Stichting OBO | Developing a new strategy

Introduction

Stichting OBO – a foundation of 15 primary schools supported by a head office – approached us with a beautiful question: “Can you help us develop a strategic policy plan with broad support, in which both internal and external stakeholders can play an active role? A document that truly reflects our shared vision and ambition for the future? Our biggest challenge is to do this within half a year, while involving children, parents, teachers, support staff, principals, municipalities, the head office, care partners, and other stakeholders for input.” A wonderful challenge that we were more than happy to take on.

Getting started

We began by analysing the information already available, to gain a clear picture of the organization’s current position. What is going well? Where do we need to pick up? What demands the most attention? The organization has been working hard, following a sharpened course. Many program lines had been launched, and we were ready to take the next step—with focus. We adopted a bottom‑up approach, creating space for broad input.

From “I‑land” to “We‑land”

This bottom‑up approach allowed us to explore the situation appreciatively and to dream together. OBO is a foundation of 15 schools, where autonomy has always been highly valued. Space for local flavour, for individual visions, and for independent interpretation. At the same time, there was a clear need for synergy, effectiveness, and the use of each other’s strengths to move forward—and to do even better for OBO’s children.

Provoking development

The outcome described above is the result of multiple sessions with input from children, parents, teachers, principals, quality coordinators, and colleagues from the head office. On 5 February 2024, we organized an evening for all members of the board and employees, where we revealed the first results in the form of a draft visual overview. The director of Stichting OBO presented it, after which we continued the conversation at the tables, focusing on the key themes, especially the bottlenecks. Using a set of statements, we explored how the organization thinks about the mission “provoking development”: “How do we do that? How do we open up the world? How do we differentiate toward children? Can we approach them differently?” And also: “What does this mean for teachers? In which direction are we developing ourselves? Are we moving toward an organization of only specialists, or of generalists?”

Building the bridge while walking over it

By continuously gathering experiences and opinions broadly, structuring this information, bringing it together, and sharing it again within the organization, support for the content emerged. The images began to live. We developed a shared language during the project and worked on the ambition to move from “I‑land” to “We‑land”.

Dreaming with the organization

By looking at the organization’s purpose and the “stip op de horizon” from different perspectives, we distilled a clear thread from these dreams. This thread was translated into a strong mission and vision, supported by powerful core values and an accompanying ZIJNS‑plaat.

• Mission: “Provoking development.”

• Vision: “At OBO you get the space to take your next step.”

• Core values: “courage, freshness, and pride.”

Filling in the strategic pillars

Based on the ZIJNS‑plaat and the process to get there, we distilled the themes into three strategic pillars: Education, Movement, and Organization. Together, these letters form OBO, an easy-to-remember mnemonic. The visual overviews of the three pillars are shown above.

Bottom‑up approach

From different levels of the organization, we continuously translated how we would turn a dream into reality. For each assignment, Visuele Verbinders chooses the best‑fit working method. These are not fixed, rigid formats, but methods tailored to the group’s needs, focus area, and desired outcome. In this case, we chose to concretize dreams by formulating a sharp ambition for each, then checking whether it could be linked to a concrete objective. We then tested which ambitions resonated most strongly—with the conscious understanding that there was also a need for focus. In other words, you cannot do everything.

The result

After three‑quarters of a year of intensive collaboration, the result is ready. Of course, we also paid attention to an attractive design. OBO wanted a tangible reminder of the strategy that could be given as a gift to employees during the launch. In consultation, we therefore chose a sustainable bamboo book, with a cut‑out of the ZIJNS‑plaat on the front cover.

Interactive visual overview

In addition to the written strategic policy plan, we also built an online environment. In this interactive setting, you find a concise summary of the strategy that can easily be shared with staff, parents, and other care partners or stakeholders.

In this interactive environment, you are guided step by step through the different parts of the strategy, so the information is presented in an attractive way for various target groups.

Click here to view the entire online environment!