Strategic planning is a process of looking into the future and identifying trends and issues against which to align priorities across an organization. Landscape Ontario (LO) has been aligning our priorities through strategic plans for many decades — a best management practice in not-for-profit trade associations.

Early last year, LO embarked on a journey to update our strategic plan to help guide the focus of our energy and attention for the next five years. We started by selecting a strategic planning partner. Through a request for proposals, we were able to meet and learn from several consultants. Once we made our choice, we began the development process by gathering input and listening to what our constituents had to say. We conducted a survey across a diverse group of engaged members and staff in one-on-one discussions. We also hosted a two-day strategic planning discussion with our provincial board of directors, members and our staff leadership. Our strategic planning partner, The Greater, facilitated these discussions and listened intently, capturing every detail and distilling it into a beautiful framework that became the starting point for our new strategic plan.

The framework was vetted and developed through additional meetings with key beneficiaries/constituents, including our provincial board, members and our leadership staff. In October, LO’s provincial board voted unanimously in favour of moving forward with the strategic plan:
Landscape Ontario 2030, Nurturing the Future — A future-ready plan for a future-ready career in a future-ready industry is built upon five pillars.

Our story

Leverage the good we do for our members to adapt a clear, focused story and brand for the landscape horticulture trades: impactful, sustainable and an ecologically sound career choice.

Level up our teams

Recruit and staff in key areas where Landscape Ontario needs to build capacity to secure the future of our profession, while aligning our governance structure to be simpler and more effective.

Focused big bet

With our retooled team, focus on investments across digital and in-person training facilities to drive engagement with our members and the broader landscape horticulture trades.

Amplify and advocate

Use success data and member-focused case studies to influence systems, policies and funding opportunities that help the landscape horticulture trades thrive in public facing domains.

Expand our base

Tell our story in modern, best-in-class ways with our members and next generation entrants to the landscape horticulture trades (youth, newcomers, diverse Canadians and aspiring entrepreneurs).

There are two foundational themes focused on the environment and equality threaded throughout each of the five pillars.

Environmental stewardship

Environmental stewardship is deeply rooted in the work done by those in the landscape horticulture trades. As part of nurturing the future, LO will ensure the positive environmental impacts the organization and its members strive to make are supported and well documented by the organization.

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB)

LO has started a journey into becoming a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organization. In each pillar of our strategic plan are examples of DEIB initiatives and projects we are pursuing. Together, we are looking to future projects that inspire others to promote DEIB through our work to our community.

There are many exciting elements of our strategic plan. The fact that our members played an integral part in how this plan came to be is an accurate reflection on our community and values, and was probably my favourite part of this entire initiative. Consulting our members to help write this plan was a deliberate choice made by the Executive Committee when we embarked on this journey. As an organization that exists to serve its members, it only felt right to involve them in the process of putting together a roadmap for LO’s next five years.

The result is a strategic plan informed by LO members, for LO members. We took what we heard from you and built those important priorities into the five pillars so we can grow LO to better serve and secure the future of the landscape horticultural trade.

Thank you to our members who took part in the process and to everyone who contributes to the growth of our industry and community. I’m looking forward to the next five years of Landscape Ontario with you!

See the current strategic plan online.

---