About – Strategic Doing Institute

WHERE WE ARE GOING: OUR OUTCOME

We are moving toward a more open, equitable, and regenerative world. We are unleashing our human ingenuity through collaboration, entrepreneurship, challenge innovation, and ecosystems.

Our work supports a new generation of leaders. Strategic Doing practitioners are committed to the hard, heady work of transforming our world. They guide complex collaborations by mastering our oldest technology: the conversation.

We are explorers on the path to what's next: designing new organizations, policies, and systems. If our work inspires you, discover our many touchpoints, and join us.

HOW WE WILL GET THERE: OUR CREDO

In 2011, a group of Strategic Doing practitioners from all over the United States gathered at a public park near Purdue University. They composed a credo, a set of beliefs that drive our work.

1. We believe we have a responsibility to build a prosperous, sustainable future for ourselves and future generations.
2. No individual, organization, or place can build that future alone.
3. Open, honest, focused, and caring collaboration among diverse participants is the path to accomplishing clear, valuable, shared outcomes.
4. We believe in doing, not just talking -- and in behavior in alignment with our beliefs.

Numbers Don’t Lie

Strategic Doing teaches people how to form collaborations quickly, move them toward measurable outcomes and make adjustments along the way. In today’s world, collaboration is essential to meet the complex challenges we face.

Strategic Doing enables leaders to design and guide new networks that generate innovative solutions. It is a new strategy discipline that is lean, agile and fast—just what organizations, communities and regions need to survive and thrive.

Institute Fellows

Practitioners

Certified Workshop Leaders

Universities Engaged

1993-1999: Forward Oklahoma City and the Birth of Strategic Doing

Ed Morrison began a large scale experiment to transform a regional economy through collaboration and networks. Clay Bennett, a venture capitalist, led Forward Oklahoma City, a privately-led, publicly supported investment strategy. Led by the Chamber of Commerce, Forward Oklahoma City complemented a publicly-led, privately-supported strategy, MAPS (Metropolitan Area Projects), led by the mayor Ron Norrick, a serial entrepreneur.

1997: Data Confirmed Oklahoma City Breakthrough

An outside firm assessed Morrison's experiment and verifies that it produces dramatically higher productivity levels than traditional economic development strategies. Net present value of a ten year return on a $10 million investment estimated at $1.35 billion.

1995-2003: Visual Language for Strategic Doing Developed

Strategy in open networks involves forming and guiding complex hidden networks. Understanding these networks involves developing a visual language, much like molecular biology. Morrison worked with Kim Mitchell, and architect and planner, to develop the initial set of drawings that are used to communicate and teach Strategic Doing.

1996-1999: Globalization Challenges Met Across Kentucky

Morrison designed a version of his model for the State of Kentucky, focusing on 22 rural counties. Each county faced devastating impacts from globalization. Independent assessment verified 18 of 22 counties make "measurable progress" using this approach. Through the 1990s, Morrison works with Kim Mitchell to develop a visual language for the model.

2001: Charleston Digital Corridor Launched

Morrison taught his model of network-based development to Ernest Andrade, the founder of the Charleston Digital Corridor. The Corridor went on to become a leading hub for digital technology companies.

2003: Lowe Foundation Supported First Strategic Doing Training

The Edward Lowe Foundation, which focuses on entrepreneurship, invited Morrison to experiment with teaching Strategic Doing for the first time.

2005: Purdue Testbeds Launched

Morrison brings the Strategic Doing model to Purdue and Purdue agreed to support the continued development of the model. Vice Provost Vic Lechtenberg agreed to "open-source" the intellectual property of Strategic Doing, if the model proved successful. Morrison and Scott Hutcheson, and Peggy Hosea form the initial core team for the development of Strategic Doing. They launched the initial Purdue testbed, a $15 million initiative to transform the regional workforce system. Testbeds continued with Purdue with NASA, Lockheed, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Fraunhofer IAO, and faculty at Purdue.

2005-2008: Purdue Demonstrated Power of Strategic Doing with Workforce Development Collaborations

Purdue's initial testbed for Strategic Doing was designed by Scott Hutcheson and Ed Morrison. The experiment produced dramatic results. With $15 million -- 8% of the money awarded nationally -- Purdue produced 40% of the national metrics on improved workforce performance.

2008: Global Water Hub Launched

Milwaukee civic leaders asked Purdue to help launch a global water hub in Milwaukee. Within the first three years, The Water Council established itself as a global water hub. Another privately-led, publicly supported investment initiative, the Water Council was led by Paul Jones, CEO of A.O. Smith, and Rich Meeusen, CEO of Badger Meter.

2010: Oklahoma City Recognized as a National Model

The national recognition of Oklahoma City's economic transformation grew, as a culture of collaboration took hold in Oklahoma City. Data continued to accumulate that Strategic Doing delivered exceptional levels of improved productivity.

2010: Translation of Strategic Doing into Practical Skills Began

Models cannot be replicated and scaled unless they are translated into skills that can be taught. Morrison isolated ten skills required to apply the model. Morrison and Hutcheson began formulating a curriculum to teach these skills. A core team of Strategic Doing practitioners provided advice and guidance.

2011: Strategic Doing Credo Drafted

At a core team meeting, Strategic Doing practitioners from across the U.S. gathered at a state pare in Indiana. They drafted the Strategic Doing Credo that guides the development and deployment of Strategic Doing.

2012: Strategic Doing Training Launched

Strategic Doing Training introduces the learner to the skills needed to enable people to form action-oriented collaborations quickly, move them toward measurable outcomes, and make adjustments along the way. It yields replicable, scalable, and sustainable collaborations based on simple rules.

2014: Flint Testbed Began

A small team in Flint, Michigan launched a bold experiment to reduce teenage homicides with Strategic Doing. Bob Brown, from Michigan State University, Tendaji Ganges from the University of Michigan, and Kenyetta Dotson, a community leader, formed a core team to guide the deployment of Strategic Doing. Teams have worked on a variety of complex issues beyond reducing teenage violence. The Flint core team provided the Institute with insights into how core teams function.

2014-2017: Stanford Transforms Engineering Education

Under a National Science Foundation grant, Stanford turned to Purdue to deploy Strategic Doing. The project reached across 50 university teams, each seeking to transform undergraduate engineering education. Over 50 university teams launched over 500 collaborations.

2014-2021: University of the Sunshine Coast Began Experimenting with Strategic Doing

The University of the Sunshine Coast is located in an entrepreneurial hotbed north of Brisbane in Australia. Professor Mike Hefferan learned of Strategic Doing from Paul Collits, President of the Australia-New Zealand Regional Science Association. Hefferan invited Morrison and Hutcheson to share what they were learning. This Engagment led to Morrison completing a Ph.D. in Economics to explain why Strategic Doing works.

2015: Strategic Doing Started in the Netherlands

Through a partnership between Purdue and Human Insight in The Hague, Morrison and Hutcheson bring Strategic Doing to the Netherlands. The practice continues to grow. Workshops are conducted in Dutch.

2015: University of North Alabama Launched Shoals Shift

The University of North Alabama became an early adopter of Strategic Doing to build entrepreneurial ecosystems with the guidance of Janyce Fadden. UNA has positioned the university as a leading "workforce development Unviersity". UNA launched Shoals Shift, a regional ecosystem. Shoals Shift went on to win multiple grants and awards for its innovation.

2016: Strategic Doing Institute Formed

With the growing interest in Strategic Doing led Morrison to form a nonprofit organization to hold the core intellectual property of Strategic Doing. Upon coming to Purdue in 2005, Morrison reached an agreement with Vic Lechtenberg, Vice Provost for Engagement. If Strategic Doing proved successful, Morrison and Lechtenberg agreed that the core intellectual property would be transferred to a nonprofit to facilitate the diffusion of the model.

2016: Mississippi State's Stennis Institute Adopted Strategic Doing

The Stennis Institute at Mississippi State adopted Strategic Doing as a way to engage rural communities in complex economic transformations. Under the leadership of Dr. Joe Fratesi, the Stennis Institute guides rural communities in the transformation of their economy.

2016-2019: Purdue Established the Agile Strategy Lab

The Purdue Office of Engagement, the Purdue Polytechnic, and Purdue Discovery Park established the Agile Strategy Lab to continue the development and deployment of Strategic Doing. Morrison, director of the Lab, retired from Purdue in 2019. He moved the operations of the Lab to the University of North Alabama to leverage that university's expertise in online education.

2016: NASA Testbed Completed

Elizabeth Taylor, a NASA engineer, formed a team to form collaborations among life scientists at NASA. A Purdue team designed a two day workshop to define opportunities to collaborate. The workshop, held at Ames Research Center in California, involved over 60 NASA life scientists from research centers across the country. The workshop generated practical projects on which scientists could collaborate.

2017: Strategic Doing Moves to the University of Oregon

Scholars and practitioners at the University of Oregon received training in Strategic Doing. The practice has been embraced in various locations across campus. Three Institute Fellows at the University Of Oregon continue to develop the practice.

2017

2017: Lockheed Ecosystem Delivered

Lockheed presented a challenge: Design a technology roadmap for the deployment of condition-based maintenance across the Navy's Aegis destroyer fleet. In 6 months we delivered by developing an ecosystem for Lockheed with 20 outside companies.

2018: University of Puerto Rico Looked to Strategic Doing to Recover from Maria

University of Puerto Rico partnered with Purdue and the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust to bring Strategic Doing to the island after hurricane Maria. Over 40 scholars and practitioners participated in training and then moved into communities to accelerate the rebuilding process.

2018: Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement Trained Staff

The staff of the Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement embraced Strategic Doing and trained staff members in the discipline. Jane Rogan with the Center has become a Fellow of the Institute.

2018: Yo-Yo Ma Invited Strategic Doing to Youngstown

As part of his national Bach tour, Yo-Yo Ma sponsored a series of community forums. He invited Morrison to lead a workshop. As he explained in the Foreword to our book, "I was a witness to and participant in this approach when I met Ed Morrison in Youngstown, Ohio, working with a group of socially committed citizens, each determined to work to reinvigorate a once thriving community. In one short hour he had us each identify and unlock our assets, come up with a plausible group plan, and determine a course of action moving forward, agreeing to meet again 30 days from that moment."

2018: Iowa City Committed to Strategic Doing

With multiple trainings beginning in 2016, the Iowa City Area Development Corporation became a hub for Strategic Doing practitioners.

2019: Strategic Doing Book Published

Purdue President Martin Jischke provided vital support at Purdue beginning in 2005. The book received strong reviews from both scholars and practitioners. Yo-Yo Ma wrote the Foreword. It reads in part, ""I've been waiting for this book all my life...Strategic Doing is precisely what we need at this moment. In a fast-changing world, filled with disruption, with institutions not equipped to absorb or deal with the pace of change, here is a way of thinking and acting, here is an agile strategy that makes collaboration take place at the necessary speed for social good."

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2020: Oklahoma City Celebrated 25 Years of Success with Forward Oklahoma City

Forward Oklahoma City, the strategy that Morrison designed in 1993, launched its 6th five year investment cycle in 2020. Over 25 years, average wages increased 111% and bank deposits increased by $24.3 billion.

2020: Online Training Connected a Global Audience

The University of North Alabama, a leading regional university in online education, launched online Strategic Doing training through its Agile Strategy Lab in the Sanders College of Business and Technology. The online course enabled Strategic Doing to reach a global audience.

2021: Strategic Doing Deployed Across Ecuador

Julio Jose Prado, Ph.D., a cluster expert came to Purdue in 2017 to learn Strategic Doing. "We know a lot about what clusters are, but Strategic Doing provides the only method for how to develop clusters," according to Julio. .He returned to Ecuador and deployed Strategic Doing in the banking sector. When he was appointed as Minister of Production and Trade in Ecuador, he created the platform to deploy Strategic Doing across 22 clusters in Ecuador.

2021: Doctoral Dissertation Explained Why Strategic Doing Works

Morrison completed a Ph.D. in economics to explain why Strategic Doing works. Based on pragmatism and action research, the dissertation explains how Strategic Doing evolved over 20 years of strategy practice in open, loosely-honed networks. The dissertation also explains how multiple streams of research across different disciplines that support the ten basic rules of the model.

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2021: Platform Calgary Engaged Strategic Doing

With its launch, Platform Calgary, supported by the provincial innovation agency Alberta Innovates, trained over 40 leaders in Strategic Doing. Calgary’s tech and innovation ecosystem is working towards the common goal of tripling the size of our city’s tech sector in the next ten years. “While Strategic Doing training is an invaluable tool for Calgary’s tech and innovation community, I see it as an important evolution for the pan-Alberta Innovation Network and a framework for the entrepreneurial system,” said Terry Rachwalski, Executive Director of Alberta Innovates.

2021: Kauffman Foundation Supported Strategic Doing to Accelerate Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

The Kauffman Foundation provided funding for an exploratory project: Could we develop a platform for using Strategic Doing as an operating system to celebrate the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems? The research led to a design concept -- Zebra -- to provide a replicable, scalable, and sustainable platform.

2022: Ohio University Began Forming a Strategic Doing Hub

The Voinovich Academy for Excellence in Public Service at Ohio University has begun to form a hub for teaching Strategic Doing.

2023: The Ohio State Univeristy Starts to Develop a Strategic Doing Hub

The Ohio State University, led by Institute Fellow Jeff Agnoli, senior liaison in theOffice of Corporate Partnerships and Steve Gavazzi, professor in the College of Education and Human Ecology, began to establish a Strategic Doing Hub at the university.

2023: Strategic Doing 2.0 Launched

Strategic Doing is going global. We now have interested professionals all over the world who are exploring and taking classes in this open-source discipline. To support our global growth -- what we are calling Strategic Doing 2.0 -- CONNECTS has partnered with the Strategic Doing Institute to form global communities of practitioners. These communities are taking on our most daunting challenges. The communities will enable practitioners to learn faster, assemble teams faster, and do more together.

What People Say About Us

Strategic Doing is precisely what we need at this moment.

Yo Yo Ma

American cellist

If you’re talking about collaboration, Strategic Doing provides a foundation.

Ben Amaba

Chief Innovation Officer at IBM

I've worked with other large companies trying to do open innovation, but this process is unique. This is the most clear and concise open innovation process I've seen.

Mark Scotland

4.0 Analytics

Implementing Strategic Doing helps organizations collectively develop new habits that foster a culture of innovation and create enhanced engagement within teams.

Jennifer Horn-Frasier

Bluebird Sky Solutions

Strategic Doing is like rocket fuel for complex collaborations, quickly propelling teams from ideas to action plans.

Jennifer Hunter

Gensyn Design

Using Strategic Doing, groups chart an equitable and swift pathway to collaborate, co-create, and innovate.

Jane Rogan

Before I knew what Strategic Doing was, the process, principles, and humanistic spirit was already a part of my daily life. After becoming more acquainted, and incorporating the practice into my life, things became even clearer.

Kenyetta Dotson

Director of Community-Based Implementation and Engagement, Flint, MI

Integrating SD into my work and vocabulary has reshaped my approach to community development. It isn’t always easy, but it helps me bring more energy, hope, and meaningful collaboration to the people I serve in rural Oregon and beyond.

Nancy Franklin

Principal at Franklin Solutions