Introduction

Meals on Wheels San Diego County (MOWSDC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering seniors and veterans to live nourished lives with dignity and independence. As the organization grew to serve over half a million meals annually, it faced the need to strategically align its operations, resources, and services to an ever-changing landscape. Recognizing the necessity for a focused and actionable roadmap, MOWSDC turned to our expertise to facilitate leadership collaboration and identify the real problems that needed solving.

The Challenge

As Meals on Wheels San Diego County expanded its reach and services, the organization encountered a complex mix of challenges that tested its leadership and operational effectiveness. The need to scale services in response to a growing senior population collided with limitations in infrastructure and resource allocation. Compounding this, the organization’s leaders recognized that without clear priorities, even well-intentioned efforts risked being fragmented and less impactful. This set the stage for an urgent need to systematically identify the core problems impeding progress and to align leadership around solutions.

MOWSDC leadership faced several challenges common to expanding organizations:

• Competing Priorities: With increased meal demand and diverse service needs, it was challenging to align efforts across departments.
• Ambiguity in Problem Statements: While leadership recognized areas for improvement, clearly defining actionable problems proved elusive.
• Strategic Clarity: The absence of a structured, cohesive approach to identifying and prioritizing problems hindered progress toward a unified vision.

To overcome these challenges, MOWSDC required a systematic process to uncover root issues, ensure leadership alignment, and translate insights into actionable objectives for their strategic plan.

The Approach

To address MOWSDC’s unique challenges, we applied our expertise in problem identification and strategic planning, customizing our proven workshop methodology. Recognizing the complexity of operating across multiple locations with a distributed workforce—and the added difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic—we integrated tailored communication strategies, instructional design, and technology solutions to foster engagement and collaboration. This foundational customization ensured our approach was both impactful and practical for MOWSDC’s specific needs.

We engaged MOWSDC leadership through a structured, participatory process, ensuring alignment and actionable outcomes. Our methodology included:

1. Active Listening Exercises:
   • Facilitated workshops with board members, management, and volunteers to surface observations and challenges.
   • Captured diverse perspectives on operational pain points and organizational opportunities.
2. Problem Statement Development:
   • Used the “How Might We” framework to transform observations into clear, actionable problem statements.
   • Guided stakeholders in defining problems that directly impacted mission-critical areas, such as operations, volunteer engagement, and service delivery.
3. Prioritization Framework:
   • Collaborated with leadership to evaluate problems based on urgency, impact, and feasibility.
   • Created a prioritization matrix that highlighted high-impact initiatives, enabling focused decision-making.
4. Strategic Alignment:
   • Mapped problem statements to strategic goals, ensuring alignment with MOWSDC’s mission and vision.
   • Established SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) objectives for each prioritized problem.

The Solution

By systematically addressing the identified challenges, we delivered a comprehensive framework that enabled MOWSDC to move forward with confidence. Our solutions were rooted in actionable insights and designed to align with the organization’s strategic priorities. These outcomes not only addressed immediate needs but also provided a scalable foundation for future growth and adaptability.

Through this process, we delivered:

• 15 Actionable Problem Statements: These problem statements spanned critical areas, including operations, staff engagement, volunteer retention, and healthcare integration.
• Strategic Objectives: Defined measurable goals for each problem, creating a clear roadmap for leadership.
• Data-Driven Insights: Provided tools for ongoing evaluation and iteration, empowering MOWSDC to adapt to emerging challenges.
• Foundation for the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan: Our work became the basis for a transformative three-year plan, with actionable steps to:
  • Increase meal delivery capacity.
  • Strengthen volunteer engagement.
  • Innovate services to meet evolving client needs.

Impact

The impact of our collaboration with MOWSDC extended far beyond solving immediate challenges. By addressing foundational issues, we set the stage for sustained growth and resilience. Our work empowered leadership with a clear understanding of organizational priorities, equipping them to make informed decisions and act with confidence in an evolving landscape. Additionally, the focus on strategic problem-solving created a ripple effect, improving operations, services, and community engagement across the board.

The collaborative approach to problem identification and prioritization yielded significant benefits for MOWSDC:

• Enhanced Organizational Focus: Leadership gained clarity on where to allocate resources for maximum impact.
• Improved Employee Engagement: A targeted recruitment and engagement strategy enhanced workforce satisfaction, productivity, and retention across the organization.
• Increased Funding Opportunities: By aligning services with healthcare integration and social determinants of health, MOWSDC positioned itself as a valuable partner for grants and donations.
• Stronger Community Impact: The strategic plan empowered MOWSDC to better serve San Diego’s senior population, driving reductions in food insecurity and isolation.

“Meals on Wheels San Diego County has collaborated with Kevin to come up with a dynamic and thoroughly vetted strategic plan for the next three years that will be our true North Star for our growth. During a pandemic when the agency was already stretched thin responding to the critical increase in demand for our services, we were faced with the task of how to grow in a sustainable matter. As Kevin says on a regular basis, “None of us know as much as all of us” and through his online platforms and tools to increase engagement, we were able to virtually bring together experiences, thoughts and dreams of our key stakeholders and get the full benefit of “all of us.”

The Idea Guy’s approach to getting to the core of problems and opportunities is both dynamic and engaging, even when it almost all happened via Zoom. The final product is an ambitious plan that truly represents our needs and address how to grow sustainably. If we are to double or triple our impact in the community, it’s not only our hard work but our smart work of where to go, that will have a lasting impact. We are grateful to Kevin for taking us down this path and celebrate the strategic plan that we’ve developed.”

– Brent Wakefield, CEO of Meals on Wheels San Diego County

Conclusion

Our collaboration with MOWSDC highlights the transformative power of structured problem-solving and leadership alignment. By guiding the organization in identifying and prioritizing the right challenges, we established a strong foundation for their 2021-2024 Strategic Plan. This collaborative approach not only addressed immediate needs but also enabled long-term strategic growth and adaptability.

Through this process, MOWSDC achieved measurable results that underscore the return on investment (ROI) of this partnership:

• Enhanced Organizational Focus: Leadership gained clarity on resource allocation, optimizing impact across the organization.
• Improved Employee Engagement: A tailored recruitment and engagement strategy bolstered workforce satisfaction and retention.
• Increased Funding Opportunities: Aligning services with healthcare integration unlocked new revenue streams through grants and donations.
• Cost Efficiency Gains: Strategic resource alignment reduced operational redundancies, leading to significant cost savings.
• Stronger Community Impact: The organization’s enhanced capabilities directly improved service delivery, reducing food insecurity and isolation among seniors.

If your organization faces challenges in aligning leadership, identifying priorities, or developing a strategic plan, we can help. Our proven methodologies in moving clients from Problems to Problem Statements create actionable roadmaps tailored to your mission and goals. Let’s start a conversation to explore how we can support your success.