Over the next several weeks I am going talk about leadership. I hope it is useful to many of you.
I have delivered leadership presentations across the country for nearly twenty five years. Some to large companies, some to large fire departments and some to small fire departments.
I have worked with some very impressive leaders and some not so impressive. I discovered that one of the reasons that organizations fail or do not meet their potential, is a lack of focus.
Organizational focus is created by developing the mission, vision and goals. Now some organizations produce flashy documents that are placed on the wall so everyone can see them. Nice aesthetics but it is of no use if the focus is not internalized by the people of the organization. These documents must be lived by the people on a daily basis.
MISSION
This mission of an organization is the purpose and defines why it exists. The mission statement helps the organization define its direction and stay on course. A good mission statement helps the people of the organization to make the right decisions.
A mission statement provides information as to what your organization does, what sets it apart and most importantly, why you do what you do.
In addition, the mission statement provides the boundaries you need to stay on course. You might say it is your flight plan.
VISION
The vision of an organization inspires and motivate the people as to where the organization is going. It defines what the organization should be in the future. It establishes the direction for the organization. It allows the organization to make decisions based on where you desire it to be in the future.
GOALS
Organizational goals become the “how” of the organization. Goals provide the steps needed to accomplish the mission and vision. The goals must be Specific, Measurable, Realistic and Time Directed = a SMART goal. For example, “We will improve quality.” This goal is not specific and does not meet the established criteria. However, here is an example of a SMART goal. “To increase quality by eliminating production errors by 3%. This goal will be accomplished by December 31, 2019. This goal meets the criteria of a SMART goal.
Team performance and organizational effectiveness can and will be enhanced by using these concepts. To establish buy in by the people, get them involved in developing the mission, vision and goals. This promotes ownership and the organization becomes their organization. Many great things will surface as the ownership grows.
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