The final step in strategic planning in the organization is to carefully define the five or so Organizational Goals that will drive what the organization does for the Figure 3. Sample organization mission statements
Sample Mission Statements (found on company Web sites in 2003)
n Entertainment - Disney: "To make people happy“
n Defense - Boeing Phantom Works: “To be the catalyst of innovation for the Boeing Enterprise”
n Non-profit - United Community Center: “A 501(c)(3) human service agency providing emergency assistance, daycare, social services and recreational activities for low-income children and families at risk in inner city Atlanta, Georgia".
n Technology - IBM: We strive to lead in the creation, development and manufacture of the industry’s most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics. We translate these advanced technologies into value for our customers through our professional solutions and services businesses worldwide.
coming year. Figure 4 summarizes guidelines for organizations to disseminate and engender multi-level support for the organizations’ goals. Questions that should be asked to help prepare each Goal Statement include what broad areas does the firm want to focus on to achieve the mission. What measurable improvements do we want to implement in the near term? What changes or actions must this organization undertake and complete in order to be competitive or to improve bottom line financial results? These organizational goals will be used to evaluate and select specific projects that help execute the goals. Goals also help the firm to communicate exactly where the firm is going in the following year. By providing solid, measurable goals, the tactical levels of management as well as the operational, in-the-trenches managers and team leaders know what the firm’s annual performance targets are. Having measurable goals, managers know what they are expected to aim for to help the firm achieve its vision and mission. Goals are revised annually to keep staff and teams accountable as well as provide incentives for performance.
Organizations that tie personnel performance plans (which are usually done on an annual basis) to corporate goals help further solidify employee commitment to organizational performance. In this way, goals become part of the operating
Engender Support for Corporate Goal-Setting
1. Communicate with Action Plans that help Visualize the Goals. Demonstrate your corporate commitment and follow through with concrete plans that can be linked to specific initiatives and projects in the organization. Consider creating committees and work groups that help build the excitement and determination to succeed.
2. Focus on the Key Attributes of the Service or Products. Take the example of Boeing, mentioned in the textbox sidebar earlier. Does your organization want to push the leading edge of technology to achieve one or more of its goals? This may be necessary when outsourcing a project or a service overseas. Do you accept the risks and challenges and are you postured to undertake the steps that others in your industry won't or can't? Are the potential problems in executing these goals too difficult and challenging to solve? Do these goals bring value to your customers and shareholders?
3. Don't Rush the Goal Identification Process. Brainstorming and creativity take time. Be sensitive to the process of vertical communications that are required across the organization as well as the end result of identifying goals. Participants want to see that their experience and hopes for the firm are incorporated. Some organizations just wanted a rubber stamp on the executive mission and goal setting process, never considering it will be the rank and file (as well as the outsource partners they work from week to week to carry out those goals. This is a critical opportunity to build commitment, trust and morale in the organization.
Figure 4. Engender support for corporate goal-setting
culture of the organization, enhance cross communication between management and staff, and get everyone involved in the mission.
Lastly, when validating these as the correct goals, the organization must map each goal back to the mission statement. If there is only a one-sentence or otherwise vague mission statement, this validation task will require more creative rationalizing of projects. A bulleted mission statement is easier (and examples can be found on most any corporate or government Web site home page).
Consider evaluating whether your mission statement adequately and sufficiently expresses what the organization wishes to accomplish in the near term planning horizon.
The following suggestions can be used to validate that the goals and the mission statement are aligned and clear:
• Statement of vision: What is your vision of the organization, and how does it appeal to the employees and customers? Do the goals carry out the vision intent?
• Statement of value: What corporate values link the organization’s vision to the more specific mission? Are these values that employees can be proud of? Can the stated goals be achieved within the reasonable time frames expressed in the mission?
• Statement of expected behaviors: How do employee and supplier behaviors relate to customer perceptions of value? Can the goals be realistically achieved with external outsourcing partners?
• Statement of corporate culture: Is the organizational culture casual and informative in terms of communications lines or is it structured and formal with clear lines of hierarchy? What changes are implied in the goals?
Clearly, cross-checking goal statements against how adaptable the organization is, is vital to actually achieving the goals. A final note: goals should be stated in a way that includes or clearly implies the measurable results that are to be attained by successful completion of each of the goals. Statements that express growth targets, product or service line profitability rates, reduction in errors or loss rates, and market share figures are examples of measurable goods. These can be aligned to the subsequent projects that will be selected to execute goals.
The same goal metrics can then be used to hold outsourcing partners and vendors to similar quantitative performance targets. The remaining steps of planning MIS outsourcing are addressed in subsequent sections. We now address some specifics relevant to outsourcing in strategic and tactical planning.
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