Business Plan and Implementation Principle 1
Business Plan and Implementation Principle 1
In my experience as a business coach, chief executives typically consider development of a vision and mission statement to be a waste of time. During strategic planning processes, it is not unusual to hear comments like, “let’s stop spending so much time with this fluffy stuff, and let’s get something done.” I recall one strategic planning process that I facilitated where a lot of thought and time was put into vision, and there were many decision-makers. When we first started the discussion, there was an initial feeling that vision was only necessary for large organizations, and it was questioned whether time was being well spent. Trusting my expertise, the client stayed with the program. To their delight, when the vision was rolled out, there was a surge in energy throughout the organization. As a matter of fact, many employees approached management to ask, “How can we get involved?” They were actually asking for more work to do. WOW!
One issue we find with vision and mission is there is typically confusion about the differences between the two. For the sake of clarity, vision is the destination where an organization wants to be twenty to thirty years from now. It is the journey the organization continually strives toward and never reaches. For example, Tiger Woods’ vision was not ‘to become a great golfer.” If it had been, he could have stopped playing in his early 20s. His vision is to be the best golfer he can be … which never ends.
Mission, on the other hand, looks at what you want to accomplish over the next three to five years to move you closer to the vision. In Tiger’s example, his mission might be to be the Number One golfer every year by perfecting his swing, mastering putting, achieving maximum health, and having the right equipment. If he achieves his mission, he will be driving directly towards his vision.
I would like to share with you a real company that we will call “Dreamer.” Dreamer decided to skip steps in the strategic plan process because that was for bigger companies. While working with this company, a very clear and exciting vision was created. This vision would revolutionize the company and its industry. They actually won an award based on this vision. Failure to follow a complete strategic planning process delayed action by almost 3 years. In other words, rather than the vision being a goal it was a dream.
Continuing our case example, this company actually got itself stuck in the land of “status quo.” To this day, they still struggle with letting go of their roots and truly committing their organization towards their new vision. The missing link was mission tied to vision.
While this company did have a mission, it was the same as before, but with higher numbers. Indirectly, what they inadvertently did was to tell everyone that “We want to be dramatically different, but keep doing what you have been doing, just do it better.” This would have been fine if what they were doing would lead to the vision. Basically, this company was in a hole, and, rather than stop digging and climb out, they kept digging. More importantly, failure to turn this dream into a true goal has cost the company millions of dollars in lost opportunity that can never be recaptured.
Another area where organizations fall short is the clarity of the written vision and mission statements. Well-developed vision and mission statements make clear to everyone “what needs to change and how.” As I mentioned above, the vision screamed, “we need to change dramatically” while the mission said “keep doing what you’re doing.” The bottom line? If you can achieve every goal in your mission and not be dramatically closer to your vision, you do not have a worthwhile mission, or, in simple terms, you are digging deeper holes.
The last issue with this principle is with how it is communicated. Too many companies write vision and mission statements and put them in employee handbooks that nobody reads and on their website, which employees rarely visit. Employees need to be enrolled in, not told, the vision. When this is done correctly, it drives pride and bragging rights for everyone involved. A well-defined vision stimulates employees to come to work in order to contribute to a bigger cause, rather than to collect a paycheck and make the owners richer. Vision is communicated regularly and everywhere so that no one forgets why they come to work.
If your company has any of the following symptoms, you may have a vision or mission problem:
- Top management seems to be pulling everyone along.
- Customers seem to stay 3 to 5 years (or less) and then go to our competitors.
- A lot of changes in “how” things are done have been successfully completed with minimal effect on the bottom line, or the effects are not as great as desired.
- Tactical changes are not driving the business to where it needs to be fast enough.
- High turnover of new employees, particularly at the upper management level.
- Continually miss our business plan goals and usually on the revenue side.
- Employees do not work as hard as we do.
- Most change initiatives start off great and then lose steam.
Business Plan and Implementation Principle 1 - To learn more about this author, visit Howard Shore's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Let’s say you are my employee, and I ask you to build a puzzle of 1,000 pieces. The challenges are that there are no square edges, you cannot see the picture of what the puzzle will look like in the end, and most of the picture is pure black or white. Oh, and by the way, I am going to give you extra pieces. How motivated are you to build this puzzle for me? Welcome to the typical business. This is how the majority of employees feel in most organizations and why most employees only do the minimum expected to keep their job.
In my experience as a business coach, chief executives typically consider development of a vision and mission statement to be a waste of time. During strategic planning processes, it is not unusual to hear comments like, “let’s stop spending so much time with this fluffy stuff, and let’s get something done.” I recall one strategic planning process that I facilitated where a lot of thought and time was put into vision, and there were many decision-makers. When we first started the discussion, there was an initial feeling that vision was only necessary for large organizations, and it was questioned whether time was being well spent. Trusting my expertise, the client stayed with the program. To their delight, when the vision was rolled out, there was a surge in energy throughout the organization. As a matter of fact, many employees approached management to ask, “How can we get involved?” They were actually asking for more work to do. WOW!
One issue we find with vision and mission is there is typically confusion about the differences between the two. For the sake of clarity, vision is the destination where an organization wants to be twenty to thirty years from now. It is the journey the organization continually strives toward and never reaches. For example, Tiger Woods’ vision was not ‘to become a great golfer.” If it had been, he could have stopped playing in his early 20s. His vision is to be the best golfer he can be … which never ends.
Mission, on the other hand, looks at what you want to accomplish over the next three to five years to move you closer to the vision. In Tiger’s example, his mission might be to be the Number One golfer every year by perfecting his swing, mastering putting, achieving maximum health, and having the right equipment. If he achieves his mission, he will be driving directly towards his vision.
I would like to share with you a real company that we will call “Dreamer.” Dreamer decided to skip steps in the strategic plan process because that was for bigger companies. While working with this company, a very clear and exciting vision was created. This vision would revolutionize the company and its industry. They actually won an award based on this vision. Failure to follow a complete strategic planning process delayed action by almost 3 years. In other words, rather than the vision being a goal it was a dream.
Continuing our case example, this company actually got itself stuck in the land of “status quo.” To this day, they still struggle with letting go of their roots and truly committing their organization towards their new vision. The missing link was mission tied to vision.
While this company did have a mission, it was the same as before, but with higher numbers. Indirectly, what they inadvertently did was to tell everyone that “We want to be dramatically different, but keep doing what you have been doing, just do it better.” This would have been fine if what they were doing would lead to the vision. Basically, this company was in a hole, and, rather than stop digging and climb out, they kept digging. More importantly, failure to turn this dream into a true goal has cost the company millions of dollars in lost opportunity that can never be recaptured.
Another area where organizations fall short is the clarity of the written vision and mission statements. Well-developed vision and mission statements make clear to everyone “what needs to change and how.” As I mentioned above, the vision screamed, “we need to change dramatically” while the mission said “keep doing what you’re doing.” The bottom line? If you can achieve every goal in your mission and not be dramatically closer to your vision, you do not have a worthwhile mission, or, in simple terms, you are digging deeper holes.
The last issue with this principle is with how it is communicated. Too many companies write vision and mission statements and put them in employee handbooks that nobody reads and on their website, which employees rarely visit. Employees need to be enrolled in, not told, the vision. When this is done correctly, it drives pride and bragging rights for everyone involved. A well-defined vision stimulates employees to come to work in order to contribute to a bigger cause, rather than to collect a paycheck and make the owners richer. Vision is communicated regularly and everywhere so that no one forgets why they come to work.
If your company has any of the following symptoms, you may have a vision or mission problem:
- Top management seems to be pulling everyone along.
- Customers seem to stay 3 to 5 years (or less) and then go to our competitors.
- A lot of changes in “how” things are done have been successfully completed with minimal effect on the bottom line, or the effects are not as great as desired.
- Tactical changes are not driving the business to where it needs to be fast enough.
- High turnover of new employees, particularly at the upper management level.
- Continually miss our business plan goals and usually on the revenue side.
- Employees do not work as hard as we do.
- Most change initiatives start off great and then lose steam.
Business Plan and Implementation Principle 1 - To learn more about this author, visit Howard Shore's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
|||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
Casey GollanCasey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website |
|||
Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
|||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Howard's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
 |
||
|
||
|
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Franchise & Distribution Take the Lead Dazzling Presentaion Steps Business Success By Design Working From Home |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Geek Business Blogs
Top 50 Geek Business Blogs | |
 |
Email The Reporters
Press Release Builder | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||