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Gig Harbor’s waterfront plays a central role in its transformation strategy. © Sarah Montgomery
Embarking on a transformation strategy for your organization can be an exciting yet daunting process. It requires the right blend of vision, community engagement, and practical execution to achieve sustainable success. In 2024, Gig Harbor Waterfront Alliance began this journey by partnering with Washington Main Street and Main Street America to develop our new transformation strategy: an active waterfront for all.
We went through a comprehensive process of surveys, focus groups, and demographic analysis to determine the new direction for our district. After ten months of hard work, we implemented this strategy, overcame challenges, and restructured our organization for success. In this blog, I’ll explain the steps we took, the hurdles we faced, and the lessons we learned, which I hope will help make this process easier and less daunting for other communities.
Step 1: Ensure Board and Committee Buy-In
The first step in any transformation process is ensuring you have complete buy-in from your board and committees. During the strategy identification phase, we actively involved these stakeholders by including them in surveys, focus groups, and strategy discussions. Despite this early involvement, we discovered that some members were still hesitant when it came time to implement the plan.
To overcome this challenge, we initiated one-on-one meetings with these outliers to address their concerns and bring them on board. During these discussions, it was essential to listen, engage, and communicate the potential benefits of the transformation. We framed the conversation around the bigger picture — how this strategy would benefit the organization and the community. These tailored conversations allowed us to align everyone’s vision and secure the necessary buy-in.
Actionable Tip: Take the time to understand the concerns of those who may not be fully on board. Engaging with them individually can go a long way in ensuring unified support for the transformation strategy.
Step 2: Create and Share an Executive Summary
Once we had secured internal buy-in, we needed to extend that to external stakeholders. We developed an executive summary that outlined our new transformation strategy. This document served as a concise overview of the research, the strategic priorities, and the expected outcomes.
We shared this summary with key stakeholders, including the city council, local businesses, sponsors, donors, and community partners. This step was vital for building awareness and garnering additional support. The transformation process is not just about the internal team — it’s about uplifting the entire community.
Actionable Tip: Developing an executive summary helps clarify your strategy and ensures that key stakeholders understand your goals and can offer support. Make sure this document is shared widely.
Jackie Swihart worked with Gig Harbor Waterfront Alliance to develop their new transformation strategy. © Gig Harbor Waterfront Alliance
Step 3: Create a Timeline with Implementation Goals
One of the biggest lessons we learned was the importance of having a clear timeline with specific goals. After identifying our new strategy, we broke it down into actionable steps, including updating work plans, restructuring our budget, and rebranding existing programs.
We developed a detailed timeline with implementation goals and shared it with our board. At every monthly meeting, we referenced this timeline to track progress and ensure accountability. Keeping everyone engaged was key to maintaining momentum throughout the 10-month implementation process.
Actionable Tip: A timeline isn’t just for internal use — it’s a powerful tool for maintaining transparency and ensuring your stakeholders know that progress is being made.
Step 4: Update Work Plans (The Hardest Part)
Updating our work plans was the most difficult part of the transformation strategy implementation process. Based on the data and feedback we had received from Main Street America, we knew that some of our existing programs didn’t align with our new strategy. To address this, we created a program evaluation survey that scored each of our existing events and initiatives against our new strategic priorities.
After reviewing the survey results with our board, we made tough decisions. Some beloved programs had to be cut, while others were restructured or handed off to other organizations. While these changes were necessary, they were not easy. We encountered pushback, especially from those who had emotional or financial investments in certain events.
To overcome this resistance, we focused on transparent communication and shared the data that led to our decisions. Clear, data-driven communication helped mitigate the backlash and kept us focused on the larger goal: implementing a strategy that would serve the entire community.
Actionable Tip: Be prepared for resistance but remain firm in your data-driven decisions. Make sure to communicate clearly and involve stakeholders in the evaluation process to increase acceptance of changes.
Step 5: Align Your Budget with Your New Strategy
Implementing a transformation strategy is not just about updating work plans — it also requires rethinking your financial approach. Once we had our new work plan in place, we faced the challenge of aligning our budget to support it. This was especially difficult because some of the programs we cut had been significant revenue generators for our organization.
We worked creatively to find alternative funding sources and rebranded certain events to fit within our new strategic goals while maintaining their financial viability. For example, some events were reshaped to better align with our mission, and we sought new sponsorship opportunities for those that remained. This reworking of both our budget and events was essential for ensuring that our new strategy was both actionable and financially sustainable.
Actionable Tip: When updating your work plans, make sure your budget aligns with your new strategy. Be prepared to cut or rebrand revenue-generating events if they no longer fit your goals — but also be proactive in identifying new funding sources to fill any gaps.
Getting everyone on the same page can be difficult, but it is crucial for successful transformation strategy implementation. © Gig Harbor Waterfront Alliance
The Road Ahead
Successfully navigating the transformation strategy process requires a mix of careful planning, stakeholder engagement, and financial creativity. At Gig Harbor Waterfront Alliance, we learned that the key to success lies in clear communication, securing buy-in from both internal and external stakeholders, and staying focused on the larger goal of benefiting the community.
By following these steps, your community can develop and implement a transformation strategy that aligns with its mission and vision while overcoming inevitable challenges along the way. Remember: change is hard, but it’s also necessary for growth. As you embark on your own transformation journey, keep your eyes on the prize, and don’t be afraid to make the tough decisions needed to secure a sustainable future.
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2018 Community Transformation Workshop Recap
An essential component of the Main Street America Institute, the three-day in-person workshop gives participants hands-on tools to enact revitalization projects in their communities.
A Statewide Movement Improving West Virginia Main Streets
Since 2013, Try This West Virginia has sought to improve health environments in local communities as a collaboration of organizations working together to combat the health challenges facing West Virginians.
Community Spotlight: Main Street Hampton
Main Street Hampton hosted a Food and Friends Farm-to-Table dinner at the Rustic Brew during Main Street Iowa Restaurant Week.
Community Spotlight: Partners in Preservation 2018
From community gathering spaces to retail incubators, from small towns to big cities – this year’s projects and communities are a testament to the diversity of Main Streets across the country.
Community Spotlight: Ames, Iowa
Downtown Ames hosted a festival for the 46th annual RAGBRAI race (The Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa).
7 Ways To Bring Your Main Street On Screen
You don’t need to be a big-name district to make a video that goes viral; you just need to know what you’re doing.
Comcast Newsmakers: Revitalizing Downtown
Matt Wagner, National Main Street Center's Vice President of Revitalization Programs, discusses competitive advantages, incrementalism and the power of the Main Street America network
Community Spotlight: Main Street Homer, Louisiana
Main Street Homer (Homer, Louisiana) was awarded a $25,000 A Community Thrives social impact grant from Gannett/USA Today Network to create an arts center with affordable artist studios and classroom/event space.
Evolution, Acceptance, and Change: The Main Street Approach as a Catalyst for Revitalization
Nearly slated for demolition 30 years ago, downtown Cedar Falls has experienced an amazing transformation through its revitalization journey using the Main Street Approach.
Main Street Roots Run Deep in Downtown Wytheville
Since starting as Executive Director, Todd has helped the organization achieve Virginia Main Street Designation Status and national Accreditation.
Announcing the 2018 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center, Inc., announced Downtown Oregon City, Rock Springs Main Street/Urban Renewal Agency, and Howell Main Street as the 2018 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winners during its annual conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
Main Streets in Action
We rolled out four new Main Street America videos highlighting the power of the Main Street movement, Main Street Approach, economic impact of Main Street, and the incredible volunteers that make Main Street's grassroots network so effective.
Community Spotlight: Ridgefield Main Street
Ridgefield Main Street is an energetic, up-and-coming Washington Main Street program located just north of Vancouver, Washington.
Want to do something big? Start small.
A series of small, incremental improvements, when taken together, provide momentum for long-term economic transformation and improved quality of life in a community.
Michigan Main Street Refresh Implementation: The Refresh from Our Communities’ Perspective
Here's a bit of background on each of the communities. Read on for the Refresh Implementation Q&A.
Announcing the 2017 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center, Inc. announced the 2017 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) during its annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Reality of Main Street — Letter from the President
The National Main Street Center and the Brookings Institution have jointly authored a response to Mr. Hyman’s piece, The Reality of Main Street, that is featured on Brookings’ blog.
Michigan Main Street Refresh Implementation: Our Process and Lessons Learned So Far
Michigan Main Street Center was the first Coordinating Program to implement the new Main Street approach on a large scale. In this article, they share their robust process and valuable lessons.
The Reality of Main Street
There is another way for smaller communities to compete in today’s economy and we believe a strong main street strategy is at the heart of it.
The Myth of Main Street? Letter from the President
Letter from past MSA President, Patrice Frey
The Lowdown in Downtown LaBelle
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Strategic Planning Through Transformation Strategies – Saline, Michigan
Back in October 2015, we introduced the three key components of the refreshed Main Street Approach: inputs, outputs and Community Transformation Strategies.
Revitalization and Main Street Transformation
For a lucky few downtowns, greatness may happen effortlessly with a strong sense of place that seems to develop organically and simply sustain itself. For most places, success doesn’t happen by chance.
Revisit Your Community’s Unique Assets: Connecting Asset-Based Economic Development to Community Transformation Strategies
This need for change results from the heavy emphasis on three components of the refreshed Main Street Approach.
The 2016 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The 2016 winners are a diverse group in geography and character, but together demonstrate the broad applicability of the Main Street Approach:
Main Street Nation Radio
The first official show under the Main Street Nation banner aired in June 2015 on WJR-760 AM Detroit.
The Path To The Future
The economic value of historic preservation on Main Street.
Refresh Demonstration Project Sites: Learning Labs for the Updated Main Street Approach
A series of demonstration projects providing the opportunity to test new strategies on the ground, learn from practitioners, and refine the approach.
Why Business Retention and Expansion Plans are Important for Downtowns
A business retention and expansion plan, properly implemented, not only helps keep businesses open but possibly even helps them expand.
Wisconsin Main Street: 27 Years of People, Places and Progress
While there have been over $1.2 billion in public and private investment in Wisconsin Main Street communities over the past 27 years, what really makes it special are the people and places that have been involved.
Pop-Up Art Tour
Main Street Bartow's empty storefronts become pop-up art galleries to promote economic development.
A Walk Through Rehoboth Beach Main Street
Although a “beach town,” Rehoboth Beach is open 365 days a year, and with that has the unique challenge of catering to both year-round residents and tourists within a wide range of ages, interests and economic levels
Independent We Stand Makes Main Streets a Priority
In communities across the country, hardworking business owners and buy local advocates come together to foster an organized effort to reinvent and revitalize Main Streets and downtown districts.
Announcing the 2015 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center is pleased to announce that Cape Girardeau, Mo., Montclair Center, N.J., and Rawlins, Wyo. were selected as the 2015 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA) winners.
