Greater Good Science Center
Project: Strategic Planning
About the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley:
The Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) at the University of California, Berkeley, transforms the science of well-being into actionable insights, stories, and tools for a meaningful life and a connected, compassionate world. Since its founding in 2001, the GGSC has done trailblazing work to disseminate this science to the public, translating it into terms and resources that are accessible, practical, and uplifting, reaching tens of millions of people worldwide.
Why the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley partnered with Lyons-Newman Consulting:
The GGSC partnered with Lyons-Newman Consulting to hone its strategic direction. In addition to wanting to refresh its mission, long-term vision, and theory of change, the GGSC had particular questions it wanted to investigate, including: Who are the people we should try to reach to make the biggest impact – the “connectors” who can apply GGSC resources to support the well-being of an even greater number of people? What are the most meaningful and effective ways to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging both internally and externally? And how can we scale up the GGSC’s work so we are influencing entire systems, not just individuals? In answering these questions, the GGSC sought to develop a road map with strategic priorities and goals for its next five years of impact.
As a Lyons-Newman Consulting client of nearly 15 years, the GGSC turned to us because of our deep understanding of the organization’s history, strengths, opportunities, and evolving needs, and our expertise in strategic planning. As facilitators of the GGSC’s annual all-staff retreat, we have been able to weave strategic planning development into those retreats. Our longstanding partnership and familiarity with the organization has allowed us to effectively and efficiently support the GGSC in navigating its next stage of growth.
The process:
The process began with a survey of the GGSC’s staff members, followed by a series of staff meeting discussions that surfaced key insights and informed a comprehensive SWOT analysis. At a staff retreat, the SWOT analysis provided a foundation for reflection and dialogue, enabling staff to collaboratively develop draft strategic priorities.
We also facilitated a series of Strategic Planning Committee meetings, creating a structured space for committee members to explore strategic questions, review findings, refine priorities, and engage staff, the advisory board, faculty advisors, and other constituents to build alignment on the GGSC’s future direction.
To broaden the perspectives informing the plan, the GGSC and Lyons-Newman Consulting conducted informant interviews with more than 30 experts. These conversations brought in diverse perspectives from experts familiar with the GGSC’s work and its main areas of interest, including the fields of well-being science, journalism, the emerging field of “pluralism” and bridging differences, and systems change, as well as the broader social and cultural landscape in which the GGSC operates.
The full team further developed the strategic plan at the GGSC’s next annual retreat. After additional input from the Strategic Planning Committee, staff, and the Advisory Board, the plan was adopted shortly following this staff retreat.
Throughout the process, our team engaged in deep listening and facilitated collaborative conversations to iterate on decisions and ensure the strategic plan reflected the GGSC’s longstanding strengths, opportunities, and challenges in the current environment, and its aspiration that every person in the United States is supported by the GGSC’s resources, directly or indirectly, by 2050.
The results:
The GGSC’s 2025–2029 Strategic Plan establishes a clear direction for the Center’s future work. The plan is guided by three main strategic priorities, each with their own primary goal(s) that will guide the GGSC’s efforts:
Promote well-being for all
Advance systemic change to support prosocial values
Bridge social divides and strengthen social cohesion
Since the launch of the plan, the GGSC team has diligently tracked progress toward the strategic plan using an implementation tracker we developed together. Each department tracks its progress toward plan goals and reports them out to the full team every six months.
Consistent with these goals, the GGSC has developed and launched new initiatives to promote systems change, including a Greater Good Workplaces program and an emerging initiative focused on transforming entire K-12 schools, and has significantly expanded its Bridging Differences program.
What the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley says:
“Belinda and Lyons-Newman Consulting were invaluable partners on the GGSC’s strategic planning process. They ensured that the process was efficient and inclusive, made excellent substantive suggestions, and always helped us think two or three steps ahead. I know some organizations dread strategic planning, but Belinda and her team made it feel fun and deeply satisfying for the GGSC.” — Jason Marsh, Executive Director and Editor in Chief, Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley
The GGSC team at their annual retreat with Belinda and Karla from the Lyons-Newman team.