1. Book on Vision in the Making
What the proposed book is all about:
Shaping Vision to Reality
by Rey G. Halili
Contributors: Josil Gonzales
Met Castillo
Moises Cuaresma
Redd Mateo
INTRODUCTION
It is said that the Philippines as a whole suffer from a lack of vision. We are afraid that
this does not apply to us as individuals, for we as a people have many aspirations,
dreams, and wishes. As a child the most common question that I used to hear is “what
do you want to be when you grow up. My two-year old granddaughter replied to this
query by saying “I want to be a girl” Then sensing from the reaction of her mother and
audience she corrected herself “Noh, I want to be a lady,” not satisfied she said “I want
to be a ballet . . .shoes, a ballet dancer.”
No, we do not lack ambition nor we as a people lack the vision. Dr. Jose Rizal, our
National Hero in 1889 wrote an essay, entitled The Philippines a Century Hence by José
Rizal (Translated by Charles E. Derbyshire)
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2. NOTE: This famous essay of Rizal entitled "Filipinas de cien años" was first published in La
Solidaridad, Madrid, between September 30, 1889, and February 1, 1890
“The Philippines, a Century Hence.” It is a vision of a progressive, “free” Filipinos and a
respected member of the human race. The driving force in the 100 years of local revolts
against the Spanish rule was the vision of a free country. The Filipinos are doing well
abroad competing with the best entrepreneurs, executives, engineers, teachers, medical
practitioners, etc. because they are propelled by dreams and visions for themselves and
their families. Why do we see endless lines to foreign embassies, in spite of numerous
sad stories of tragedy that befall our OFWs. Is it not because they have dreams and
vision of a better life?
It seems therefore, that we should learn and learn hard and fast is how we can turn these
burning passion and dreams and shape it into visions and from visions into concrete
realities.
A Case for learning Envisioning Skills
If vision is as important to the success of leaders and their organizations as many
leadership experts suggest, effective methods for teaching visioning and determining
antecedents of visioning skill are critical future issues.
Recent research suggests that visioning is a skill that can be learned, but the researchers
disagree on the best learning model. Management consultant and author, Burt Nanus
describes a systematic approach that requires an assessment of barriers before the
visioning takes place. This method is ideal for some who need a directed study and can
approach visioning with a preconceived notion of what type of vision is realistic.
Nearly all management scholars who conducted surveys and tests on vision skills
and practices from 1994 to present day agree on its importance for effective leadership.
Although they argue over methodology and training paradigms, they agree that
"envisioning" is more than simple time or task management. While vision itself is a
hypothetical cognitive thought process that, at minimum, clarifies strategic
opportunities, envisioning skill can help individuals pull together beliefs, self images,
and resources that can enhance personal as well as organizational long-term goal setting.
Envisioning skill also comprises more than reading or attending seminars. All research
and testimonials indicate that commitment to vigilant practice is the best pathway to
making envisioning skill a powerful tool. When put to work in the real world, the
envisionment processes are perpetually adjusting and perfecting; so is the act of
acquiring and sharpening its skill.
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3. The book delves with the human passion and how this passion is translated to dreams
and shaped into vision. Two case studies are contributed by visionary leaders who both
pass through the bitter-sweet adventures and saw these visions into living realities. It
described how vision takes its shape, placed into the furnace, shaped in the anvil of hard
work, perseverance and determination and reshaped to meet the test and approval of
time.
This book presents also techniques of scenario planning and organizational learning to
guide the reader through the complex structure identifying and changing reality. It
introduces a new approach to mapping a strategic change process. It described the
actual strategic planning based on the experiences and learning in the National Strategic
Planning Process 2020 attempted by some leaders among the Bible based community in
the Philippines. While that may be technical in its approaches and may be construed as
for academicians, the materials laid down basic concepts and principles in mapping a
change process nationally, propelled by a nationally shared vision and a broad and long
term objectives covering the socio-political-religio subject.
The authors, who have established a proven track record for over 50 years share, the
insight, experiences, and recent researches on this most critical aspect of shaping and
influencing the future. Their combined experiences in working and leading in the
corporate world as well as in non-profit organizations, churches and ministries and their
lucid and practical insights and doable action plans, makes thinking futures exciting,
easy and rewarding.
Rey G. Halili
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4. VisionMatching vision to
core needs
Focusing your vision
towards relevance
Passion the starting
point of vision
Knowing the shape
of your vision
The power of Vision
shared & processed
BUILDING
SCENARIOS
From Vision to
Strategic planning
Preparing your Core
Values and Beliefs
Strategic Plans to
Action Planning
Preparing your Core
Values and Beliefs
Visions Afreshed &
Enfleshed
Vision is a
Leaders' agenda
What is vision
What is a Godly vision
Why and benefits
How do we
develop vision
Preparing your
Vision Statement
Why Visions fails
to to take offPreparing your
Mission Statement
Why Visions
successfully
launched fails
Preparing your
Core Values and
Beliefs
VISION CASTING
PROCESS
SHAPING VISION
TO REALITY
Case Studies:
NATSTRAT 2020
FLOCK Mins Int’l
GCMTC
SHAPING YOUR VISION TO REALITY
What the Book is all about
(A Mind Mapping Presentation )
Copyright by Rey G. Halili
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5. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword by Dr. Ricardo Jumawan
Preface
Introduction
Chapters
1. Vision distilled our dreams and give shapes to our aspiration
2. Visioning – a dance process of many steps
3. Really what is a vision and what does it do to us
4. Shaping vision to do-able realities
6. A force in people’s heart
7. Leaders personified – a product of vision
8. Organizational Renewal – Prologue to Visioning
9. Vision Casting Process
10. Developing Mission Statement
11. From Vision to Strategic Thinking
12. Strategic Plans to Action Planning
13. Visions Afresh and Enflesh
14. Some difficulties to anticipate
Case Studies: Great Commission Missionary Training Center
FLOCK Ministries International
National Strategic Planning Process 2020
Glossary and index
Guidelines, Worksheets and Forms
Diagrams and Flowcharts
References
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6. Slide 1: From the Book Shaping Vision to Reality Rey Halili, Josil Gonzales Met
Castillo, Moises Cuaresma, Redd Mateo
Slide 2: This is what the book is all about Vision/ System Mission/ installed Core values
Shared Shaping Structure To be Our Vision to Strategy Developed Built Reality Skills
People Required From vision/mission/core/values shared, strategy is developed and
analyses skills and type of people needed to build the structure to finally develop system
for implementation
Slide 3: SHAPING YOUR VISION TO REALITY What the Book is all about (A Mind
Mapping Presentation ) VISION CASTING Vision is a SHAPING VISION PROCESS
Leaders' agenda TO REALITY What is vision What is a Godly vision Passion the
starting Why and benefits BUILDING point of vision SCENARIOS How do we develop
vision Knowing the shape From Vision to of your vision Strategic planning Matching
vision to Strategic Plans to Vision Action Planning core needs Preparing your Preparing
your Core Visions Afreshed & Vision Statement The power of Vision Values and Beliefs
Enfleshed shared & processed Why Visions fails Preparing your to to take off Mission
Statement Case Studies: NATSTRAT 2020 Focusing your vision FLOCK Mins Int’l
Why Visions Preparing your towards relevance successfully GCMTC Core Values and
launched fails Beliefs Copyright by Rey G. Halili
Slide 4: System installed Vision/ Mission/ Core values Vision: Shared Defines where the
organization wants to be in the future. It reflects the optimistic view of the Structure
organization's To be future. Strategy Built Developed Values: Mission: Main values
protected by the organization Defines where the during the progression, organization is
going reflecting the now, basically organization's describing the culture and purpose, why
this priorities. organization exists. People Skills Required
Slide 5: Vision Statement A vision is a statement about what your organization wants to
become. It gives shape and direction to the organization’s future. A vision should stretch
the organization’s capabilities and image of itself. It should resonate with all members of
the organization and help them feel proud, excited, and part of something much bigger
than themselves. Mission or Purpose A precise description of what an organization does.
It should describe the business or ministry the organization is in. It is a definition of
“why” the organization exists currently. Each member of an organization should be able
to verbally express this mission. Core Values Value statements are grounded in values
and define how people want to behave with each other in the organization. They are
statements about how the organization will value its target group, constituencies, and
suppliers. Value statements describe actions which are the living enactment of the
fundamental values held by most individuals within the organization.
Slide 6: START Mission: "How will Values: you get there?" "Who are you?" IN
PURSUIT OF VISION Outcomes: Vision: "Are you "Where are there yet?" you going?"
Operationalizing Task & Schedules
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8. Now then against this background, two thousand years ago Jesus is talking about the mind! The
human being! And He says that faith is built in us by nature. We are hardwired for faith, hardwired
for God! Faith is like a grain of mustard seed, infinitely small to begin with … 10 billion neurons.
Faith is the smallest thing, the smallest concept. Faith is like a grain of mustard seed! It seems like
nothing. It is the least and it turns into the greatest power in the world! And that’s what we need to
be hardwired for faith, hardwired for God. It begins with mustard seed faith which comes to us in
the form of an idea, a concept, or an impulse.
It is very important that all of us have a connection with God. Or we are going to waste a lot of
things that are trying to happen within our minds through the impulse of the 10 billion neurons in the
brain and God is operative in all of this.
So in attending this study session, I visited the Salk Institute for the first time and that was very
interesting. I met Jonas Salk once, at a dinner. We never had a chance to develop a relationship, but I
learned an interesting insight to this great scientist. Jonas Salk is known as a scientist who believed
he could find a cure for polio. Now many young people might not even know what a devastating
disease polio is, that hit our country in the past century. When Jonas Salk shared his concepts of how
a cure might be developed, it was only an idea, a very tiny idea … a mustard seed thought. But he
believed in it. Everybody ridiculed him to begin with. Then other researchers said it would never
work. Finally, after some years, he was so discouraged and depressed that a colleague said, "Don't
give up, Jonas, you need to keep going. You know what you should do?" Jonas said, "No." "Get out
of America for a while. Go to Italy. Go to the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. That is a spiritual
based facility that is unlike anything in the world."
I was there myself only a year or two ago so I understand that great advice. Jonas Salk was not
really spiritual, but he thought, "I’ll do it. Perhaps it will help me." So he went to Italy, to the
Basilica of St. Francis and there, in that spiritual space of hills and valleys, he was alone and he had
a transforming spiritual experience. I have no doubt, and neither does he, that it was an encounter
with God.
That spiritual experience impacted the mind of Jonas Salk and he came home knowing he would
find a cure for polio. He was a changed person. He was creatively inspired. He grabbed hold of that
mustard seed and the rest is history. He discovered a cure for polio!
When that happened Jonas Salk became the recipient of a great deal of money, hundreds of millions
of dollars, most of it from the March of Dimes, because that money was there for the discoverer of
the cure for polio. So Jonas Salk decided to use the money to build a Research Institute. He searched
for a place where he could build something so that other researchers could experience what he had in
Assisi. It brought him to the cliffs in La Jolla. As he looked down over the ocean, he felt it strongly
again. He then went to one of the greatest architects that time, Louis Kahn and brought him to La
Jolla and told him, "I want to build an institute here where doctors and scientists can come to study
and explore the undiscovered to really create new insights into reality."
Louis Kahn took the assignment and started to build the Institute, a huge place. Before it was
finished, Jonas Salk came to check it out. As he looked at the facility on which many millions had
already been spent he said, "It doesn’t work!" And Kahn said, "What do you mean, it doesn’t work?"
Jonas Salk said again, "It doesn’t work. I don’t feel it. Tear it down! Throw it away! Start over!"
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9. And then he took the architect Louis Kahn to the very edge of the cliff and said, "There is the
canyon and over there is the ocean. Stand here! Feel it! Do you feel it?" Kahn said, "Yes, I do."
"Now start designing with this feeling," was Salk’s challenge.
And Kahn built the building into two separate structures with a huge wide plaza which extends all
the way to the edge of the cliff and the water. I could feel it when I went there this week. And there
is only one sign. It does not say Salk Institute. Instead, as you approach the building and the plaza,
there in the marble of the sidewalk are these words written by Jonas Salk,
"Hope lies in dreams, in imagination,
and in the courage of those who dared to
make dreams into reality." (Jonas Salk)
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10. Acknowledgement (by Rey Halili)
Mr. Josil Gonzales
FLOCK Ministries International
Ed Tan from Oklahoma
Mr. Eric Smith of OC International
Bishop Eff Tendero
Bishop Jun Vencer
Dr. Met Castillo
Rev. Moises Cuaresma
Mr. Redd Mateo of Genesis Travel
My wife, Dr. Annie Halili
Ms, Laura S. Parada
Ms. Mila Sedique
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11. Introduction:
I TOO HAS A DREAM by RGHalili 1/8/96
Is it wrong to dream? Have you heard about how a security guard saved the life of his
boss by warning him not to take that plane which crushed because he dreamed of this
plane tragedy. The boss life was spared by that dream. He was so happy but soon
realizes that his security cannot possibly dream unless he slept on his post during his
night’s beat. The dreamer guard lost his job. Be careful what you do with your dream.
I was moved to tears when I watch and listen to the song in Les Miserables "I dream a
dream "
(quote part of the song) Be careful of your dreams, It can be stolen
"I dream a dream" by Martin Luther King (Cite the dream and what happen to Martin
Luther King. Your dream can cost you your life
Dr. Jose Rizal
Bishop, Agustin (Jun) Vencer his dream on the global vision of student & Pilipino
missionaries going into many nations.
One actual dream that I could not forget. This happened before the explosion of Mt.
Pinatubo which devastated Pampanga and its neighboring provinces (Check internet on
some facts ) I dream of When the Bible Psa. 21 was erased from its pages.
Then I can stop to dream, for dreams, the best that I can ever think or imagine will be
swallowed up by in the glorious reality of the presence of the Lord.
Vision distilled our dreams and give shapes to our aspiration
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13. Chapter 1
Vision – the language of leaders
Vision is a pre-requisite for leadership. One cannot lead without a vision of the future.
Choosing to cast your vision is the first critical leadership choice and thus begins the
work of leadership. Vision is the essential ingredient for a leader, both personally and for
the organization you lead.
One of the first works of leadership is the casting of vision. Vision is a pre-requisite for
leadership. One cannot lead without a vision of the future. Show me a person with
vision and I'll show you a future leader
Leaders have vision. They share a dream and direction that other people want to share
and follow. The vision of leadership permeates the workplace and is manifested in the
actions, beliefs, values and goals of your organization’s leaders.
Vision helps leaders to:
focuses energy for greater effectiveness,
raises the standard of excellence,
establishes meaning for today,
gives hope for the future,
brings unity to community,
raises commitment level
brings positive
My vision must be able to see into the future. It absolutely must be able to transcend not
only my lifetime, but also my benefit and personal ambitions.
"The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It's got to be a vision
you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion." --Theodore Hesburgh, President
of the University of Notre Dame
"There's nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can't clearly articulate why we're
doing what we're doing." --James Kouzes and Barry Posner
13
14. Vision must be cultivated, defined and cast.
Observe
carefully
Implement w/
care
Share openly
Incubate
carefully
Verbalize
clearly
vision
casting
14
Vision must be cultivated, defined and cast.
15. SHAPING VISIONS TO REALITIES
"A true vision must provide a clear image of a desirable future, one which
represents an achievable, challenging and worthwhile long-range target toward which
people can direct their energies."
A vision is a compelling image of the preferred future that sets out a group’s or
organization’s highest aspirations in clear, powerful, confident language. It is what
futurist Clement Bezold calls “a future for the heart.” Business guru Peter Senge puts it
this way in his book The Fifth Discipline
A shared vision is not an idea. It is not even an important idea such as freedom, it
is, rather, a force in people’s hearts, a force of impressive power. It may be inspired by an
idea, but once it goes further—if it is compelling enough to acquire the support of more
than one person—then it is no longer an abstraction. It is palpable. People begin to see it
as if it exists.
Visions motivate high achievement, because when people are really committed to
a vision, they will stretch themselves and their organizations to make it happen. Visions
raise people’s personal aspirations and provide a focus for collective activity. They create
a ‘big picture’ of ‘where we are going’ that makes day-to-day activity more meaningful.
People can be given more freedom to act independently and creatively when they have a
clear sense of direction and know the importance of their ‘piece’ in the realization of the
vision.
Leadership Through Vision
The ability to receive a vision from God, to develop a plan to see that vision come about
and to guide those around you through necessary change so that the vision becomes a
reality is crucial to effective leadership.
Regardless of what kind of organization you lead, or how large of a group you
lead, bringing about change by following a strategic plan to achieve a specified outcome
is essential for building the kingdom of God in your context.
Communication of a vision is the difficult process of inspiring others to see the
future reality which you see and to commit to making it happen. People are motivated by
vision, not by need. Vision empowers people only to the degree it is embraced.
Recognize how visions spread Understand how visions can die prematurely invites
people to begin walking toward the vision because most of us are so easily consumed by
the pressing day to day necessities.
15
16. Leadership requires having a vision from God, ability
to get people share and understand how your action plans
connect to the vision, and ability to communicate and
motivate them to act on a consistent day to day basis to bring
about the impact your organization desires.
The Burden of Nurturing a Vision
I was thinking today about great leaders and the way they
affect the lives of people for generations. These effects are
sometimes not evident until after the great leader is gone.
That is very sad to me, because in my mind that leader never
does get to see how it all turns out. I suppose I'm thinking of
people like Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippines National Hero,
who wrote two novels that inflamed the Filipinos to revolt
against the Spanish colonialist; Abraham Lincoln who began
the process of freeing the Blacks from slavery, yet never lived
to see it happen. Or how about Martin Luther King.
Incredible changes have taken place all over our country
because of the stand he took and the leadership he possessed.
Yet, he too was killed before he could see the fruits.
The leader who's vision can see into the future, possess the
ability to effect the lives of people for generations.
Stories with Vision
Here are some selected stories from history that I thought
exemplified the qualities of high vision and leadership. Some
consultants, myself included, suggest that you use these
kinds of examples to inspire managers while they engage the
difficult task of defining values and mission (the key
components of your vision). The stories can also be used to
remind the rank and file what others have done in the face of difficulty and tribulation.
Use case studies of other companies with great caution. One of the most common
mistakes made in the envisioning process is the assumption that one size fits all. Your
vision should be a unique process that addresses your own particular strengths and
weaknesses. Since no two organizations are exactly alike, then its a sure bet that your
vision for the future won't be either.
Leadership Vision Fundamentals
Dr. Martin Luther
King's Vision for
Freedom
Winston Churchill's
Vision of Victory
The Vision That Took
Us to The Moon
Steven Jobs's Desktop
Vision
Walt Disney's Happiest
Vision on Earth
Gene Roddenberry's
Vision for the Stars
Henri Dunant's Vision
for Humanity
Clara Barton's Vision of
Mercy
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17. Sharing that vision with others in a way that compels them to act is the secret to a
successful leadership vision.
These are the fundamentals necessary for a vision that excites and motivates people to
follow the leader. The vision must:
• Clearly set organizational direction and purpose;
• Inspire loyalty and caring through the involvement of all employees;
• Display and reflect the unique strengths, culture, values, beliefs and direction of
the organization;
• Inspire enthusiasm, belief, commitment and excitement in company members;
• Help employees believe that they are part of something bigger than themselves
and their daily work;
• Be regularly communicated and shared;
• Challenge people to outdo themselves, to stretch and reach.
Characteristics of a Successful Leadership Style
Much is written about what makes successful leaders. I will focus on the characteristics,
traits and actions that, I believe, are key.
• Choose to lead.
• Be the person others choose to follow.
• Provide vision for the future.
• Provide inspiration.
• Make other people feel important and appreciated.
• Live your values. Behave ethically.
• Set the pace through your expectations and example.
• Establish an environment of continuous improvement.
• Provide opportunities for people to grow, both personally and professionally.
• Care and act with compassion.
• Cultivate spouse and family relationships.
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a vision for your
future,
a mission that
defines what
you are doing,
values that
shape your
actions,
strategies that
zero in on your
key success
approaches
goals and action
plans to guide
monthly actions
.
Flowchart
From Vision to
Action Plan
18. Chapter 2
Visioning – a dance process of many steps
‘Lets Start from the very beginning’
We nowadays are often advised to “start with the end in mind.” Then work backwards
to trace our road to success. Julie Andrews in her successful Broadway musical which
was made into movie The Sound of Music,” sings, “Let us start from the very beginning. A
very good place to start, when you sing you begin with Do, Re, Mi. . .” I would likewise
like to begin for a change with our passion as the starting point of casting our vision.
Vision, after all is a product of our spiritual passion. Our inner drive that makes
us to dream dreams and create “miracles” not otherwise possible. Think of the many
beautiful and creative invention and achievements of man. Think and reflect again on
the nature of your organization. Your vision and mission statement. The missing
ingredient towards attainment in all your quest could be the absence of a spiritual
passion.
Passionate spirituality is where it all starts. However, in the heat of the noon tide
and the weariness and attrition of the day to day struggle, the flame of passionate
spirituality can be diminished or extinguished. The discipline of personal passionate
spirituality need to be more than intentional - though that is an excellent place to start.
Our passion triggers the many good things in us. It helps us to face or selves,
identity, the inner prompting and aspirations and at the same time recognize our realities
and urgent priorities.
Recapturing Our Spiritual Passion
Renew spiritual and emotional reserves, through observing intimate times with
God and having personal retreats on a regular basis.
Make intentional decisions which reflect his Lordship. Choose God’s priorities in
your time schedule. Learn to say “no.”
Maintain physical health through diet, rest and exercise.
Respond in immediate obedience to the prompting of the Spirit - however small.
Develop mentoring relationships. Pray for and find a spiritual mentor to meet
with on a regular basis.
Discover and use the gifts God has given you. Nurture the fruit of the Spirit
despite your circumstances.
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19. SHAPING VISIONS TO REALITIES
Characteristics of Powerful Visions
To be a force in people’s hearts, a vision must:
Be legitimate
A vision can never be imposed on an individual or group. To have emotional power, a
vision must be inwardly accepted as fully legitimate. This legitimacy can come from
different sources, such as personal involvement in shaping the vision, or high regard for
the leader or group propounding the vision.
It should stretch beyond the limits of our current realities. It should push against
the limits of what people have assumed to be possible. The vision’s very boldness
becomes a major source of its power. Because the vision articulates a daring adventure
with important outcomes, it gives people who participate in it a sense of adventure and
significance. It provides opportunities for ‘heroic’ activities in which people can make
important contributions and surpass what they thought were their personal limits.
Renewal at the vision level can provide new direction and help galvanize action.
A vision also cannot reveal what opportunities or dangers the outside world has in store
over the next few decades.
A vision statement is sometimes called a picture of your company in the future but it’s so
much more than that. Your vision statement is your inspiration, the framework for all
your strategic planning.
A vision statement may apply to an entire company or to a single division of that
company. Whether for all or part of an organization, the vision statement answers the
question, “Where do we want to go?”
What you are doing when creating a vision statement is articulating your dreams and
hopes for your business. It reminds you of what you are trying to build.
While a vision statement doesn’t tell you how you’re going to get there, it does set the
direction for your business planning. That’s why it’s important when crafting a vision
statement to let your imagination go and dare to dream – and why it’s important that a
vision statement captures your passion.
Unlike the mission statement, a vision statement is for you and the other members of
your company, not for your customers or clients.
19
20. When writing a vision statement, your mission statement and your core competencies
can be a valuable starting point for articulating your values.
Some visions are personal, some are borne from the struggle to survive. Some visions
save countries while others find new ways of improving our daily lives. But the most
important aspect of a vision is the person, or people, who raise it up for others to see.
While "envisioners" are characterized as the seekers and wonderers, the vision itself must
be grounded on the knowledge that all goals are attainable, if only one can muster the
focus in their lives to seek them out. -- Wyman
Effective leaders take time to cultivate vision from God and to help others embrace the
vision as their own. A shared vision energizes people to work together toward a
desirable, challenging and worthwhile target.
Vision works by posing a collective challenge, aligning people’s efforts so that
they self-organize without needing to be controlled, and generating a group spirit in
which people acknowledge and appreciate each other’s contributions in moving toward
the vision.
The characteristics of effective vision statement of highly effective organizations
centered on three principal themes:
the mission or purpose;
the strategy for achieving the mission;
and the elements of the organizational culture necessary to
achieving the mission and supporting the strategy.
serious business
Developing a vision, mission and values is a serious business. It takes time . And
commitment. But it is worth it.
Dee Hock reckons that starting from scratch it takes a year to do it properly. We certainly
recommend a three day workshop for the top team – and then much consultation and
further development to follow.
Of course, for an existing company there is much already in existence, though it might
not be recognised, and it might not be what you want!
Vision
A vision helps unite people towards a purpose. Creating and living a vision is the role of
leaders in organisations. They have to espouse it and help others to believe it.
20
21. Visions are aesthetic and moral, they come from within as well as outside.
According to Disney, a successful vision accomplishes six goals:
• gives a sense of the future
• guides decision making and strategy
• creates a shared purpose
• provides guidelines that determine behaviour
• inspires emotion
• connects to values
Mission
A mission statement is a unifying statement of what an organisation is in business to do.
It is a key reference point in the planning and implementation of change.
A mission statement is a description of the organisation's key purposes.
Values
Values are the beliefs of an organisation, the expression of what it stands for and how it
will conduct itself. Values are the core of an organisation's being. They underpin policies,
objectives, procedures and strategies because they provide an anchor and a reference
point for all things that happen.
And what about yourself?
Indeed. Just the same applies to yourself. You would not set out on a journey without a
compass. Or a map. Or a destination! So what about in life? Do you have a vision of your
future, a mission in life? Have you explicitly identified your personal values.
We have been working with groups and individuals for many years and always we seek
to identify vision, mission and values – and then integrate them between individual and
organisation. A personal mission statement. That gives you power.
We use a range of tools, including the balanced scorecard and Robert Dilts'
neurological levels, together with supportive questioning.
VISION AND VALUES
Your vision is defined by your values. Your values are those ideals that you cling to
deeply - your core. The best vision is derived from a core of integrity, where inner values
are given expression via the vision. Vision without values is chaotic. Values without
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22. vision is monastic. When values and vision match, a leader is set in motion. Be careful in
determining your values! Don’t mistake surface concerns with underlying values.
Be consistent with the culture & values of the organization
The defining characteristic common to organizations was the intensity with which
they managed their cultures. They instilled a strong, explicit sense of mission and shared
values - and they worked constantly to reinforce deeply ingrained beliefs. Consistent,
clear, and shared values affect personal and organizational effectiveness. Organizational
values serve as the underpinning that directs and sustains this behavior. When people
understand the desired culture - the values that support the purpose and strategy – they
know what is expected of them.
Values Statement are specific statement of belief or principle. Values may state
what is believed to be ‘good,’ important or true. Values may explain rules of conduct for
the organization. Values guide the organization in decision making; selecting its goals,
objectives, strategies, tactics, activities, processes, outputs, outcomes, impacts, etc.; and
evaluating its performance. Vision will be shaped and reshaped in the context of our
culture and context, dreams and aspiration. Organizations crafted their values into
simple and powerful Values Statement and include that as part of their Vision, Mission
Statement.
Be backed-up by a strategy and action plan
For your organization to achieve its vision, there must be a pronounced strategy to
give the operational logic for what the organization hopes to achieve. Strategy defines
the organization and the distinctive competence that it has or plans to develop.
Purpose and strategy alone does not have the power to enhance performance
unless they lead us into into action, policy, and task related behavioral guidelines.
Strategic plan often includes an analysis of an organization’s strengths and weaknesses
and of the opportunities and threats presented by the external environment. There are
clear distinctions between strategic plans and visions: whereas, for instance, the former
are directional and work towards the future, visions are end-slate oriented and work
backwards from the future.
A good vision:
Catches a glimpse of reality
Sets standards of excellence
Clarifies purpose and direction
Inspires people and organizations
Empowers people and focuses their work efforts
Challenges people and organizations to grow and relate their personal career
and development.
22
23. Bridges the present and the future
CASTING YOUR VISION
Choosing to cast your vision is the first critical leadership choice and thus begins the
work of leadership. Here are the works of vision casting:
Verbalize clearly - if you can't say it clearly, you don't know it completely. You may
think that the vision makes sense, but your mind will fill in the holes of the vision
without you being aware. When you verbalize the vision, you’ve taken the important
step of examining the holes and resolving them – for yourself and for others.
Incubate carefully - once your learned how to say it, let it sit. Let it stew. Let it incubate.
Incubation happens when you warm the vision. You warm the vision by holding it next
to the heat of your values, ideas, other readings, research, etc.
Share conspicuously -- talk to your trusted friends, what do they say about your vision.
Internal thoughts allow us to see only so far. We must make use of others' eyes. This
kind of sharing is different than casting the vision so that others buy into it.
Implement cautiously - what are the first steps I should take to make the vision a reality.
Look before you leap, but make sure you do some leaping! Casting your vision requires
an element of risk, but don’t waste your vision by implementing haphazardly.
Observe carefully - who and what are around me are available to help me fulfill this
vision? Also, who in the organization will oppose the vision and why? Observation
helps you think through the strategies for implementation.
Never Give Up! - if you have cultivated a vision, never, never, never, never give up! The
number one strategy for casting vision is to be persistent. Most visions are worthy of
manifestation, but many go unrealized because leaders give up too early. Remember, the
road is never crowded on the second mile.
WORK ON YOUR VISION
Vision is THE essential ingredient for a leader, both personally and for the organization
you lead. As Kouzes and Posner put it in The Leadership Challenge: "Visions are like
lenses. They focus unrefracted rays of light. They enable everyone concerned with an
enterprise to see more clearly what is ahead of them." Many potential leaders miss out
on the rewards of becoming a leader because they lack vision. Their lives are unfocused.
23
24. Vision
Shared
Strategy
Developed
Structure
To be
Built
Skills
Required
People
System
installed
From vision
shared, strategy is
developed and moves to
preparing the structure with
analysis of skills and people
to finally develop system for
implementation
But this lack of focus hurts not only them, but those around them. Again, K & P put it
well: "The vision of an organization acts as its magnetic north." SmartLeaders do not
waste their lives on directionless activity rather they invest in a vision with purpose
--providing the vision for their families, teams, groups, and companies.
One last thing, a vision caster requires a vision catcher, but that's the subject of the next
article, the third work of leadership: inviting others to join you!
24
25. CULTIVATING A VISION
Where does vision come from? Vision can flow from a number of sources:
- Experience: Because of what I have learned from the past, I have a vision for the future.
- Inspiration: Because of an imaginative or spiritual spark, I have a vision for the future.
- Analysis: Because of my analytical study, I have a vision for the future.
The key point on vision is that it is unique to every leader. My vision must be cultivated
out of experience, inspiration or analysis. If you borrow a vision, you are simply
managing another person’s vision, you are not leading. To borrow a vision is to fail to
lead.
Vision often arises at just the right time. Therefore there are environmental factors related
to vision. These environmental factors may include a conflict, an opportunity, a crisis, or
a need. When confronted with one of these factors, a leader steps forth to offer vision
and direction. In fact, the leader knows that such circumstances are ripe for vision,
because people have a more urgent need for clear direction, guidance, and purpose
during such trying times. The manager squelches trying times because she sees such
times as interruptions in “business as usual.” Leaders value trying times because such
interruptions are opportunities to get below business as usual and chart a new and better
course.
VISION WAITS ON YOU
Once a person cultivates a vision there are only two options: containment or casting. A
person who cultivates a vision but then contains that vision has failed to step into the
leadership arena. Because her vision will affect only herself, she has chosen to accept
mediocrity (and most likely will never be able to cultivate future visions). A person who
cultivates a vision and then casts that vision has started a leadership journey into the
unknown. The leadership journey promises not only growth and fulfillment but most
likely the accomplishment of the vision.
Guides in the process:
1. Live out the vision personally.
2. Speak with personal conviction and heart-felt enthusiasm.
3. Be positive.
4. Use a variety of settings to communicate.
5. Appeal to common values and beliefs.
25
26. 6. Use images and examples. Tell stories to make the vision and
values come alive.
7. Reduce the core of the vision down to a few sentences.
8. Use "we" as much as possible (rather than "I").
9. Communicate ideas in several stages.
10. Balance advocacy and inquiry
11. Vision must be communicated effectively over time.
26
27. Chapter 3
Developing a mission statement
MISSION
A statement that specifies an organization’s ongoing work, circumscribes its role and
delineates its responsibilities to achieve its vision.
A clear mission statement defines an organization’s role by listing the general types of
activities that the organization will undertake to achieve their vision.
Peter Drucker's three "musts" of a successful mission
1 What is the organization’s role in the achievement of its vision?
2 What will be its settings for action?
3What are the organization’s key capabilities and areas of expertise
Questions to evaluate your mission statement
1Does it fit within the vision and
2Does it clarify the purpose of the organization?
3 Does it identify your ministry focus group?
4 Does it clarify the needs you seek to meet?
5 Does it identify 3-5 key ministry areas, describing how the
mission will be accomplished?
Checklist in writing a mission statememt:
1. Identify key words which describe why the organization exists.
2. Reflect on core values.
5. Assess your present situation
6. Determine your primary focus group
7. Formulate a culturally relevant philosophy of your organization.
8. Draft a potential mission statement for your organization
25-30 words.
9. Evaluate and rewrite your mission statement.
10. Popularize your mission statement in 5-10 words.
Goals
Once we have clarified our aspirations for the future we want to create (vision) and
identified our role in achieving this vision (mission); the next step in a systematic planing
process is to establish specific goals. In specifying goals, the key is to constantly relate
them to the vision and mission. Without having a basis in vision, goals often discount the
future and are merely reactions to current circumstances without leading to any larger
27
28. purpose.
Goals are specific tasks to fulfill the mission. They need to be feasible and
accomplishable within a specific period of time. They need to be well-defined and have
set schedules for completion. Most organizations are familiar with setting goals, but it is
extremely important to set goals that align with the mission and vision. This is a difficult
task, but if done correctly, the future can be married to the present. And this is the goal—
to extend our conception of the present to include the future.
Values:
"Who are you?"
Core values describe the unique way people in an organization work and relate to one
another. People and their organizations behave in ways which are generally consistent
with their core values. Core values are validated only through behavior. A stated value
which is not backed by behavior is an aspiration or preference, not a value.
Most conflict is the result of differing values. Most strategic planning fails because
values are not articulated early enough.
Core values
Core values are the 5-7 key statements which reflect the distinctive of a church. They
describe the unique way which people in the church do its work and how they relate to
each other in that work.
Action Points
1 Identify important scriptural concepts which influence how you carry out your
church's ministry.
2 Begin to write a list of potential core values.
3 Make sure each statement can be easily translated into actions.
4 Group similar statements together; highlight the ones which are most
important.
5 Write a tentative list of 4-7 core values.
6 Check for completeness.
7 Does your list of core values reflect all essential facets of your church life and
ministry?
8 Describe the specific behaviors which will demonstrate each core value in
action.
28
32. Chapter 4
Shaping vision to doable realities
Vision Renewal
"In everyone of the growing, healthy churches I have studied, there is a discernible link
between the spiritual and numerical growth of those congregations and the existence,
articulation and widespread ownership of God's vision for ministry by the leaders and
participants of the church. Conversely, there is invariably a clear absence of vision in
those congregations in which there is neither spiritual nor numerical growth taking
place. Rarely in my research do I find such overt, black and white relationships."
George Barna, The Power of Vision
Healthy churches grow and multiply. They reproduce disciples, leaders and
churches in loving obedience to Jesus Christ. If a church is not growing, there is
something wrong or unhealthy in her. We see this principle in God's creation. We
don't beg a plant to grow if it is healthy; it grows all by itself. The church is
compared to a body when functioning properly as a healthy body, it grows. Non
growing churches need to admit that they are sick. Ask the help of the Great
Physician, Jesus Christ, apply "therapy process".
Real growth is God-caused not man-made (ICor. 3:6-7, Mk 4:26-29). It is not artificial
but a genuine work of the Holy Spirit when we put into practice solid-biblical
principles for growth in our churches. God has already laid in every local church
everything needed for growth. When these potentials are discovered, developed and
released, then growth occurs supernaturally.
Healthy Churches have a vision! This is nothing new. But, where does the vision
come from? Some suggest from the Pastor or leadership team. They cast the vision
and convince or entice the people to follow. Others suggest it should come from the
people. Actually, however, it is God's vision the church needs not the pastor's or the
leadership's. The church's vision must come from God.
Healthy Churches have a vision given by God! But there is more. Does God only
speak to pastors or leaders or does He speak to all members of the body? The
scriptures make clear the priesthood of all believers. God speaks to the entire body!
As the entire body listens, they can know God's vision for their ministry. When they
discover it collectively, they own it and develop a passion to see it realized.
Therefore...
Healthy Churches have a vision given by God, received and owned by all. The
greatest thing a pastor or leader can do for the people is lead them in a discovery of
32
33. the destiny God has for them. How can this be done? The Vision Renewal uses many
methods to involve the entire congregation.
Healthy Churches have a vision given by God, received and owned by all, and
effectively implemented. Churches can have the right vision but still not accomplish
it. Vision Renewal provides an easy-to-follow structure that the leadership can use
to monitor progress and sharpen the church's effectiveness.
A suggested process of conducting
Organizational Renewal
A dynamic new process for casting visions, organizational renewal opens the way for
people to work together in spite of differences of opinion, varying status, job, gender,
and culture or ethnic background. The focus is discovering common ground and not
problems solving.
Some of the most dramatic results have come from the various stakeholders who
have dialogue and together see new possibilities. The process mobilizes people and
resources while unleashing new creativity and energy. People who may have
worshipped next to each other for years discover what unites them and in the process
build relationships, trust and an exciting image of their shared future. Combined with a
Future Search Conference it can transform an organization’s ability to;
Expected Outcomes and Benefits
Unleash creativity
Strengthen/Form new relationships in the church
Discover common ground - shared vision
Develop short term action steps
Literally act out preferred future. Allowing people to experience their dream
and literally step into their preferred future.
Jointly decide on a long-range action plan based on this dream.
What is the VISION RENEWAL process?
Vision renewal is a discovery process for churches to follow when they are not crystal clear on
what God wants them to do and how he wants them to proceed.
Just as a lack of direction in our personal lives can open us to greater dependence on God, so too a
church experiencing vision uncertainty can have a renewed interest and passion to wait on God and
discover His will. Consequently such uncertainty is not to be feared. Rather, it is an opportunity for
33
34. the church to hear what God is saying in a fresh new way. At such times the church is much more
willing to face itself honestly allowing the Holy Spirit to move with power. It is actually an
opportunity for the church to hear from God in a fresh new way. In fact, hearing from God is a
necessity if aggressive future ministry is to be realized.
Why is VISION RENEWAL an important tool for the average church?
Few churches have a clear ministry vision. Consequently they lack focus and enthusiasm in their
ministries. In an effort to remedy their situation they often try to create a vision rather than
discovering the one that God has for them. VISION RENEWAL offers a way for churches to listen to God
collectively and discover His agenda, and the future He has for them. The result is a focused church
with a realistic vision that makes a Kingdom impact.
The Vision Renewal process provides a way for the entire church to face themselves, listen to
God, each other and the community and discover exactly what He wants them to do. The result
is a vision and plan rooted in reality and embraced by all.
34
35. How does VISION RENEWAL enable the church to realize the future God has for it?
Vision renewal provides a way for the entire church' to discover together the Holy Spirit's agenda for
them and their ministry. It allows the people and their leaders to listen to what God is saying and then
organize themselves to do it.
It leads the church step by step to a discovery of God's VISION for them by:
1 Calling them to face the truth about themselves and their community.
2 Calling them to pray for God's direction and leading.
3 Providing a congregational forum for the entire church to participate in recognizing Gods leading.
(Vision and Goals).
With clear vision and goals, VISION RENEWAL helps the church PLAN by coaching them in developing practical
ways to accomplish the goals God has given.
Lastly, VISION RENEWAL assists the church in translating their plan into MINISTRY.
How does the VISION RENEWAL process insure congregational ownership?
VISION RENEWAL insures congregational ownership by using tools that require the congregation to see and
own their needs, realize their opportunities and identify their vision.
How long does the VISION RENEWAL process take?
Once (the church has approved the VISION RENEWAL track, the entire process takes thirty two weeks. This
timeline may be extended if a church is in pastoral transition, or shortened if many of the stages have
already been completed.
The biggest question many churches have at this point is, "We don't have time. We need to do something
now!"
Churches are advised not move more quickly than suggested even if they feel they can do so. It takes time to
work through the information that will be gathered. If the church moves too quickly, they will not own the
conclusions. Also, churches are advised not to 'skip' any of the steps in the interests of time. Each step is
there for a reason and each "20/20 Update" has a purpose. If you become selective, you may jeopardize your
results. Spending less time may be a waste of time.
Who implements the VISION RENEWAL process?
The majority of work is carried out by a 20/20 Team, approved by the church, under the guidance of a
'coaching' leader. However, their work is of little value unless the congregation as a whole is included and
valued in all decisions.
Coach - The coach gives supportive leadership to the entire process. The coach can be a denominational
leader or a lay facilitator who understands the process and has the respect of the congregation. He must have
no agenda of his own and possess a commitment to help the church discover the Holy Spirit's agenda for
35
36. them. He orients those participating in the process and is the unbiased chairperson of all Congregational
Discovery Sessions. (If the Coach is from the church, he should be the leader of the 20/20 Team.)
20/20 Team - The 20/20 Team gathers information from the church and community by listening, organizes
it in a meaningful way and shares it with the church. Like a mirror, the team reflects as accurately as
possible, in an unbiased manner, exactly what the people have said. It does not 'tell' the church what its
vision should be or even recommend one, rather it helps the church focus its vision and define the kind of
plans required to carry out that vision. It is selected by the church and responsible to the church for the
process. The 20/20 Team is usually composed of one person from the church board and four or five
members at large.
Leadership Board - The Leadership Board must understand the process and be responsible to recommend it
to the membership. They must insure the VISION RENEWAL process is funded and adjust the church calendar so
other events do not conflict with it.
CONGREGATION - THE CONGREGATION MUST PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER ALL THE ISSUES AND INFORMATION BROUGHT TO THEM BY THE 20/20 TEAM.
THROUGH THE FOUR CONGREGATIONAL DISCOVERY SESSIONS THE PEOPLE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LISTENING, SHARING AND REFLECTING. AFTER
DISCUSSION AND PRAYER WITH EACH OTHER, THE CONGREGATION WILL MAKE DECISIONS ON THE BASIS OF THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
36
37. PURPOSE AND VALUES SURVEYS
The Purpose and Values Surveys contain a series of questions designed to remind the congregation of its
purpose and enable it to communicate its values. Unless the church understands what it values, it will
not be able to articulate a realistic Philosophy of Ministry. Facilitating a discussion and affirmation of
corporate values in the congregation results in a Purpose and Philosophy of Ministry that belongs to
them and is not just something handed down from the leadership in which they have had little, if any,
input.
Part I - Reflect On An Influential Church You Once Attended
A. Circle up to ten things you really liked about this church. (Add if you wish.)
1. Good Music 10. Program for family 19. Bible Teaching
2. Community Outreach 11. Hospitality 20. Altar Calls
3. Practical Preaching 12. Emphasis on Prayer 21. People My Age
4. Meaningful Worship 13. Equipping For Ministry 22. Small
5. Friendly 14. Concern For Lost 23. Big
6. Location 15. Strong Caring Leadership 24. Mid Size
7. Care Groups 16. Clear Purpose 25. ________
8. Accepting and Caring 17. Valued Lay Involvement 26 .________
9. Missions Emphasis 18. Gift Based Ministry
B. Following this church as an example, what do we need in our church now ?
1. Good Music 10. Programming for family 19. Bible Teaching
2. Community Outreach 11. Hospitality 20. Altar Calls
3. Practical Preaching 12. Emphasis on Prayer 21. People My Age
4. Meaningful Worship 13. Equipping For Ministry 22. _______
community surveys
Community Surveys provide a way for the church to listen to its community. Often the church is so busy
"doing" that it fails to listen to those it is trying to reach. Hearing the cry of the people and witnessing
their lostness rarely fails to move hearts to once again realize they have "Good News" to offer a dying
world. Discussing the findings in open meetings enables the church to understand its opportunity and
responsibility. Because they have discovered it, they believe and own it.
1. Are you an active member of a local church? Y - N Attend: Y -N Church: _____
2. What do you think is the greatest need that people have in our community? (Something the church needs to
address)
3. Do you think most people would consider putting their children in a church children's club or Family Sunday
School program? __ Yes __ No __ Maybe
4. What do you think are the greatest frustrations that people feel in this community?`
__ loneliness __ lack of significance __ lack of child care
__ marriage relationship __ lack of purpose __ guilt
__ relationships with family __ spiritual emptiness __ raising family
THESE TOOLS, COMBINED WITH A PROPER PROCESS, ALLOW THE CONGREGATION TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITY.
KNOWING AND OWNING WHAT "ALLOWS THE HOLY SPIRIT TO LEAD IN DISCOVERING WHAT "SHOULD BE". THE RESULT IS GOD'S VISION COMMITTED
TO AND OWNED BY THE ENTIRE CHURCH.
37
38. ministry assessment questionnaires
These tools allow a church to "take a picture" of itself on any given Sunday morning. They permit the
congregation's members to express their feelings on their church's ministry confidently and
confidentially. Everything from prayer, to organization and evangelism is covered. A church should
select the Questionnaire most appropriate to its style of ministry.
Worship
1 We have a sense of enjoying good worship together and a desire to work at it.
2 We focus on the "function" of worship and not just its "forms" (free to use various forms)
3 Our worship together produces a greater love for the Lord that results in a desire for personal witness.
4 Our preaching gives us a clear understanding of what God's Word is calling us to do or not to do.
5 Our style of music is balanced to the age groups and needs within our church.
6 Our people experience and share God's working in their lives and regular answers to prayer.
7 Prayer is practiced as an important part of the life and worship of the congregation
The congregation's responses are then processed through custom designed software, showing visually the
congregation's feelings. The results make possible significant congregational discussion and evaluation. In
the end
;Weak Strong :
: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ;
38
42. Finding people with bold vision. A culture of shared strategy, with management visions
complemented and ultimately reshaped by grassroots innovation, demands a consistent
emphasis on finding people with the right psychological makeup for the resulting culture of
autonomous action and assertiveness. Ken Lay sometimes described the challenge as finding a
"game-breaking player" in each key job. As Hamel puts it, "You can't build a forever-restless,
opportunity-seeking company unless you're willing to hire forever-restless, opportunity-
seeking individuals."
Defining the boundaries of your business very broadly so that new ideas aren't rejected
out of hand as being "not what we do around here." To be sure, balance is important--Hamel,
after all, is the co-author of the whole notion of core competencies--but a constantly-shifting
strategy will inevitably test the limits of whatever boundaries an organization tries to set up.
Internally, this means bashing away at stovepipes until organizations create "fluid
organizational boundaries" within their walls.
John Kotter’s 8-Step Change Process
A Fast Guide from The Leadership Hub
Professor John Kotter was named by BusinessWeek magazine, in a poll of US managers, as ‘The
Number 1 leadership and change guru’.
His
1. create a sense of urgency
2. put together a strong enough team to direct the process
3. create an appropriate vision
4. communicate that vision broadly
5. empower employees to act on the vision
6. produce sufficient short-term results to give their efforts credibility and to disempower the
cynics
7. build momentum and use that momentum to tackle tougher change problems and
8. anchor the new behaviour in the organisational culture
“Each of these actions takes time. Step 1. alone, pushing up the level of urgency, may take
months in a complacent organisation of any size. Formulating an appropriate vision or strategy
may be done in weeks. But, it often requires 12 or even 24 months.
42
8-Step Change Process is widely used for transformational top-down change initiatives by large
organizations.
“In the most successful change efforts, leaders move through eight complicated stages,” says
Professor Kotter, “in which they
43. 8.
Institutionalise
changes
7.
Consolidate
improvements
6.
Plan for and
Create short -
term wins 5.
Empower
others
4.
Communicate
the vision
3.
Create a
vision
2.
Form a
powerful
coalition
1.
Establish a
sense of
urgency
Kotter Õs 8
Steps for
Managing
Change
Articulate a powerful rationale
and business case for change
Assemble a team with
enough power & influence
in the organisation to lead
the change effort
Create a
compelling vision
of the future to
guide the
direction of the
change
Use every possible
vehicle to
communicate the
vision. Role -model
new behaviours
Remove obstacles to the change. Change
systems, or structures that undermine the
vision
Plan visible quick -wins.
Implement and recognise
and reward employees
involved
Use credibility to
change policies &
procedures that
don Õt fit vision.
Recruit and
promote
employees who
can implement
vision
Continually articulate the
connections between
the new way of working
and corporate success.
Weave new corporate
style / culture into
leadership development
and succession planning
43
44. So, how do I use this model to lead change ?
Each stage of John Kotter’s 8-Step Model is explained a little more fully, with some examples,
on his website called The Heart of Change. Click on the site link,
http://www.theheartofchange.com . Then, once in the site, click on ‘The 8 Steps’. There are
other useful examples from the book of the same name on the site, and a change insight tool
you might find useful.
Further Kotter resources: Kotter’s Harvard Business Review Article Leading Change: Why
Transformation Efforts Fail. Click on the link here http://snipurl.com/whychangefails if you wish
to download. Harvard charge a few dollars for this. The article goes into the 8 Stages.
SOURCE: This Hub Fast Guide was put together for The Leadership Hub Community
www.TheLeadershipHub.com by Hub members Phil Dourado www.PhilDourado.com and Joe Espana
www.performance-equations.co.uk
START: create a
sense of urgency
produce short-
term results to
disempower
the cynics
build
momentum to
tackle tougher
change
problems
put a strong
enough team
to direct the
process
create an
appropriate
vision
communicate
that vision
broadly
empower
employees to
act on the
vision
anchor the new
behaviour in
the
organisational
culture
Professor
John Kotter’s
8-Step Change
Process to transform
organization
44
45. Core Values
Values are traits or qualities that are considered worthwhile; they represent an individual’s
highest priorities and deeply held driving forces. (Values are also known as core values and as
governing values; they all refer to the same sentiment.)
Value statements are grounded in values and define how people want to behave with each
other in the organization. They are statements about how the organization will value customers,
suppliers, and the internal community. Value statements describe actions which are the living
enactment of the fundamental values held by most individuals within the organization.
The values of each of the individuals in your workplace, along with their experience,
upbringing, and so on, meld together to form your corporate culture. The values of your senior
leaders are especially important in the development of your culture.
These leaders have a lot of power in your organization to set the course and environment and
they have selected the staff for your workplace.
If you think about your own life, your values form the cornerstones for all you do and
accomplish. They define where you spend your time, if you are truly living your values. Each of
you makes choices in life according to your most important four – ten values. Why not take the
time to identify what is most important to you and to your organization.
Why Identify and Establish Values?
Effective organizations identify and develop a clear, concise and shared meaning of
values/beliefs, priorities, and direction so that everyone understands and can contribute. Once
defined, values impact every aspect of your organization. You must support and nurture this
impact or identifying values will have been a wasted
exercise. People will feel fooled and misled unless they
see the impact of the exercise within your organization.
If you want the values you identify to have an impact,
the following must occur.
• People demonstrate and model their values in
action in their personal work behaviors, decision
making, contribution, and interpersonal
interaction.
• Organizational values help each person establish
priorities in their daily work life.
• Values guide every decision that is made once the
organization has cooperatively created the values
and the value statements.
45
The following are examples of
values: ambition, competency,
individuality, equality, integrity,
service, responsibility, accuracy,
respect, dedication, diversity,
improvement, enjoyment/fun,
loyalty, credibility, honesty,
innovativeness, teamwork,
excellence, accountability,
empowerment, quality, efficiency,
dignity, collaboration,
stewardship, empathy,
accomplishment, courage,
wisdom, independence, security,
challenge, influence, learning,
compassion, friendliness,
discipline/order, generosity,
persistence, optimism,
dependability, flexibility.
46. • Rewards and recognition within the organization are structured to recognize those
people whose work embodies the values the organization embraced.
• Organizational goals are grounded in the identified values. Adoption of the values and
the behaviors that result is recognized in regular performance feedback.
• People hire and promote individuals whose outlook and actions are congruent with the
values.
• Only the active participation of all members of the organization will ensure a truly
organization-wide, value-based, shared culture.
Although important aspects of your life and attention, these are not values: family, church,
professionalism. If you define what you value about each of these, you are identifying the core
value. As an example, the core value in family might be close relationships; in church,
spirituality.
46
47. Chapter 8
Organizational Renewal – Prologue to Visioning
Organizational renewal is basically taking a look at our vision in our quest to deepen and
broaden our essential growth.
Why vision renewal in our quest for essential growth in our church?
Few churches have a clear ministry vision. Consequently they lack focus and enthusiasm in
their ministries. In an effort to remedy their situation they often try to create a vision rather
than discovering the one that God has for them.
Vision renewal is an important process for the average church?
•Vision Renewal Process (VRP)
provides an easy-to-follow structure that the leadership can use to monitor progress
and sharpen the church's effectiveness.
•Healthy Churches have a vision! This is nothing new. But, where does the vision come from?
Some suggest from the Pastor or leadership team. Actually, however, it is God's vision the
church needs not the pastor's or the leadership's.
•Healthy Churches have a vision given by God, received and owned by all. What is the Vision
Renewal Process?
What is the Vision Renewal What is the Vision Renewal Process?
Vision renewal is a discovery process for churches to follow when they are not crystal clear on
what God wants them to do and how he wants them to proceed. Such uncertainty is not to be
feared. Rather, it is an opportunity for the church to hear what God is saying in a fresh new way.
•
The greatest thing a pastor and leaders can do for the people is lead them in a discovery of the
destiny God has for them.
47
48. •
The church's vision must come from God.
Healthy Churches have a vision given by God, received and owned by all.
The greatest thing a pastor and leaders can do for the people is lead them in a discovery of the
destiny God has for them.
• What is the Vision Renewal Process?
Vision renewal is a discovery process for churches to follow when they are not crystal clear on
what God wants them to do and how he wants them to proceed. Such uncertainty is not to be
feared. Rather, it is an opportunity for the church to hear what God is saying in a fresh new
way.
The Vision Renewal Process provides a way for the entire church to face themselves, listen to
God, each other and the community and discover exactly what He wants them to do. The result
is a vision and plan rooted in reality and embraced by all.
Vision Renewal Process
provides a way for the entire church' to discover together the Holy Spirit's agenda for
them and their ministry. It leads the church step by step to a discovery of God's VISION for
them by:
Lastly, vision renewal assists the church in translating their plan into MINISTRY.
Growth churches have a vision given by God, received and owned by all, and effectively
implemented.
How does the vision renewal process insure congregational ownership?
Vision Renewal Process insures congregational ownership by using tools that require the
congregation to see and own their needs, realize their opportunities and identify their vision.
How long does the vision renewal process take?
Once (the church has approved the vision renewal track, the entire process takes
thirty two weeks. This timeline may be extended if a church is in pastoral transition,
or shortened if many of the stages have already been completed.
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49. Who implements the vision renewal process?
The majority of work is carried out by a VRP Team, approved by the church,
under the guidance of a ‘coaching' leader. However, their work is of little value
unless the congregation as a whole is included and valued in all decisions.
Leadership Board –
Understand the process Responsible to recommend it to the membership.
Insure the VRP is funded
Adjust the church calendar so other events do not conflict with it.
Congregation –
Prayerfully consider all the issues and information brought to them by the VRP Team .
Through the four Congregational
Discovery Sessions listen, share and reflect.
Make decisions on the basis of the leading of the Holy Spirit.
VRP Team –
Gathers information from the church and community by listening, Organizes it
in a meaningful way and shares it with the church.
Like a mirror, reflects as accurately as possible, in an unbiased manner, exactly
what the people have said.
The VRP Team is usually composed of two person from the church board and four or five
members at large.
Coach –
The coach can be a denominational leader or a lay facilitator who under- stands
the process
Has the respect of the congregation.
He may be a member of the congregation or an outsider.
He must have no agenda of his own Possess a commitment to help the church
discover the Holy Spirit's agenda for them.
Step6 Conduct another survey after 8-12 Mos
Implement Change Dynamics
• Change occur all around us
• Methods and systems change but not theology and principles
49
50. • No growth without change; no change without pain
• Change for growth requirescourage
• God works through the church to facilitate change
OrganizationsOrganizations
NeedsNeeds
Work TeamsWork Teams
NeedsNeeds
Programs/Programs/
ProjectsProjects
OperationalOperational
ObjectivesObjectives
StrategicStrategic
ObjectivesObjectives
PersonalPersonal
Dev NeedsDev Needs
Relating Strategic Objectives with Organizational NeedsRelating Strategic Objectives with Organizational Needs
TasksTasks PeoplePeople
OrganizationsOrganizations
NeedsNeeds
Work TeamsWork Teams
NeedsNeeds
PeoplePeople
OrganizationsOrganizations
NeedsNeeds
Work TeamsWork Teams
NeedsNeeds
PeoplePeople
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51. Define your
current
Situation
Seek for the
Lord’s
Perceive
Plan for you
Draft your
vision/
Mission
Statement
Prepare
Action
Plan &
general
Schedule
Review
your
core values
Flow in
Preparing
Vision/Mission
Chapter 9
Vision Casting Process
What is Vision
A true vision must provide a clear image of a
desirable future, one which represents an achievable, challenging and worthwhile long-range
target toward which people can direct their energies."
The ability to receive a vision from God, to develop a plan to see that vision come about and to
guide or serve as reference to those around you through necessary change so that the vision
becomes a reality is crucial to effective living.
What does it do for us
* focuses energy for greater effectiveness,
* establishes meaning for today,
* gives hope for the future,
* brings unity to the family, or team and
* raises commitment level from each.
Your picture of the future should be consistent with your core values and ministry principles, and
be based on an accurate view of God, self and the community around it.
Characteristics A godly vision:
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"Seeing the benefits of vision can be a
powerful motivation for individuals to
reprioritize their activities and
resources."
George Barna,, The Power of Vision
A personal vision statement expresses your
understanding of God's call for your life –
focusing on who you are and what you do.
52. Vision:
"Where are
you going?"
Mission: "How
will
you get there?"
Values:
"Who are you?"
Outcomes:
"Are you
there yet?"
Operationalizing
Task &
Schedules
In pursuit
of Vision
catches a glimpse of reality from God's perspective
recognizes God's desire to bless his people
(Eph 3:20-21)
flows out of God's redemptive purposes
(Matt 28:18-20)
seeks God's specific assignment
sets standards of excellence
clarifies purpose and direction
inspires people and organizations
bridges the present and the future
Recognize God's involvement
•Ask God to prepare your heart and open your eyes.
•Discern and write your core values.
•Expose yourself to needs and opportunities.
•Understand your current situation and context.
•Develop and evaluate future possibilities.
•Write a vision statement
•What are your short-term and long-term goals to enable your vision?
•What obstacles could prevent you from realizing your vision?
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53. Chapter 10
Developing Mission Statement
Your personal vision statement guides your life. Your personal vision statement provides the
direction necessary to guide the course of your days and the choices you make about your
career. Your personal vision statement is the light shining in the darkness toward which you
turn to find your way. Your personal vision statement illuminates your way.
Write your personal vision statement as the first step in focusing your life - for your joy, your
accomplishments, your contribution, your glory, and for your legacy.
Exploration to Prepare to Write the Personal Vision Statement
Use these questions to guide your thoughts.
• What are the ten things you most enjoy doing? Be honest. These are the ten things
without which your weeks, months, and years would feel incomplete.
• What three things must you do every single day to feel fulfilled in your work?
• What are your five-six most important values?
• Your life has a number of important facets or dimensions, all of which deserve some
attention in your personal vision statement.
• Write one important goal for each of them: physical, spiritual, work or career, family,
social relationships, financial security, mental improvement and attention, and fun.
• If you never had to work another day in your life, how would you spend your time
instead of working?
• When your life is ending, what will you regret not doing, seeing, or achieving?
53
54. • What strengths have other people commented on about you and your accomplishments?
What strengths do you see in yourself?
• What weaknesses have other people commented on about you and what do you believe
are your weaknesses?
Craft Your Personal Vision Statement
Once you have thoughtfully prepared answers to these questions and others that you identify,
you are ready to craft a personal vision statement. Write in first person and make statements
about the future you hope to achieve. Write the statements as if you are already making them
happen in your life. Some experts recommend 50 words or less, but I would rather see you fully
articulate the vision you want for your life and your future, than be limited by word count.
Motivational speaker and writer, Brian Tracy, states that you generally accomplishment your
written goals, dreams, plans, and vision. Writing them down lends power and commitment to
their accomplishment.
Keep in mind that your personal vision statement can also change over time, depending upon
what is happening in your life. You will be amazed, however, at how many components remain
consistent over time. I first articulated this vision for my life in 1984; this personal vision
statement guides my life.
My Personal Vision Statement
My own personal vision statement includes such items as reading and writing every day;
publishing books; sharing a lifetime of knowledge about people, management, and workplaces
with a vast international audience; having a positive impact on every person with whom I come
in contact; living daily a life dedicated to integrity, commitment, challenge, and joy; loving my
husband and valuing my marriage; valuing a few close friends; valuing family relationships;
being at all times aware of and engaged in my natural environment; inventing and writing
about recipes and food; traveling the world to experience its richness; watching plays and
movies; listening to music; never having to worry about spending money on anything I want;
and walking by Lake Michigan.
When I live and experience the components of my personal vision statement frequently, I feel
inner peace and joy that knows no bounds. Your personal vision statement will have the same
impact for you. Take the time to formulate answers to the above questions, and write your
personal vision statement. Then, listen to your heart sing with the fullness of your articulated
dreams.
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55. Our Shared Vision (Sample of a Family Vision)
Seeing our family consistently live abundant Christian life, freed from all bondages of sins and of the past.
We pursue excellence in business, career and chores towards financial sufficiency and support strategic
ministries and people. We endeavor to build new family nucleus in order to have a godly heritage for the
next generation for the glory of God!
We are committed to a life of discipline, and dedication towards this Vision. We will therefore prepare a
working action program and plan.
Signed : ------------------------------- -------------------------------
------------------------------- -------------------------------
Values
A value is an assumption upon which implementation can be extrapolated. A value system is a
set of consistent values and measures. A principle value is a foundation upon which other values
and measures of integrity are based. Values are considered subjective and vary across people
and cultures. Types of values include ethical/moral values, doctrinal/ideological (political,
religious) values, social values, and aesthetic values. It is debated whether some values are
innate.
[edit] Personal values
Personal values evolves from circumstances with the external world and can change over time.
Integrity in the application of values refers to its continuity; persons have integrity if they apply
their values appropriately regardless of arguments or negative reinforcement from others.
Values are applied appropriately when they are applied in the right area. For example, it would
be appropriate to apply religious values in times of happiness as well as in times of despair.
Personal values are implicitly related to choice; they guide decisions by allowing for an
individual's choices to be compared to each choice's associated values.
Personal values developed early in life may be resistant to change. They may be derived from
those of particular groups or systems, such as culture, religion, and political party. However,
personal values are not universal; one's family, nation, generation and historical environment
help determine one's personal values. This is not to say that the value concepts themselves are
not universal, merely that each individual possess a unique conception of them i.e. a personal
knowledge of the appropriate values for their own genes, feelings and experience.
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56. [edit] Cultural values
Groups, societies, or cultures have values that are largely shared by their members. The values
identify those objects, conditions or characteristics that members of the society consider
important; that is, valuable. In the United States, for example, values might include material
comfort, wealth, competition, individualism or religiosity. The values of a society can often be
identified by noting which people receive honor or respect. In the US, for example, professional
athletes are more highly honored than college professors, in part because the society values
physical activity and competitiveness more than mental activity and education. Surveys show
that voters in the United States would be reluctant to elect an atheist as a president, suggesting
that belief in God is a value.
Values are related to the norms of a culture, but they are more general and abstract than norms.
Norms are rules for behavior in specific situations, while values identify what should be judged
as good or bad. Flying the national flag on a holiday is a norm, but it reflects the value of
patriotism. Wearing dark clothing and appearing solemn are normative behaviors at a funeral.
They reflect the values of respect and support of friends and family.
Members take part in a culture even if each member's personal values do not entirely agree with
some of the normative values sanctioned in the culture. This reflects an individual's ability to
synthesize and extract aspects valuable to them from the multiple subcultures they belong to.
If a group member expresses a value that is in serious conflict with the group's norms, the
group's authority may carry out various ways of encouraging conformity or stigmatizing the
non-conforming behavior of its members. For example, imprisonment can result from conflict
with social norms that have been established as law..
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57. Chapter 6
DEVELOPING STRATEGY
STRATEGY is an integrated pattern of actions aimed at achieving an organization’s vision,
mission or goals. Strategies are the most important coordinated sets of actions needed to achieve
the vision. They are formulated to achieve the goals of an organization, in line with the mission
and headed toward the vision.
Strategies are best designed after a set of scenarios have been generated and an
organization has clarified its vision, mission and goals.
We recommend a four step process to developing and evaluating strategies:
1. Identify the key strategies that are currently being used by your organization.
2. Discuss how effective these strategies would be the 4 scenarios—are some current
strategies highly “robust” in the sense that they would work well in most or all of the
future circumstances portrayed by the scenarios?
3. Develop additional potential strategies for achieving the vision or the major goals
derived from the vision.
4. An approach for enhancing creativity is to enter into each scenario and generate
strategies that make sense in the conditions
STRATEGIC ISSUE OR QUESTION—
A statement of specific challenges facing an organization. Five general categories exist:
1 Threats to the organization’s existence and survival
2 Weaknesses that require resolution to achieve the organization’s vision and mission
3 Opportunities to achieve or address vision and mission goals, targets or milestones
4 Resolutions of conflicts that drain critical resources away from core competencies,
mission activities and vision oriented strategies
5 Opportunities to build meaning and community through action
Reflection Questions
1 Who is your ministry focus group? Trying to reach everybody in general is a
wonderful way to reach nobody in particular. Effective organizations know their target
audience(s).
2 What needs are you seeking to meet?
3 What will be considered good news to your ministry focus group?
57
58. 4 How will you & your group meet their needs?
5 How will you accomplish your mission?
6 What are the 3-5 key key areas which will help you fulfill your purpose?
7 Do you have a strategic plan to implement your vision?
Developing functional structures
In order to develop functional structures several things have to be looked at:
Vision: "Where are you going?"
Mission: "How will you get there?"
Outcomes: "Are you there yet?"
Ministry Flow Chart: "What are you doing in order to get
where we're going?"
Important Consideration:
•Leaders setting aside regular times together to cultivate vision from God
•Vision and values consistently and creatively reinforced during and corporate
gatherings
•Commitment to vision and values deepening
•Perspective regularly renewed and priorities focused
•Vision being translated into specific action plans
Strategic planning
Many aspects of an envisioned future can be influenced or changed by actions we can take
today. For the Christian this is not simply projection-based planning, but realizing that through
prayer and our relationship with God, we can be a catalyst to help bring about a future in
alignment with God's will. The strategic planning process provides both the direction in which
a person, church or organization should go and the energy to get it started.
Scenarios are not predictions of the future. Rather, they encourage people to think about
how to navigate successfully across the different circumstances that might be encountered.
Scenarios are alternative descriptions or stories of how the future might unfold. They compile
58
59. information about divergent trends and possibilities into internally consistent images of
plausible alternative futures. Scenarios are designed to systematically explore future challenges
and opportunities and aid in strategy development. In the process, they often provoke the
imagination, raise fundamental questions, make explicit our deeply held values, and stretch our
worldviews.
Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making
decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy, including its capital and people.
Various business analysis techniques can be used in strategic planning, including SWOT
analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats ) and PEST analysis (Political,
Economic, Social, and Technological analysis).
Strategies are different from tactics in that:
1. They are proactive and not re-active as tactics are.
2. They are internal in source and the business venture has absolute control over its application.
3. Strategy can only be applied once, after that it is process of application with no unique
element remaining.
4. The outcome is normally a strategic plan which is used as guidance to define functional and
divisional plans, including Technology, Marketing, etc.
Strategic Planning is the formal consideration of an organization's future course. All strategic
planning deals with at least one of three key questions:
1. "What do we do?"
2. "For whom do we do it?"
3. "How do we excel?"
In business strategic planning, the third question is better phrased "How can we beat or avoid
competition?". (Bradford and Duncan, page 1).
In many organizations, this is viewed as a process for determining where an organization is
going over the next year or more -typically 3 to 5 years, although some extend their vision to 20
years.
In order to determine where it is going, the organization needs to know exactly where it stands,
then determines where it wants to go and how it will get there. The resulting document is called
the "strategic plan".
It is also true that strategic planning may be a tool for effectively plotting the direction of a
company; however, strategic planning itself cannot foretell exactly how the market will evolve
59
60. and what issues will surface in the coming days in order to plan your organizational strategy.
Therefore, strategic innovation and tinkering with the 'strategic plan' have to be a cornerstone
strategy for an organization to survive the turbulent business climate.
Contents
[hide] [hide]
• 1 Vision, mission and values
• 2 Methodologies
• 3 Situational analysis
• 4 Goals, objectives and targets
• 5 Mission statements and vision statements
• 6 References
• 7 See also
• 8 External links
[edit] Vision, mission and values
Vision: Defines where the organization wants to be in the future. It reflects the optimistic view
of the organization's future.
Mission: Defines where the organization is going now, basically describing the purpose, why
this organization exists.
Values: Main values protected by the organization during the progression, reflecting the
organization's culture and priorities.
Strategic planning saves wasted time, every minute spent in planning saves ten minutes in
execution.
The purpose of individual strategic planning is for you to increase your return on energy, the
return on the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual capital you have invested in your life
and career.
Every minute an individual spends planning their goals, activities and time in advance saves
ten minutes of work in the execution of those plans -- or so claim several experts.. Careful
advance planning gives you a return of ten times, or 1,000% , on your investment of mental,
emotional and physical energy. (The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success.) In
any case, it is generally agreed that spending a meaningful period of time reflecting on strategy
and goals before taking action is almost always a wise course of action for any individual or
institution.
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61. [edit] Methodologies
There are many approaches to strategic planning but typically a three-step process may be used:
• Situation - evaluate the current situation and how it came about.
• Target - define goals and/or objectives (sometimes called ideal state)
• Path - map a possible route to the goals/objectives
One alternative approach is called Draw-See-Think
• Draw - what is the ideal image or the desired end state?
• See - what is today's situation? What is the gap from ideal and why?
• Think - what specific actions must be taken to close the gap between today's situation
and the ideal state?
• Plan - what resources are required to execute the activities?
An alternative to the Draw-See-Think approach is called See-Think-Draw
• See - what is today's situation?
• Think - define goals/objectives
• Draw - map a route to achieving the goals/objectives
In other terms strategic planning can be as follows:
• Vision - Define the vision and set a mission statement with hierarchy of goals
• SWOT - Analysis conducted according to the desired goals
• Formulate - Formulate actions and processes to be taken to attain these goals
• Implement - Implementation of the agreed upon processes
• Control - Monitor and get feedback from implemented processes to fully control the
operation
[edit] Situational analysis
When developing strategies, analysis of the organization and its environment as it is at the
moment and how it may develop in the future, is important. The analysis has to be executed at
an internal level as well as an external level to identify all opportunities and threats of the new
strategy.
There are several factors to assess in the external situation analysis:
1. Markets (customers)
2. Competition
3. Technology
4. Supplier markets
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62. 5. Labor markets
6. The economy
7. The regulatory environment
It is rare to find all seven of these factors having critical importance. It is also uncommon to find
that the first two - markets and competition - are not of critical importance. (Bradford "External
Situation - What to Consider")
Analysis of the external environment normally focuses on the customer. Management should be
visionary in formulating customer strategy, and should do so by thinking about market
environment shifts, how these could impact customer sets, and whether those customer sets are
the ones the company wishes to serve.
Analysis of the competitive environment is also performed, many times based on the
framework suggested by Michael Porter.
[edit] Goals, objectives and targets
Strategic planning is a very important business activity. It is also important in the public sector
areas such as education. It is practiced widely informally and formally. Strategic planning and
decision processes should end with objectives and a roadmap of ways to achieve those
objectives.
The following terms have been used in Strategic Planning: desired end states, plans, policies,
goals, objectives, strategies, tactics and actions. Definitions vary, overlap and fail to achieve
clarity. The most common of these concepts are specific, time bound statements of intended
future results and general and continuing statements of intended future results, which most
models refer to as either goals or objectives (sometimes interchangeably).
One model of organizing objectives uses hierarchies. The items listed above may be organized
in a hierarchy of means and ends and numbered as follows: Top Rank Objective (TRO), Second
Rank Objective, Third Rank Objective, etc. From any rank, the objective in a lower rank answers
to the question "How?" and the objective in a higher rank answers to the question "Why?" The
exception is the Top Rank Objective (TRO): there is no answer to the "Why?" question. That is
how the TRO is defined.
People typically have several goals at the same time. "Goal congruency" refers to how well the
goals combine with each other. Does goal A appear compatible with goal B? Do they fit together
to form a unified strategy? "Goal hierarchy" consists of the nesting of one or more goals within
other goal(s).
One approach recommends having short-term goals, medium-term goals, and long-term goals.
In this model, one can expect to attain short-term goals fairly easily: they stand just slightly
62
63. above one's reach. At the other extreme, long-term goals appear very difficult, almost
impossible to attain. Strategic management jargon sometimes refers to "Big Hairy Audacious
Goals" (BHAGs) in this context.) Using one goal as a stepping-stone to the next involves goal
sequencing. A person or group starts by attaining the easy short-term goals, then steps up to the
medium-term, then to the long-term goals. Goal sequencing can create a "goal stairway". In an
organizational setting, the organization may co-ordinate goals so that they do not conflict with
each other. The goals of one part of the organization should mesh compatibly with those of
other parts of the organization.
[edit] Mission statements and vision statements
Organizations sometimes summarize goals and objectives into a mission statement and/or a
vision statement:
While the existence of a shared mission is extremely useful, many strategy specialists question
the requirement for a written mission statement. However, there are many models of strategic
planning that start with mission statements, so it is useful to examine them here.
• A Mission statement: tells you what the company is now. It concentrates on present; it
defines the customer(s), critical processes and it informs you about the desired level of
performance.
• A Vision statement: outlines what a company wants to be. It concentrates on future; it is a
source of inspiration; it provides clear decision-making criteria.
Many people mistake vision statement for mission statement. The Vision describes a future
identity and the Mission describes why it will be achieved. A Mission statement defines the
purpose or broader goal for being in existence or in the business. It serves as an ongoing guide
without time frame. The mission can remain the same for decades if crafted well. Vision is more
specific in terms of objective and future state. Vision is related to some form of achievement if
successful.
A mission statement can resemble a vision statement in a few companies, but that can be a
grave mistake. It can confuse people. The vision statement can galvanize the people to achieve
defined objectives, even if they are stretch objectives, provided the vision is SMART (Specific,
Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timebound). A mission statement provides a path to
realize the vision in line with its values. These statements have a direct bearing on the bottom
line and success of the organization.
Which comes first? The mission statement or the vision statement? That depends. If you have a
new start up business, new program or plan to re engineer your current services, then the vision
will guide the mission statement and the rest of the strategic plan. If you have an established
business where the mission is established, then many times, the mission guides the vision
63
