"To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions".
Benjamin Franklin
Over the last twenty years, I have facilitated strategic plans for large and small corporations, nonprofit agencies and governmental departments. The strategic plan consists of a vision statement that describes the "city on the hill" that is being created, the mission statement that briefly describes how the "city on the hill" will be built and the values statement that acts as a rudder when making decisions. All of these components are necessary to help an organization focus its people, money and resources in a common direction.
When I began reading Jennings and Haughton's book on using speed as a competitive advantage, I realized there is one more important statement to make in the strategic planning process. That statement is called "guiding principles". How is this different than a vision, mission or core values statement? It helps by asking the questions that lead to decisions that fit the culture of the organization. A company's culture is best defined as the way it interacts with others. .Let me give you an example of "guiding principles" from the book:
Lend Lease company builds some of the most spectacular structures in the world. In order to stay competitive and act quickly they developed the following "guiding principles".
- Dare to be different in everything we do-the enemy of mediocrity.
- Never do anything that would diminish the pride our parents have in us.
- No nasty surprises-grow earnings every year.
- Be a leading employer.
- Enhance the environment.
- We need special relationships to enhance our capabilities
- No individual has a monopoly on good ideas
- We will only prosper with the support of the communities with which we interact.
- We wish all employers to be stakeholders.
- We believe there is a strong link between good governance and performance.
I believe these "guiding" statements go beyond the vision, mission and core values statements in that they describe specifically the questions to ask when making decisions so that the company can react more quickly and stay competitive.
Question for You:
Does your organization struggle with making quick decisions? As a leader, do you prefer analysis which may lead to your companies' paralysis? Does your vision, mission and core values statements go unnoticed?
Answer for You:
Encourage your leadership to develop a set of guiding principles that will allow everyone in the organization to make decisions faster while keeping with your company's culture. This can lead to seizing opportunities versus watching them sail by....
Is it the Truth? Is it beneficial to all concerned? Will it build good will and better friendships? Is it beneficial to all concerned?
The Four Way Test, guiding principles of Rotary Clubs
