Here is the background regarding the importance of clearly
understanding the "intangible identity elements" that consist of the assumptions/beliefs, values/aspirations, vision and guiding principles as it relates to creating a Vision/Mission Statement (along with the supporting business plans that each functional unit will put together based on the leadership developed Vision/Mission Statement).
The Planning Process
Knowing what's important to the leadership of the organization and what they want to see happen allows the leadership team to focus its energy and achieve sustained high performance in taking action. This is true for a person, an organization or a community.
Being clear on the intangible elements of one's identity can build a strong foundation for greater self-awareness, purpose, well-being and building competencies in those areas that are important to you and the other people involved. Here are intangible "identity elements" defined:
*Assumptions/beliefs: A reality map formed through your collective reinforced experience. This would be a manifesto of the mental models you use and believe in to create your work and personal lives.
*Values/Aspirations: An attitude or world-view depicted by one word or one single concept observed through one's behavior. Values often influence people's choices about where to invest their energies. Please recognize that values change over time. Being "fair" means something different for a person at 44 than at 4 years old.
*Vision: A word picture of the future leading from now through near to far reality. You energize people to support your purpose or life signature with an overarching description of what you see.
*Guiding Principles: A universal operating standard that guides decision-making both personally and organizationally. Use guiding principles to align, create trust and walk the talk by putting everybody on the same playing field. Energy isn't wasted in the politics of the team, organization or community because there aren't different rules for everybody.
By writing out, in a SWOT (the firm's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) worksheet, each leadership team member's perception of the company's "identity elements" becomes a work-in-progress toward clarifying what the leadership team collectively (in a combined and confidential SWOT) wants to see happen. Completion of this Consolidated SWOT is the first step in a visioning process.
Please note that it is important to keep each leadership team member's SWOT input confidential (so he or she will be completely honest and direct in what they really think/feel) by sending their individually completed SWOT to an impartial third party who confidentially would group and consolidate the responses into an anonymous composite SWOT for distribution to all leadership team members.
It is recommended that this anonymous composite SWOT be distributed in a strategic planning meeting; that allows for confirming what the leadership team jointly agrees to in their combined perceptions. This meeting would be facilitated by the independent third party who would keep the leadership team on track.
The intangible elements (agreed to during this strategic planning meeting) would result in the final group-approved SWOT providing the foundation for the vision/mission statement; which can then begin to be written in draft format for modification and finalization at the next strategic planning leadership team meeting.
Once the mission/vision statement is finalized and distributed to the company's stakeholders, it serves as the basis for preparing a Corporate Business Plan (made up of individual business plans for each functional unit comprised of: external (Marketing), internal (Operational/Training), financial, and real estate (Facilities).
Each functional business plan should use the same structure as the corporate plan: The Primary Objective or Goal, Sub-objectives or Tasks (building up in order to accomplish the primary objective), Metrics (key success factors) and Quality Assurance (what is in or out of accepted standards).
Because what leadership team members became aware of is "identity-driven," knowing who the company is will help management better
understand what is important for the organization to move forward. Once both the leadership and management teams are clearly aware of what they, as a group, plan to achieve through their joint plans, it is a call to take action to clarify and reflect the corporate vision/mission and make the appropriate changes happen through the viable business action plans.
Here is a summary of the strategic planning process:
First step (the intangibles):
From the consolidated SWOT that the leadership team agreed to, list the following intangibles that will serve as the foundation for the corporate Vision/Mission statement:
Assumptions/Beliefs
Values/Aspirations
Vision
Guiding Principles
Second step (the vision/mission statement):
Clear wording of the corporate vision/mission statement that reflects the agreed to intangibles.
Third step (the business unit action plans):
Create each Functional Unit’s business plan that will support the corporate vision/mission statement. Each business unit action plan will list its:
Primary Objective or Goal
Sub-objectives or Tasks
Metrics
Quality Assurance
Develop Leadership Skills: A Mobile Reference Guide
- See more at:
http://www.coachingtip.com/2014/12/developing-visionary-capacity.html
http://www.coachingtip.com/2014/12/reinventing-organizations.html