Archive for March, 2007

I have often found myself in conversations with clients about the meaning and purpose of some of the most fundamental business terms — words like Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Values. It surprises me how often people on the same team have differing ideas about what these words mean, and how often I hear fuzzy thinking about these terms. The result can be significant mis-communication and mis-understandings about the direction of the organization. It is very hard to focus on what you cannot define.

I find that many leaders use mission and vision interchangeably, or think that the difference between them doesn’t matter much. Another related problem is mission and vision statements that are vague, lofty, or have little connection with the real work of the organization.

Let me suggest some definitions that have worked well and solve these problems. They are based on decades of strategy work with clients, as well as authors such as Collins & Porras (Built to Last), Steven Covey (Principle Centered Leadership), Peter Senge (The Fifth Discipline), and Kaplan & Norton (Strategy Maps). Even a dictionary can be amazingly helpful.

Mission: Enduring purpose. The fundamental reason for the organization’s existence beyond just making money. It is a direction, a general heading, a perpetual guiding star on the horizon. It does not change over time. It is generally abstract and can never be achieved, only pursued. For example, for NASA: “advancing man’s capability to explore the heavens”.

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It’s common knowledge that for a team or organization to be effective it must be aligned around its Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Values. But how many of us actually take the time to inquire into how aligned we really are?

Our first Practice of the Month is all about looking at the state of alignment in your team or organization with a curious and open mind. As you talk to people you work with this month, engage them in conversation on these topics:

• How would you define Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Values?
• How confident do you feel that you understand and can articulate the Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Values of your team or organization?
• What do you think the Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Values of your team or organization are?

Take notes as you discuss these question with people. When you get to the end of the month, look through your notes and see what themes you can identify. Are there basic differences in how people define these terms? How much variation is there in what people describe as the plans of the team or organization? How confident do people feel in their understanding?

You might consider sending out an email or memo summarizing your findings. It could be a valuable contribution to your organization to reflect the level of alignment that honestly exists today.

I’d love to hear your stories of what you learn!

This past month has brought more ominous warnings on the environment and the effects of global warming than ever before, and the calls for action are growing. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report on February 2nd with more than 2500 reserachers from 130 nations contributing. This is the most comprehensive overview of climate change yet, with a real potential impact on worldwide public policy. The IPCC says that it is now “very likely” — or at least a 90% probability — that rising temperatures are due to increased human-caused carbon emissions. Dire predictions and calls for action were also heard at the World Economic Forum in Davos, stating “in the last five years the situation has gone from bad to worse.” To make matters worse, this past winter has been the warmest winter in recorded history, and scientists are learning that the warmer winter is causing billions of dollars in crop damage.

The response has been swift and significant. The Chancellor of the Exchequer in the UK, Gordon Brown, soon expected to be the next Prime Minister after Tony Blair steps down, has publicly called for a “new world order” to combat the threat of climate change. The European Union is also imposing a ban on conventional light bulbs, replacing them with energy-saving bulbs within two years. Australia and Canada are taking similar steps.

These new developments point to accelerating trends that will affect all kinds of businesses in a myriad of ways. It’s growing more and more likely that there will be some kind of regulation of greenhouse gase emissions. There will be opportunities as well — from standing out from the competition with environmental responsibility to new products and technologies that help solve pieces of the problem.

How are you and your organization responding to the trends, threats, and opportunities presented by global warming issues?

I just saw the new movie called The Secret. While there is a bit of hype that had me snickering a few times, its central theme really got me thinking. Called the Law of Attraction, it’s basically the idea that we can become and achieve much more if we dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to a clear vision. We attract what we imagine. It’s Steven Covey’s second habit — begin with the end in mind — on steriods. As is often the case, the devil is in the details. The lives of phenomenal success described in the movie didn’t come about from doing a few visioning exercises or wishing for wealth and success. They came from doing a few things consistently, day after day:

1. Seeing clearly and concretely what they wanted to become or accomplish in their mind’s eye.
2. Growing their awareness of and ability to work with the subconscious thoughts and feelings that would sabotage their efforts.
3. Fostering consistent dedication and wholehearted commitment to their vision.
4. Living their vision by taking real, concrete actions toward making it their reality.

The movie tends to trivialize what it takes to create a life that becomes a work of art. It takes a great deal of maturity, skill, and perserverence — perhaps even fanaticism — to pull this off. Most of us seem to have some innate sense of what it takes — and live it out to some degree of success. But most of us also feel like we could do more with our lives.

Interestingly, this entire conversation can apply equally well on the level of a team or organization. Are there ways you, your team, or your organization could do a better job with these four activities?