Number 3
Dear Client:
Definitions of vision, mission, strategy…I find
these useful in my work.
Each organization uses these terms in slightly different ways,
tailoring them to their needs. Some are often used interchangeably.
There is no single right way, only a way that works. Yet the definitions
below are ones that have worked well for me and for my colleagues. Stop
a moment to praise colleague Konrad Knell, a San Francisco-based consultant
who wrote the definitions below based on several sources, including
his work with clients as well as authors such as Collins & Porras
(Built to Last and Good to Great), Steven Covey (Principle-Centered
Leadership) and Peter Senge (The Fifth Discipline).
Mission:
Enduring purpose. The fundamental reason for the organization’s
existence beyond just making money. It is a direction, a general heading,
a perpetual guiding star on the horizon. It does not change over time.
It is generally abstract and can never be achieved, only pursued. For
example, for NASA: “advancing man’s capability to explore
the heavens.”
Vision:
A picture of a desired future that supports the mission. It
is a specific destination that is concrete and achievable. A good one
engages people—it reaches out and grabs them in the gut. It should
be tangible, energizing, highly focused. There can be many visions over
time that support the mission. The scale is usually around 1 to 5 years.
For example: “a man on the moon by the end of the 60s.”
Strategy:
A set of actions or objectives around a unifying theme that
work to accomplish a vision. It is broad and action-oriented. If vision
is the what, strategy is the how. The time scale of the strategy is
equal to or shorter than that of the vision it supports.
Objective:
The object of a course of action, something specific that is
worked toward. Good objectives should be SMART (Specific, Measurable,
Actionable, Realistic, and Time-bound). The time scale is usually less
than one year.
Goal:
This term is probably the least consistently used of them all. Usually
it is either used interchangeably with objectives or denotes a lower-order
or more specific objective. Sometimes it can be on the level of vision,
as in BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals).
Values:
What’s really important to an organization. They are
the essential and enduring tenets—a small set of general guiding
principles, not to be compromised for financial gain or short-term expediency.
Each value should be a piercing simplicity that provides substantial
guidance to the members of the organization. They cannot be copied or
dictated; they are what is authentically believed by the leaders of
the organization. There should only be a few, between 3 and 6.
Think of
Mission-Vision-Objectives as a hierarchy
from broadest to most specific. Values underlie them all.
Mission and values are key parts of core ideology. And core ideology
is a cornerstone of great companies, organizations, communities. It
helps define what a company is passionate about. It aids the selection
of who should be on the company bus.
Vision, strategy, objective, goal…key parts of building
a visionary organization.
Formulating the vision; figuring the big, hairy, audacious goals; confronting
the brutal facts; building a culture of discipline, understanding the
technology accelerators can all be attacked through the strategic visioning
process.
Yours very truly,
Principal, Conbrio
Conbrio seeks to make a substantive difference with people and build companies, organizations and communities. We do so by collaborating with clients, using process and graphic language to work through the issues, including strategy and program implementation.
To learn more about using graphics in problem-solving and strategic visioning, call me in Dallas at 214-941-8199, Email me at bbancroft@conbrioamericas.com or visit the Conbrio website at www.conbrioamericas.com.
