Build a Strategic Framework: Mission Statement, Vision, Values ...

Strategy and Vision Statements

By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide

What Is a Vision and a Vision Statement? A vision is a statement about what your organization wants to become. It should resonate with all members of the organization and help them feel proud, excited, motivated, and part of something much bigger than themselves. A vision should stretch the organizations capabilities and image of itself. The vision gives shape and direction to the organizations future. The normal vision ranges in length from a couple of words to several pages. The vision is translated into actions via the development of a vision statement that expresses the overall vision. Create a shorter vision statement because employees will remember their shorter organizational vision statement better than they will remember a long vision statement. When employees internalize the vision statement, they take action to make the vision statement come true. Vision Statement Samples "Year after year, Westin and its people will be regarded as the best and most sought after hotel and resort management group in North America." (Westin Hotels ) "To be recognized and respected as one of the premier associations of HR Professionals." (HR Association of Greater Detroit) Exploration to Prepare to Write the Personal Vision Statement Use these questions to guide your thoughts. What are the ten things you most enjoy doing? Be honest. These are the ten things without which your weeks, months, and years would feel incomplete.

What three things must you do every single day to feel fulfilled in your work?

What are your five-six most important values?

Your life has a number of important facets or dimensions, all of which deserve some attention in your personal vision statement. Write one important goal for each of them: physical, spiritual, work or career, family, social relationships, financial security, mental improvement and attention, and fun.

If you never had to work another day in your life, how would you spend your time instead of working?

When your life is ending, what will you regret not doing, seeing, or achieving?

What strengths have other people commented on about you and your accomplishments? What strengths do you see in yourself?

What weaknesses have other people commented on about you and what do you believe are your weaknesses?

Craft Your Personal Vision Statement Once you have thoughtfully prepared answers to these questions and others that you identify, you are ready to craft a personal vision statement. Write in first person and make statements about the future you hope to achieve. Write the statements as if you are already making them happen in your life. Some experts recommend 50 words or less, but I would rather see you fully articulate the vision you want for your life and your future, than be limited by word count. Motivational speaker and writer, Brian Tracy, states that you generally accomplishment your written goals, dreams, plans, and vision. Writing them down lends power and commitment to their accomplishment. Keep in mind that your personal vision statement can also change over time, depending upon what is happening in your life. You will be amazed, however, at how many components remain consistent over time. I first articulated this vision for my life in 1984; this personal vision statement guides my life. What Is a Mission Statement? Mission or Purpose is a precise description of what an organization does. The mission should describe the business the organization is in. The mission is a definition of why the organization exists currently. If the mission has been assimilated and integrated into your company culture, each member of your organization should be able to verbally express this mission. Each employee's actions should demonstrate the mission statement in action. Your company or organization mission or purpose is most frequently expressed and shared as a mission statement. Personal Mission Statement Additionally, each person needs a mission for his or her life. The alignment of your life mission with your organizations mission is one of the key factors in whether you are happy with your work and workplace. If your personal and organizational mission statements are congruent, you are most likely happy with your work choice. Take the time to develop your mission statement for your own life; compare your personal mission statement with the mission statement of your organization. Do the mission statements meld?

Mission Statement Samples These are examples of mission statements that have been developed and shared with the public. "Our goal is simply stated. We want to be the best service organization in the world." (IBM Mission Statement)

"FedEx is committed to our People-Service-Profit Philosophy. We will produce outstanding financial returns by providing totally reliable, competitively superior, global, air-ground transportation of high-priority goods and documents that require rapid, time-certain delivery." (Federal Express Mission Statement)

"To give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same thing as rich people." (Wal-Mart Mission Statement)

"Our vision is to be earth's most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online." (Amazon.com Mission Statement)

"Our mission is to earn the loyalty of Saturn owners and grow our family by developing and marketing U.S.-manufactured vehicles that are world leaders in quality, cost, and customer enthusiasm through the integration of people, technology, and business systems." (Saturn Mission Statement)

"In order to realize our Vision, our Mission must be to exceed the expectations of our customers, whom we define as guests, partners, and fellow employees.(mission) We will accomplish this by committing to our shared values and by achieving the highest levels of customer satisfaction, with extraordinary emphasis on the creation of value. (strategy) In this way we will ensure that our profit, quality and growth goals are met." (Westin Hotels and Resorts Mission Statement)

The SPC Vision and Mission statement

The San Pedro College is a Catholic Institution of learning dedicated to the Christian education of the people of Davao and its neighboring regions. It is own and managed by the religious congregation know as the Dominican Sister of the Trinity. It believes in: individual and personal development through love and hard work; open admission and religious freedom; meaningful education as manifested in sound professional and technical training for community services and national development; and providing every man an opportunity to education to enable him to develop his capacities and potentials as a person. It respects diversity of culture and tradition and aims at unity and peace among men.

VISION:
The love of the compassionate, Jesus, healer and teacher be lived and spread by the SPC Community.

MISSION:
The SPC Community commits to provide the community with health workers and teachers who are: professionally and technically skillful; humane in attributes; and leaders imbued with strong ethical and moral values

NDDU VISION - MISSION STATEMENT

VISION

Notre Dame of Dadiangas University is a Catholic, Filipino Institution of Academic Excellence established by the Marist Brothers of the Schools (F.M.S.- Fratres Maristae a Scholis) characterized by St. Marcellin Champagnat's ideals of simplicity, humility and quiet zeal for God's work as inspired by the Blessed Virgin Mary. The school is dedicated to the formation of persons in all levels of learning, who, as Christian leaders, Competent professionals, Community-Oriented Citizens and Culture-Sensitive individuals will actively participate in building a peaceful and progressive nation.

MISSION

As a Catholic Educational Institution, NDDU shares in the Church's mission of evangelization by integrating life and faith; As a Filipino Institution, NDDU seeks to preserve Filipino Culture and propagate love of country and its people; As an Institution of Quality Education, NDDU aims leadership in Curricular Programs, Multi-Disciplinary Programs, Research, and Community Service; As a Marist Institution, NDDU promotes the core values of Family Spirit, Marian Spirit, Simplicity, Presence, Preference for the Least Favored, Love of Work, and Integrity of Creation; and As a Community-Oriented Institution NDDU aims to respond to the challenges of the locality it is serving: South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani Province and, General Santos City (SOCSKSARGEN Area).

VISION MISSION OF NDMU

VISION Inspired by the charism of St. Marcellin Champagnat, Notre Dame of Marbel University envisions to be a Catholic Marist institution of learning dedicated to the spiritual, moral and academic formation of men and women who exemplify competence and social responsibility in the service of God and humanity. MISSION As a Catholic institution founded on Marist traditions, Notre Dame of Marbel University commits itself to: y build character - by providing quality Christian education to the youth making them capable of being leaven for responsible Christian living. develop competence by promoting the principles of quality education and by generating new knowledge that fosters human development and advancement of the society. respect culture by inculcating the principles of cultural solidarity, by instilling appreciation and preservation of the Filipino cultural heritage, and by promoting the Marist tradition where students are progressively initiated into their life-long challenge of harmonizing faith, culture and life.

Saint Alexius College Vision-Mission

Vision:
A Learner-Centered environment that integrates instruction, research and outreach in consonance with its commitment to produce PRODUCTIVE and COMPETENT CITIZENS through QUALITY EDUCATION.

Mission:
The St. Alexius College commits to provide the community with highly competent graduates who are:

1.)

Professionally and technically skillful

2.)

Potential leaders imbued with strong ethico-legal, moral and spiritual values and ;

3.)

Community-oriented, socially aware and globally competitive.

VISION MISSION ADDU VISION The Ateneo de Davao University is a Catholic, Jesuit and Filipino University. As a university it is a community engaged in excellent instruction and formation, robust research, and vibrant community service. As Catholic, it proceeds ex corde ecclesiae from the heart of the Church. As Jesuit, it appropriates the mission of the Society of Jesus and the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola. As Filipino, it prepares students to benefit from, contribute to and engage the global world.

MISSION The Ateneo de Davao excels in the formation of leaders for the Philippine Church and society, especially for Mindanao. It excels further in the promotion of the faith that does justice, in cultural sensitivity and transformation, and in inter-religious dialogue, particularly with the Muslim and Lumad communities of Mindanao. It promotes communities touched and transformed by the faith, communities of peace and human well-being, culturally resilient yet able to adapt to the modern world. It promotes social justice, gender equality, good governance, the creation of wealth and its equitable distribution. It engages vigorously in environmental protection, the preservation of bio-diversity, and the promotion of renewable energy. It leads in Philippine educational reform, especially for the peoples of Southern Philippines.

GSDMSFI MISSION-VISION

General Santos Doctors' Medical School Foundation(GSDMSFI) College of Nursing is an institution of higher learning. It aims to become one of the leading schools in SOCSKSARGEN Growth Area. The College shall have its mission to produce graduates who subscribe to the belief that academic excellence, quality care, moral integrity and spirituality are vital components in the development of a compassionate, competents and committed graduates who can help ensure life for all. Consistent with this mission, the college is committed to:

1. Provide quality education that will enhance the maximum potentials of the learner; 2. Imbibe in students ethico-legal, moral and spiritual values; 3. Develop in students a caring attitute, a sense of responsibility, nationalism, and creative and analytical mind; 4. Utilize a competency based and community oriented curriculum in line with the Philippine Health Care System; and 5. Produce graduates with beginning professional competencies and skills that are responsive to national needs and an awareness of global concerns Purpose and mission statements can be powerful tools for achieving motivated, creative, empowered employees. This page makes a distinction between both purpose and mission statements and provides you guidance for constructing them. Sounds easy. It's tough to do well, but worth the effort. A galvanizing mission can be of immense value.

What is a Mission Statement?

(from James Collins and Jerry Porras)

A true mission is a clear and compelling goal that focuses people's efforts. It is tangible, specific, crisp, clear and engaging. It reaches out and grabs people in the gut. Example:

"This nation should dedicate itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth." Like the moon flight, a good mission has a clear finish line -- you should be able to tell when you've done it -- at which point, you need to create a new mission. "We're going to climb Mount Everest" is a mission; the more general, "We're going to climb the Himalayas" is not. And, like the moon flight, a good mission is risky, falling in a gray zone where reason says, "This is unreasonable"; and your intuition and drive say, "But we believe we can do it anyway." In summary, a mission is y y y "What we are here to do" A clear and compelling goal that serves to unify an organization's efforts Crisp, clear, engaging, verging on unreasonable.

Several approaches can be useful to defining a mission: y y y Targeting: set a clear, definable target and aim for it (e.g. NASA moon mission) Common Enemy: create a goal focused on defeating a common enemy (e.g. Pepsi: "Beat Coke!") Role Model: select a well-known success and emulate it (e.g. Giro Sport Design: "to be to the cycling industry what Nike is to athletic shoes and Apple is to computers")

Some people apply the label "Mission Statement" to a Purpose Statement but that loses the opportunity to clarify a short-term objective. I like the military connotation. It's a clear, definable and motivational point of focus. It's an achievable goal, a clear finish line to work towards, the next short-term milestone, the next "hill to take". Getting a team in alignment is a very powerful thing. Consciously and unconsciously, people are making decisions all day long. It is human nature that people want to do the right thing. A clear mission statement empowers people to set the correct priorities and make the correct decisions.

What is a Purpose Statement?

(from James Collins and Jerry Porras)

Purpose is the fundamental set of reasons for the organization' existence -- in the broadest, most enduring sense what people in the organization want to contribute to the external world. In an ongoing organization, such as a corporation or an educational institution, purpose is continually pursued, but never fully achieved. It is not a specific objective that you accomplish and then say, "We are done." Effective purpose is broad and inspirational, something that strikes a basic chord and provides a clear sense of direction for the organization and its members. In the case of the space program, Kennedy's purpose was not to put a human being on the moon by the end of the decade (again, this was a mission). Rather, it was to work toward making the United States the greatest and most respected nation in the world, and Kennedy viewed a manned moon landing as a necessary step in that direction. If you ask your management team to define your company's purpose and they say something like: "We exist to maximize shareholder wealth." Tell them that's not good enough. It does not inspire anyone and provides precious little guidance! Instead, say authors Collins and Porras, ask these questions: "If you woke up tomorrow morning with enough money in the bank to retire, what is it about this company that would make you want to continue

working here? What deeper sense of purpose would motivate you to continue to dedicate your precious creative energies to this company's efforts? As a helpful exercise they suggest that you start with a descriptive statement. "We make X products." or "We deliver X services," and then ask, "Why is that important?" Ask it five times. After a few whys, you'll find that you're getting down to the fundamental purpose of your organization. You will start to articulate the very soul of your organization. Heres a look at some core purpose statements for some successful companies.* Notice, none of them say: To maximize shareholder value! 3M: To solve unsolved problems innovatively. Fannie Mae: To strengthen the social fabric by continually democratizing home ownership. Hewlett-Packard: To make technical contributions for the advancement and welfare of humanity. Mary Kay Cosmetics: To give unlimited opportunity to women. Merck: To preserve and improve human life. Nike: To experience the emotion of competition, winning and crushing competitors. Wal-Mart: To give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same things as rich people. In summary, a purpose is y y y y y y y y "Why we exist" Should be succinct; 1 or 2 sentences at most Should quickly and clearly convey how the organization fills basic human needs Should be simple enough to pass the grandmother test: if you can explain it to her so she can understand it, then maybe you're on to something Should tie products/services to a more fundamental need, rather than simply mentioning the products/services Should be broad, inspirational, enduring, compelling and flexible enough to last 100 years. Only needs to be meaningful and inspirational to people inside the organization; it need not be exciting to all outsiders Purpose is a motivating factor, not a differentiating factor

Putting it all together:

A compelling Vision and Mission can be translated into Goals which are realized through Strategies implemented as Initiatives to generate Results.

TEACHING AS A PROFESSION
To teach is to learn twice over. Joseph Joubert The true aim of every one who aspires to be a teacher should be, not to impart his own opinions, but to kindle minds. F. W. Robertson GOOD TEACHING: THE TOP TEN REQUIREMENTS
By Richard Leblanc, York University, Ontario This article appeared in The Teaching Professor after Professor Leblanc won a Seymous Schulich Award for Teaching Excellence including a $10,000 cash award. Reprinted here with permission of Professor Leblanc, October 8, 1998.

One. Good teaching is as much about passion as it is about reason. It's about not only motivating students to learn, but teaching them how to learn, and doing so in a manner that is relevant, meaningful, and memorable. It's about caring for your craft, having a passion for it, and conveying that passion to everyone, most importantly to your students. Two. Good teaching is about substance and treating students as consumers of knowledge. It's about doing your best to keep on top of your field, reading sources, inside and outside of your areas of expertise, and being at the leading edge as often as possible. But knowledge is not confined to scholarly journals. Good teaching is also about bridging the gap between theory and practice. It's about leaving the ivory tower and immersing oneself in the field, talking to, consulting with, and assisting practitioners, and liaisoning with their communities. Three. Good teaching is about listening, questioning, being responsive, and remembering that each student and class is different. It's about eliciting responses and developing the oral communication skills of the quiet students. It's about pushing students to excel; at the same time, it's about being human, respecting others, and being professional at all times. Four. Good teaching is about not always having a fixed agenda and being rigid, but being
flexible, fluid, experimenting, and having the confidence to react and adjust to changing circumstances. It's about getting only 10 percent of what you wanted to do in a class done and still feeling good. It's about deviating from the course syllabus or lecture schedule easily when there is more and better learning elsewhere. Good teaching is about the creative balance between being an authoritarian dictator on the one hand and a pushover on the

other.

Five. Good teaching is also about style. Should good teaching be entertaining? You bet!
Does this mean that it lacks in substance? Not a chance! Effective teaching is not about being locked with both hands glued to a podium or having your eyes fixated on a slide projector while you drone on. Good teachers work the room and every student in it. They realize that they are the conductors and the class is the orchestra. All students play different instruments and at varying proficiencies.

Six. This is very important -- good teaching is about humor. It's about being selfdeprecating and not taking yourself too seriously. It's often about making innocuous jokes, mostly at your own expense, so that the ice breaks and students learn in a more relaxed atmosphere where you, like them, are human with your own share of faults and shortcomings. Seven. Good teaching is about caring, nurturing, and developing minds and talents. It's about devoting time, often invisible, to every student. It's also about the thankless hours of grading, designing or redesigning courses, and preparing materials to still further enhance instruction. Eight. Good teaching is supported by strong and visionary leadership, and very tangible institutional support -- resources, personnel, and funds. Good teaching is continually reinforced by an overarching vision that transcends the entire organization -- from full professors to part-time instructors -- and is reflected in what is said, but more importantly by what is done. Nine. Good teaching is about mentoring between senior and junior faculty, teamwork, and being recognized and promoted by one's peers. Effective teaching should also be rewarded, and poor teaching needs to be remediated through training and development programs. Ten. At the end of the day, good teaching is about having fun, experiencing pleasure and
intrinsic rewards ... like locking eyes with a student in the back row and seeing the synapses and neurons connecting, thoughts being formed, the person becoming better, and a smile cracking across a face as learning all of a sudden happens. Good teachers practice their craft not for the money or because they have to, but because they truly enjoy it and because they want to. Good teachers couldn't imagine doing anything else.

Responsibilities of a Teacher
Responsibilities of a teacher transcend the act of merely passing on knowledge and disciplining the student. A proactive teacher can direct a student to lead a fulfilling life that can go beyond a successful career. Read on to know what are the responsibilities of a teacher.

Ads by Google Build Your Personal Brand Help Define Your Accounting Career. Download Free IMA Accounting
Report www.discoverima.org/CareerTips Download Metatrader Trade the Forex Market With MT4 Download Here www.Alpari.co.uk The educator, believing in the worth and dignity of each human being, recognizes the supreme importance of the pursuit of truth, devotion to excellence, and the nurture of democratic principles. Essential to these goals is the protection of the freedom to learn and to teach, and the guarantee of equal education opportunity for all - National Education Association's (NEA) Code of Ethics for the Education Profession. If you thought a teaching job was a cakewalk, think again! The responsibilities and duties of a teacher are many and varied. Teachers act as facilitators for incorporating and encouraging intellectual and social development in the formative years of a students life. The emphasis that education will help uplift one socially, intellectually, emotionally and personally is what a teacher fosters in children all through preschool, high school and college. A preschool teacher plays a pivotal role in child development, and although, the role of a preschool, high school and a college teacher may differ to meet specific age and subject criteria, it cannot be argued that the duties and responsibilities of a teacher will always remain the same. Role and Responsibilities of a Teacher Towards Themselves

y y y y y y y

To be a teacher out of choice, and not by default. To acquire relevant professional education and training to get the right concepts of teaching. Honesty and sincerity towards the profession. Accept that being a teacher does not make you a 'know it all'; so it's important to become a partner in the learning cycle with your students. Accept that no two students will think, act and react alike, and to respect that diversity. Upgrade knowledge and learn new ways of teaching. Avoid indulging in unethical behavior, and at all times maintain the dignity a teacher-student relation.

Towards Students

y y y

Inculcate model behavior and mannerisms by self example. Prepare long-term teaching programs and daily lessons in accordance with the guidelines of the school's education system. Provide activities and materials that engage and challenge the students intellectually.

y y y y y y y y y

Understand and implement the use of information technology in lesson preparation and teaching. Shift between a formal and an informal method of teaching; debates, discussions, practical activities, experiments, projects and excursions. Plan, set and evaluate grade test, exams and assignments. Supervise student conduct during class, lunchtime and other breaks. Understand the diverse background students come from, their strength, weakness and areas of interest. Be honest in student appraisal, avoid favoritism. Enforce discipline by firmly setting class room rules. Resolve conflict among students by encouraging positive debate. Be ready to adjust teaching styles to meet individual needs of students.

Towards Parents

y y y y y y y

Keep the parents well informed about their ward's progress. Take time out to discuss an issue, or a problematic behavior. Encourage parents to promote various diverse interests of their children. Inform the parents about after school activities; excursions, meetings as well as detention. Keep the parent feedback journal updated. Encourage parent participation in parent-teacher meets. Finally, work with the parents for the betterment of the student's future.

Towards Management

y y y y y

Actively involve yourself in all staff meetings, educational conferences and school programs. Voluntarily participate in organizing sporting events, and other excursions like camping trips, picnics, educational tours, etc. Maintain a healthy relation with all teaching and non-teaching staff members. Help out in formulating school policies. Carry out administrative duties relevant to your position in the school.

In an emerging world, responsibilities of a teacher have increased four folds. From being a person that just imparts bookish knowledge, a teacher now has the power to shape a better world for her students. So, perhaps it's time to write that thank-you letter to your teacher, because after all, it's your teacher that empowers you with the knowledge to take on the world!

By Loveleena Rajeev

What are Core Values?

The core values of an organization are those values we hold which form the foundation on which we perform work and conduct ourselves. We have an entire universe of values, but some of them are so primary, so important to us that through out the changes in society, government, politics, and technology they are STILL the core values we will abide by. In an ever-changing world, core values are constant. Core values are not descriptions of the work we do or the strategies we employ to accomplish our mission. The values underlie our work, how interact with each other, and which strategies we employ to fulfill our mission. The core values are the basic elements of how we go about our work. They are the practices we use (or should be using) every day in everything we do.

CORE VALUES: Govern personal relationships Guide business processes Clarify who we are Articulate what we stand for Help explain why we do business the way we do Guide us on how to teach Inform us on how to reward Guide us in making decisions Underpin the whole organization Require no external justification Essential tenets CORE VALUES ARE NOT: Operating practices Business strategies Cultural norms Competencies Changed in response to market/ administration changes Used individually

Life coaching
Life coaching is a practice that helps people identify and achieve personal goals. Life coaches help clients set and reach goals using a variety of tools and techniques. Life coaches are not therapists nor consultants; psychological intervention and business analysis are outside the scope of their work. Life coaching draws inspiration from disciplines including sociology,psychology, positive adult development, career counseling, NLP, mentoring and other types of counseling. Contemporary life coaching can be traced to teachings of Benjamin Karter, a college football coach turned motivational speaker of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Many Life-Coach training schools and programs are available worldwide, providing options (classroom attendance or home study) for the individual who wants to gain a certificate or diploma and paid work in the field of life coaching. Many certificates and a few diploma credential designations are available within the profession. Critics contend that life coaching is akin to psychotherapy without restrictions, oversight, or regulation. However, the Colorado General Assembly, after holding a hearing on such concerns, asserted that coaching is unlike therapy because it does not focus on examining nor diagnosing the past.

What Is Life Coaching?

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler."
--Henry David Thoreau

Life Coaching is a profession that is profoundly different from consulting, mentoring, advice, therapy, or counseling. The coaching process addresses specific personal projects, business successes, general conditions and transitions in the client's personal life, relationships or profession by examining what is going on right now, discovering what your obstacles or challenges might be, and choosing a course of action to make your life be what you want it to be.