About the Episode
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About the Episode:
Safaniya Stevenson sits down with Anna McBrayer, Director of Marketing and Communications at Fort Lewis College, to unpack one of the most innovative strategic plan rollouts we’ve seen in higher ed. Anna shares how Fort Lewis turned an executive-level document into a community-building, student-powered, and highly visual movement—yes, complete with actual friendship bracelets. This episode is a case study in turning strategy into story and data into something deeply human.
Key Takeaways
- Fort Lewis College rejected a top-down approach to strategic planning and prioritized community co-creation at every stage.
- The institution replaced the traditional “pillars” framework with a braided metaphor, emphasizing interdependence among priorities.
- Strategic plan rollout included tactile, visual, and cultural touchpoints—including color-coded friendship bracelets and stickers.
- Internal storytelling and shared ownership were critical in building institutional momentum, even amid leadership transition.
- Creative tactics like bracelet-building events, campus tabling, and upcoming podcast storytelling campaigns make the strategy sticky and social.
- This approach turns a static strategic plan into a living, visual representation of campus values, enhancing both understanding and engagement.
Episode Summary: The FAQ Version
Why does Fort Lewis College's strategic plan look and feel so different?
Rather than taking a traditional top-down approach, Fort Lewis College developed its strategic plan through a deeply collaborative, cross-campus process—gathering over 1,000 pieces of community feedback. With the departure of their president during development, the college had a choice: pause or press forward. They chose to move ahead, leveraging the transition as a chance to center the voices of staff, faculty, students, and local community members.
What’s with the friendship bracelets?
Instead of visualizing the plan with hierarchical “pillars,” Fort Lewis opted for a five-strand braid metaphor—representing the five strategic directions as interwoven and equally essential. To make that metaphor literal, the marketing team led bracelet-making workshops with students, faculty, and even cabinet members (some skeptics at first!). Each bracelet uses colors tied to local significance—think turquoise for Native heritage, goldenrod for flora, and desert-inspired reds—grounding the initiative in place-based identity.
These bracelets have become visual, wearable representations of the strategic plan. Stickers and other swag extend the reach and visibility of the campaign across campus.
How did the team overcome internal silos and competing priorities?
One of the biggest challenges of any strategic plan rollout is internal buy-in—especially when teams are battling for limited resources. Anna shared that the bracelet metaphor became a powerful visual and symbolic reminder: no single direction can succeed without the strength of the others. That message helped shift conversations away from budget-based competition and toward collective impact.
The team’s messaging reinforced that this plan was built by the people implementing it, not handed down from above. That grassroots approach has made the initiative feel authentic and inclusive.
How is Fort Lewis measuring success with this rollout?
In the early phases, success is being tracked through engagement levels: number of bracelets made, tabling interactions, and visibility of stickers and branding materials. But the bigger picture is about cultural shift—embedding the plan into everyday life at Fort Lewis.
Next steps include launching a podcast series to spotlight implementation stories, gamifying awareness (e.g., quizzes and giveaways for identifying braid colors or naming the five directions), and integrating the plan into social and student communications. Content strategy will play a critical role in sustaining visibility across earned, owned, and internal media.
Why This Tactic Works
This isn’t just about bracelets—it’s about design thinking, strategic communication, and community-led execution. The bracelet becomes a symbol of co-creation, shared ownership, and interdependency—the very values Fort Lewis wants its plan to reflect. And because the visual identity is grounded in local culture and landscape, it resonates on a deeper level.
By bridging tactical creativity with institutional strategy, Fort Lewis has created something rare in higher ed: a strategic plan that people not only understand but want to champion. It’s not just a document—it’s a movement.
Connect With Our Host:
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