MISSION, GOALS AND ORGANIZATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

Selecting a Mission
A mission defines the area of business chosen to help make the vision a reality. It puts boundaries around the organization to channel and focus its efforts. A well-selected mission makes the organization more effective in its operations. It defines the area of the opportunity that will be addressed. As a result, it selects the competition the organization will face. Since it narrows the organization's focus, it can lead to the development of sustainable competitive advantage.
Establishing Goals
Goals are measurable objectives that the organization must reach within an identified time frame. Often it is advisable to establish several different time frames for goals, for example, periods of five and ten years. Goals are steps on the organization's way to actualizing the vision within the chosen area of business. Goals must be attainable but outside the current reach of the organization. The organization must need to be innovative to reach the goals. If the goals are too easily attained, they will not serve to motivate the organization. If the goals are impossible to reach, frustration will develop, and morale will drop. It is imperative to monitor progress on the path to realization of the goals. This means that the degree of attainment of the goals must be measurable; therefore, a measurement system must be established every time a goal is Goals are indicators of what's worth achieving in and by the organization. They become the "glue" for the organizational structure. Goals can be segmented, and each piece related to the whole. This creates a hierarchy of purpose, and it gives people in the organization a way to identify with the vision. A vision can sometimes be too lofty; people can buy into the vision but not see how they can contribute. Hierarchical goals provide individuals with a way to help the organization and themselves realize the vision.
Developing Organizational Implications
The next step in the process is to develop the organizational implications, positive and negative, of the opportunity, vision, mission, and goals. This is best done by considering five areas of the organization:

• Organizational structures: Mission structures (org charts), programs for support of concepts generated by the organization, programs to facilitate the development of intra organizational and extra organizational experience, programs and structures to promote learning or developmental assignments, programs and structures to encourage mentoring
  
• Communication systems: Project management systems, internal and external publications, databases and computer conferences, internal and external professional societies, libraries, seminars and symposia
  
• Incentives: Career multi-paths, award, salary programs that promote continued development, ownership equity, recognition programs, intangibles such as valuing "creative" failure higher than "safe" path, access to power tools of change, time to pursue innovative projects, ability to be involved in more innovative programs, dress codes, out-of-company activities, work atmosphere
  
• Education: Skills development (personal, management, technical), integrative skill development (creativity, innovation, professionalism, forecasting, and leadership)
  
• Management systems: Establish the shared vision, set strategic direction, provide objectives, create change programs, guidelines, reviews, and measurements, assure commitment, demonstrate patience, be flexible.