Vision/Purpose Evaluation Frameworks
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J. Trent Adams
Aug 8, 2008, 9:32:29 AM8/8/08
to DataPortability.TaskForce.Vision
Team Vision -
I've been working with a couple different groups recently that are
also in the process of defining their roles in the universe. What's
interesting is that there seem to be two basic approaches to answering
the same questions about purpose, goals, and methods.
Rather than blazing our own trail to a solution, perhaps it'd make
sense to pick one of the two frameworks and paint by the numbers. In
short, here're the basics I've culled from each type:
-----------
A) Traditional Vision/Mission/Values Approach
Define, in order, each of the following:
1. Vision: what the group hopes it will ultimately help achieve
A strong Vision statement is:
* Illustrative: A word picture of what the organization
intends ultimately to become.
* Inspirational: Inspires your team to make the
emotional commitment necessary to attain it.
* Universal: Appeals to all stakeholders, enrolls
everyone even if for different reasons.
* Unifying: A shared mental framework that gives
form to the often abstract future that lies before us.
* Concise: Grabs your attention and draws you in
without boring you. Simple, memorable, and short.
2. Mission: the group's approach to achieving the vision
A strong Mission statement:
* Defines the organization’s core purpose - its
specific reason to exist, its unique ability to
realize the vision.
* Reflects participants’ motivations for engaging in
the organization’s specific approach.
* Identifies how the organization is serving the
public interest - the true responsibility of any
organization.
* Peter Drucker warns: "One of the biggest
mistakes organizations make is to turn their
mission statement into a hero sandwich of
good intentions."
3. Values: guide how the group carries out it's mission
A strong set of common values:
* Values represent the core priorities in the
organization’s culture, including what drives
members’ priorities and how they truly act in
the organization, etc. They often drive the
intent and direction for “organic” planners.
* Developing a values statement can be quick
culture-specific, i.e., participants may use
methods ranging from highly analytical and
rational to highly creative and divergent.
* Establish four to six core values from which
the organization would like to operate.
Consider values of stakeholders in and related
to the group.
-----------
B) Chaordic Purpose/Principles Approach [1]
The steps involved in conceiving and creating a more chaordic
organization are:
1. Develop a Statement of Purpose
The first step is to define, with absolute clarity and deep
conviction, the purpose of the community. An effective
statement of purpose will be a clear, commonly understood
statement of that which identifies and binds the community
together as worthy of pursuit. When properly done, it can
usually be expressed in a single sentence. Participants
will say about the purpose, "If we could achieve that, my
life would have meaning."
2. Define a Set of Principles
Once the purpose has been clearly stated, the next step
is to define, with the same clarity, conviction and
common understanding, the principles by which those
involved will be guided in pursuit of that purpose.
Principles typically have high ethical and moral content,
and developing them requires engaging the whole
person, not just the intellect. The best will be descriptive,
not prescriptive, and each principle will illuminate the
others. Taken as a whole, together with the purpose, the
principles constitute the body of belief that will bind the
community together and against which all decisions and
acts will be judged.
3. Identify All Participants
With clarity about purpose and principles, the next step
is to identify all relevant and affected parties - the
participants whose needs, interests and perspectives
must be considered in conceiving (or reconceiving) the
organization. As drafting team members pursue their
work, their perceptions of who constitutes a stakeholder
will typically expand. They now have an opportunity to
ensure that all concerned individuals and groups are
considered when a new organizational concept is sought.
4. Create a New Organizational Concept
When all relevant and affected parties have been
identified, drafting team members creatively search for
and develop a general concept for the organization. In
the light of purpose and principles, they seek innovative
organizational structures that can be trusted to be just,
equitable and effective with respect to all participants,
in relation to all practices in which they may engage.
They often discover that no existing form of organization
can do so and that something new must be conceived.
[1] http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Chaordic_Organizations_-_Characteristics
-----------
I'm not advocating one over the other, but thought it was worth
sharing what I've picked up elsewhere. My suggestion, though, would
be that it might help to align ourselves with an approach to
facilitate reaching an end goal.
Thoughts from the edge,
Trent
---
J. Trent Adams
=jtrentadams
About: http://www.mediaslate.org/jtrentadams/
Follow: http://twitter.com/jtrentadams
I've been working with a couple different groups recently that are
also in the process of defining their roles in the universe. What's
interesting is that there seem to be two basic approaches to answering
the same questions about purpose, goals, and methods.
Rather than blazing our own trail to a solution, perhaps it'd make
sense to pick one of the two frameworks and paint by the numbers. In
short, here're the basics I've culled from each type:
-----------
A) Traditional Vision/Mission/Values Approach
Define, in order, each of the following:
1. Vision: what the group hopes it will ultimately help achieve
A strong Vision statement is:
* Illustrative: A word picture of what the organization
intends ultimately to become.
* Inspirational: Inspires your team to make the
emotional commitment necessary to attain it.
* Universal: Appeals to all stakeholders, enrolls
everyone even if for different reasons.
* Unifying: A shared mental framework that gives
form to the often abstract future that lies before us.
* Concise: Grabs your attention and draws you in
without boring you. Simple, memorable, and short.
2. Mission: the group's approach to achieving the vision
A strong Mission statement:
* Defines the organization’s core purpose - its
specific reason to exist, its unique ability to
realize the vision.
* Reflects participants’ motivations for engaging in
the organization’s specific approach.
* Identifies how the organization is serving the
public interest - the true responsibility of any
organization.
* Peter Drucker warns: "One of the biggest
mistakes organizations make is to turn their
mission statement into a hero sandwich of
good intentions."
3. Values: guide how the group carries out it's mission
A strong set of common values:
* Values represent the core priorities in the
organization’s culture, including what drives
members’ priorities and how they truly act in
the organization, etc. They often drive the
intent and direction for “organic” planners.
* Developing a values statement can be quick
culture-specific, i.e., participants may use
methods ranging from highly analytical and
rational to highly creative and divergent.
* Establish four to six core values from which
the organization would like to operate.
Consider values of stakeholders in and related
to the group.
-----------
B) Chaordic Purpose/Principles Approach [1]
The steps involved in conceiving and creating a more chaordic
organization are:
1. Develop a Statement of Purpose
The first step is to define, with absolute clarity and deep
conviction, the purpose of the community. An effective
statement of purpose will be a clear, commonly understood
statement of that which identifies and binds the community
together as worthy of pursuit. When properly done, it can
usually be expressed in a single sentence. Participants
will say about the purpose, "If we could achieve that, my
life would have meaning."
2. Define a Set of Principles
Once the purpose has been clearly stated, the next step
is to define, with the same clarity, conviction and
common understanding, the principles by which those
involved will be guided in pursuit of that purpose.
Principles typically have high ethical and moral content,
and developing them requires engaging the whole
person, not just the intellect. The best will be descriptive,
not prescriptive, and each principle will illuminate the
others. Taken as a whole, together with the purpose, the
principles constitute the body of belief that will bind the
community together and against which all decisions and
acts will be judged.
3. Identify All Participants
With clarity about purpose and principles, the next step
is to identify all relevant and affected parties - the
participants whose needs, interests and perspectives
must be considered in conceiving (or reconceiving) the
organization. As drafting team members pursue their
work, their perceptions of who constitutes a stakeholder
will typically expand. They now have an opportunity to
ensure that all concerned individuals and groups are
considered when a new organizational concept is sought.
4. Create a New Organizational Concept
When all relevant and affected parties have been
identified, drafting team members creatively search for
and develop a general concept for the organization. In
the light of purpose and principles, they seek innovative
organizational structures that can be trusted to be just,
equitable and effective with respect to all participants,
in relation to all practices in which they may engage.
They often discover that no existing form of organization
can do so and that something new must be conceived.
[1] http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Chaordic_Organizations_-_Characteristics
-----------
I'm not advocating one over the other, but thought it was worth
sharing what I've picked up elsewhere. My suggestion, though, would
be that it might help to align ourselves with an approach to
facilitate reaching an end goal.
Thoughts from the edge,
Trent
---
J. Trent Adams
=jtrentadams
About: http://www.mediaslate.org/jtrentadams/
Follow: http://twitter.com/jtrentadams
Elias Bizannes
Aug 9, 2008, 7:44:45 PM8/9/08
to dataportability-...@googlegroups.com
That's extremely useful, thanks trent!
Sent from my iPhone
On 08/08/2008, at 11:32 PM, "J. Trent Adams" <jtren...@gmail.com>
wrote:
Christian Scholz / Tao Takashi (SL)
Aug 11, 2008, 10:02:55 AM8/11/08
to dataportability-...@googlegroups.com
On Sun, Aug 10, 2008 at 1:44 AM, Elias Bizannes
<elias.b...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> That's extremely useful, thanks trent!
<elias.b...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> That's extremely useful, thanks trent!
Indeed, I am now in yet another deadline and only skimmed it but I
will read it in detail in the next 2 days.
Maybe with something like this we can get this rolling :)
-- Christian
--
Christian Scholz
Tao Takashi (Second Life name)
taota...@gmail.com
Blog/Podcast: http://mrtopf.de/blog
Planet: http://worldofsl.com
Company: http://comlounge.net
Tech Video Blog: http://comlounge.tv
IRC: MrTopf/Tao_T
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