A Mission Statement Clarifies Why You Exist

Mar 31, 2010 | Strategic Planning, WBS

Unlike the vision statement, which creates a clear picture of what we want to accomplish or become, the mission statement, clarifies what we do as an organization; why we exist; what purpose we serve. That's its job. Webster's Dictionary defines mission as "an assignment or task to be carried out." The mission statement clarifies for everyone who works with us and those with whom we interact, just what business we're in. I become frustrated when someone says, "I don't care what you call it:...

Work Your Plan – How to Manage Your Business Plan

Mar 29, 2010 | Strategic Planning

In a recent blog post (10 Reasons to Update Your Business Plan - Why, When & How), we outlined why and when to update your business plan, in this post we'll talk about how to update and manage it. Remember, these ideas are the same whether your plan is for financing purposes, strategic planning or business operations purposes. Good planning ensures your plan because a useful management tool. To create plans that are effective management tools, I encourage my clients to: Create a Vision...

What Have You Learned From an Employee Today?

Mar 24, 2010 | Leadership Development

Today following a leadership training program, I learned from a client's employee that she's seriously considering leaving their company. The employee is well-respected by her peers and has delivered consistently. She's apparently tried three times to have a conversation with her Vice President (VP) about two trending operational issues, but the VP has cut each of their conversations short with an, "It's not important now" reply. This is the third time I've heard this type of comment about...

10 Indications It’s Time to Update Your Strategic Plan – Why, When & How

Mar 23, 2010 | Strategic Planning

If you're wondering when to update your company's strategic plan, here are ten indicators it may be time: Someone wrote "Update Me" in the dust on the printed version of your plan. You vaguely remember creating your plan about the same time you bought your first fax machine. When asked if they've ever seen your company's strategic plan, your employees laugh and reply, "Strategic plan? This company has a strategic plan? I don't believe it!" You ask eight different employees to identify the top...

Because of Your Leadership

Mar 16, 2010 | Leadership Development

Here's a leadership self-test for you: How many times has someone said to you, "I want to be a part of this organization because you're its leader" or "I'm working here because I want to work with you." Once, twice, several times, all of the time - never? My sincere hope is that you are able to say once, twice or hopefully several times or all of the time. If you are able to say any of those, that's a strong commentary on your leadership skills. Congratulations! You've obviously had such a...