Christian Leadership Alliance

Funding the Vision

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The Strategic Puzzle

Mission statements. Core values. Vision statements. Strategic plans. While these terms and others have been the subject of many books and endless internal debates, confusion and frustration still reign. How do these strategic pieces of the puzzle fit together? Most importantly, how do they ultimately lead to better decisions and a quantifiable impact?

Many senior leaders have failed to fully capitalize on the significant effort they've invested in defining foundational elements because: 1) they don't fully understand strategic components, and 2) they lack a mental picture depicting how the various pieces connect. But make no mistake, long-term operational results can only be fully realized when functional plans are driven from a sound and synergistic foundation.

In our experience, frustration causes leaders to do one of two things. Some choose to attend to pressing operational matters to the exclusion of strategic issues. Others invest time developing and refining core elements, yet fail to integrate them into day-in, day-out execution strategies. Scott Adams, of "Dilbert" fame, has made a mint mocking mind-numbing strategic planning exercises because they rarely produce anything of substantial value!

But failure to follow through on such organizational spadework eventually impacts focus and commitment, even as it creates a host of other organizational ills. Staffs become frustrated, customers disappear, donors leave confused, and financial problems mount.

In response, let's consider a framework that links foundational elements to each other and to functional plans. This model, called The Strategic AgendaTM, assists leaders in understanding what the strategic, foundational elements in an organization are, how they work together, and how they flow into a comprehensive functional plan.

The Strategic Agenda™

Foundational Elements

Understanding The Strategic AgendaTM requires an accurate definition of each element in the model. Review each one to make sure your understanding of each is clear. Circle key words to cement recollection:

Mission Statement: A broad definition of the purpose or reason an organization exists. It should address societal needs and problems, not specific products or services to be offered.

Core Values: The values a staff intends to emphasize in its work with customers/donors and with each other. These principles (along with the mission statement) gives the organization its unique identity and direction. Core values should be limited to five or six to keep them memorable and truly special.

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