Ushering in a new era at the ADA
House of Delegates adopts first strategic forecast
The ADA has moved from strategic planning to strategic forecasting, taking a page from some of the most successful companies today — Apple, Google and Amazon — who use the strategy to forge bold new paths and cement their reputations as innovative leaders. The ADA House of Delegates voted in October to adopt the inaugural Strategic Forecast.
ADA News connected with Ron Lemmo, D.D.S., chair of the Strategic Forecasting Committee, about what strategic forecasting means for the ADA and how it will ultimately enhance members’ experience with the Association.
ADA News: What is strategic forecasting? How did it come to be?
Dr. Lemmo: At the February 2022 meeting of the ADA Board of Trustees, the ADA president appointed a Task Force of the HOD to evaluate the ADA’s existing business model – specifically to determine how best to address decreasing market share, improve member value and enable the ADA to make decisions more nimbly. As a result, the 2022 House of Delegates adopted two resolutions that established the SFC as a new standing committee of the House. Since 2022, the SFC has been hard at work, looking to evolve processes to help us stay on track toward long-range goals while remaining flexible along the way and ultimately enhancing value for our members and customers.
ADA News: What is the difference between strategic planning and strategic forecasting?
Dr. Lemmo: Under strategic planning, the ADA set its major goals in accordance with a five-year timeline, and the plan goals were frozen for five years. Strategic forecasting, however, empowers us to continually assess our environment and make changes to the strategy based on current context and not that of the year the forecast was developed.
ADA News: How is the process different than it was before?
Dr. Lemmo: Before, the ADA councils and Board of Trustees would work throughout the year to put forth policy, program and budget information to the House of Delegates on an annual basis, all of which were reflective of an existing five-year strategic plan. That meant the decision-making body was only looking at, and deciding on, these important items once a year. If something changed, or a major issue popped up, we’d have to wait until the next House meeting for it to make a decision, which meant that — generally speaking –—the strategic plan remained unchallenged and unchanged for five years. Now, as an entity of the House, the SFC monitors the strategic forecast progress and outcomes throughout the year with feedback and input from approximately 200 members of the dental community, making decisions in real-time to flex directions in order to support desired goals.
It’s important to know that, with this change, the House has been elevated to its highest and best use. As the visionary body of the ADA, the House focuses on setting the why, where and when of the ADA’s future, while also setting the dues, while the councils are focused on the specific “what” is needed to achieve the priorities that fall under their areas of responsibility. The Board of Trustees works with the ADA professional staff to take care of how the work will get done and, as of 2024, manages the financial operating plan to ensure the priorities of the forecast are financed to the ability allowed by existing resources.
ADA News: Who serves on the Strategic Forecasting Committee?
Dr. Lemmo: The SFC has three levels. The foundational work is done via the action groups, which are divided into four geographic regions (North, East, West and South) and by subject matter areas of interest, which currently are broken into three groups: Public Profession, Direct to Dentist and Tripartite. The action groups drive efforts by engaging on various discussion topics. There are approximately 160 members of the various action groups, all nominated by their respective geographic regions. Dentists, dental students, dental educators, dental industry leaders and state and local association staff are among the individuals that comprise these groups.
The next level consists of four subcommittees, also divided by subject matter area: Public Profession, Direct to Dentist, Tripartite and Enterprise. To create the first strategic forecast, the subcommittees assimilated the input they received from their respective action groups. Each subcommittee collaborated with related ADA councils, committees and other work groups as they drafted long-term outcomes and goals for the ADA based on the action groups’ input.
The third level is the 18 members of the SFC, which is chaired by an ADA member elected by the committee members. For the proposed strategic forecast that was submitted to the House, the SFC as a whole reviewed the work of the other layers, pulled together cohesive elements where possible and supported the information delivered in the report.
ADA News: At the end of the day, what does the passage of the strategic forecast mean for members?
Dr. Lemmo: The passage of the first-ever strategic forecast is an exciting moment for the ADA. By adopting the strategic forecast, the House has greenlit the direction that it wishes the ADA take: approving the priorities, initiatives, success criteria and targeted goals that we will collectively bring to life. Now that the HOD has illuminated our path, the journey can begin. The strategic forecast broadly focuses on a number of areas based on discussion from the action groups:
· Public Profession: for the purposes of improving oral health and ensuring that dentistry thrives in tomorrow’s health care environment, the high-level outcomes include promoting healthy behaviors, increasing and improving dental coverage and access, supporting a healthy and skilled workforce, and driving evidence-based, ethical quality care
· Direct to Dentist: the high-level outcome is an increase in interpersonal and digital connections with members, dental students and future members over the next five years
· Tripartite: the overarching high-level outcome is achieving a stable and successful tripartite, with an eye toward future growth and delivering member value across all three levels
These outcomes will be constantly informed by data as it becomes available, which means that over time information may be viewed differently as there are inevitable shifts, and the forecast will shift accordingly. When that happens, we may adjust our activities to meet the updated outcomes and corresponding goals. If the environmental shifts or changes in circumstances are substantial enough, a reconsideration of the five-year strategic outcomes will also occur. This allows the ADA to be flexible enough to address major issues, like the COVID-19 pandemic, large economic shifts or significant legislative changes that affect our profession, as they emerge. Just as Wayne Gretzky stated, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been,” so too does strategic forecasting assess where the ADA needs to go, while allowing the Association to pivot as necessary as it works towards that point.
ADA News: Can I get involved in the SFC directly?
Dr. Lemmo: The action groups are made of volunteers across the dental profession. These volunteers are critical to the strategic forecasting process because they provide expertise, advise and direct input into the overarching plan. Getting involved in an action group is a great way for you to contribute to the future success of the ADA in a very meaningful way but without the same time commitment involved in other ADA volunteer positions. We invite anyone who is interested in making their voices heard and impacting the trajectory of the ADA to be a part of this exciting new process. As the action group members are nominated by the geographic regions, connecting at that level is the first step. Reaching out to the ADA at SFC@ada.org is a start, as interested parties will be connected appropriately with the right regional contact.
For more information about strategic forecasting or if you are interested in learning more about the Action Groups or becoming an Action Group member, email SFC@ada.org.
Ron Lemmo, D.D.S., is a general dentist from Cleveland, Ohio, and former ADA treasurer as well as a past president of the Ohio Dental Association. Dr. Lemmo served as chair of the Strategic Forecast Task Force before his election as chair of the SFC in its inaugural year. He was re-elected as chair in 2023 for his current two-year term.
