As they have done for approximately 15 years, Valdosta city officials recently called on the Vinson Institute to help them carry out a comprehensive three-day planning retreat in order to review the achievement of previous goals and look ahead to future community needs.
"The retreat format provides the governing body with a chance to come together in a relaxed setting away from daily distractions in order to focus on specific plans and objectives," explains Institute faculty member Gordon Maner, who has facilitated several of the previous retreats. "There is also plenty of time to discuss issues and concerns and to brainstorm about new approaches."
The commitment of the Valdosta officials to ongoing planning and evaluation is an example of how good goal setting should work, Maner emphasizes. "When leaders recognize that one set of goals has been achieved, new and higher-reaching ones can be developed and a follow-up evaluation scheduled. This helps ensure that a community is continuously improving."
