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“Everything
begins with visionary strategic planning
– and ends in independence.”—
Art Robinson
Mission, Vision,
Strategy & Tactics
In the day-to-day, year-in, year-out struggle for survival, smaller organizations often lose sight of their all-important mission, allowing decisions of expediency undermine their single-minded mission. No wonder marketing goals and endowment expectations fall short. The Canon Group can help you get back on track.
We believe in helping each organization fulfill its basic mission with a realistic appraisal of strengths and limitations. This is accomplished by: clearly identifying your mission, basing it on a compelling vision, and executing the strategy with a series of tactics that produce the desired goals. As you must know, this is easier said than done.
It can also be confusing, as multiple terminologies abound. For purposes of Canon Group discussions, we offer our mini glossary of terms.
Definition of Terms
Mission – what an organization is created to accomplish; its stated reason for being; its core values.
Vision – in big picture terms, the end result that will be served through an organization’s success.
A mission statement – why an organization exists, with a focus on the organization’s purpose. Ideally, it is memorable and concise.
A vision statement – a description of the organization’s desired future, often expressed in the terms of size and image – how we want our organization to “look” in five or ten years. It may include the organization’s vision for society.
Goals and objectives – specific and measurable statements that define what the organization seeks to accomplish with its program and operations. It is essential to define long-term goals before developing specific objectives and action steps.
Strategy - the unique, overarching theme of exactly what an organization is planning to accomplish, and the arena in which the organization will operate.
Tactics – The specific step-by-step methods by which an organization will accomplish its strategy. |
What can and should you be doing to ensure the continuation of your organization’s valuable mission? Drawing upon The Canon Group’s diverse senior level managers, we will help you effectively determine what your organization or institution needs to accomplish and how it can best use its limited resources to achieve identified goals to grow and thrive.
FIRST STEPS
In the beginning, Canon Group professionals get to know your organization. We can learn about your history, your mission, and your partners, talk to some of your key supporters, take a look at the programs and services you have created and your methods. We explore the composition of your board, your staff, evaluate your facilities, your finances.
We use a visionary approach to work with you to broaden your perspective, raise your goals and expectations, integrate your problem-solving, and make informed decisions regarding the use of your finite resources.
From board and organizational structure to personnel and potential partners, we leverage and hone every strategy – those time-tested and those specially-developed for your organization’s unique circumstances – to make real your dream of standing on your own.
END GOALS
Through our genuine commitment to your fundamental needs — organizational strength, operational efficiency, effective communications, resource development, and eventual independence — we help you achieve success. We do so by coupling our experience and leadership with your own self-knowledge, confidence, and passion for your mission and complete competence in your area of discipline.
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