“Management by objectives works if you know the objectives . Ninety percent of the time, you don’t.” – Peter Drucker
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Today, we live in a time of breathtaking rate of continuous change.
Yet we crave stability. Something solid to hang on to.
Despite the rapid pace of change, and its gut wrenching consequences, we can find that stability we crave.
Its called the mission.
The mission is the central, continuous thought that the changes (whatever they might turn out to be) that we implement are meant to preserve.
Our mission is our “fundamental purpose” for being; for doing what we do.
Mission statements answer the question “Why?”
Objectives are how our organizations achieve their mission.
Objectives are measureable, time delimited, and answer the question “How?”
Our mission here at PMPA is to “provide information resources and networking opportunities that advance and sustain our members.”
Mission answers “WHY?”
Objectives are measureable, time delimited and answer the question “HOW?”
“By getting this blog out for Thursday, I will have provided information and resources to sustain my members.”
When faced with change, the first thing that I would do have done is review the mission with my team.
Because…
The mission answers “Why?”
Or as we learned in Mrs Ponte’s Latin Class SO many years ago…
“Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.”-Seneca the Younger
What is your mission? More importantly what does your team think your mission is?
Tag: Mission