipline. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don’t have great government,
principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in
large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life. The vast
majority of companies and organizations never become great, precisely because
the vast majority become quite good – and that is their main problem." |
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2915 Island Home Avenue - Knoxville, TN 37920 - (865) 577-4717 - (865) 577-1683 Fax