A Mission that Matters.(management goal setting)(Brief Article) Author/s: Sheila Murray Bethel Issue: May, 1999

Your mission is at the very heart of your leadership effectiveness.We live in an era of extraordinary change. To be a leader who makes a difference in it, you need first to have a mission that matters.

Your mission may be based on a dream or vision of how you see the future. It may be small and personal, or large and world-shaking. It may take a few hours a week to accomplish, or it may take your whole life.

Whatever its scale, your mission is at the very heart of your leadership effectiveness.
It will definitively be the driving force that attracts followers.

What distinguishes visions that "make a difference?" They usually start out as something you would naturally do because you want to help, change or improve someone or some situation.

You don't usually wake up one morning and say "I'm going to be a leader with a mission that matters." What usually happens is that your mission grows out of your activities at home, at work or in the community.

When you start to look for ways to make a difference, nothing is off limits or out of reach. Don't feel restricted by your age, ethnicity or social, economic or educational status. The only restriction is that you must be truly committed. It is your commitment that will become an example that inspires and motivates others.

There are three major roadblocks to building a mission that matters.

* The first is thinking you're too old or too young or too anything to have a mission.
* The second: putting off beginning. If you want to make a difference, make it your job to identify your mission now--it does not help to "wait for a better time."
* The third: giving in to temptation to do nothing, because you think you can do so little.

Misssions often have modest beginnings, so don't hesitate to start small. As your mission grows you'll grow with it. To become a mission-driven leader you don't have to be a statesman, celebrity, or business giant. You don't need to have a lofty position, numerous degrees or huge bank accounts. Your desire to make a difference matters.

Where to begin? For inspiration, look to your organization, your family, your community. Find something, large or small, that you feel strongly about, that matters to you. When you've found an area or situation where you want to make a difference, you can begin to build your mission.

A mission can transform you
The corporate mission statements of the world's best-run companies often reflect the personal missions of their leaders. These missions are the driving force behind their profits, productivity and success.

In fact, organizations with clear-cut, clearly-defined mission statements usually find that they benefit both employees and customers. They also help organizations adhere to a high sense of ethics and social responsibility. These companies and organizations seem to have a spirit and staying power that others do not.


It is easy to recognize leaders who have missions, even if it is at first difficult to define what their missions are. Their commitment is evidenced in that intangible we call charisma. We are drawn to them and their energy. We solicit their opinions; we follow their lead. They help us redefine our lives, our purpose and perhaps our own missions.

If you are concerned that you lack brilliant speaking skills or personal magnetism, don't worry. Your mission doesn't depend on it.

At the same time, it is interesting to see how some missions have transformed their owners into charismatic leaders because of the depth and passion of their desire to make a difference. Your enthusiasm can make you eloquent. The example that you set for others can speak far more forcefully than words alone.

A mission that matters is part practical and part magical. The practical part is evidenced in the results you achieve. The magical part is what the mission does to your mind and heart.

A mission can be your legacy
While other personal qualities can also influence people to accept someone as a leader, and to follow their direction, true leadership can be developed and sustained only by having a mission. But without having one you cannot reach your full potential.

Having a mission that matters--a desire to serve others and to make a difference--is the driving force that inspires others to follow. Your mission, and your example of service, will be the legacies of your leadership.

Create Goals That People Will Follow. Author/s: Nancy Konish Issue: Sept 7, 1999

Management faces a lot of resistance when it comes to setting goals and getting people to actually meet and work toward them. The largest obstacle is often attitude, which is evidenced in employees' morale, teamwork, and sense of ownership regarding a particular project.

Unfortunately, these problems have caused a lot of people to avoid goal setting as a general practice. According to Andrew Schwartz, president and founder of A.E. Schwartz & Associates, goal setting gives an organization and the people within it defined roles. This provides a focus for people's attention and a mobilization of individual and group energy. Individuals also feel that they own a part of something larger, which makes them more committed to the task at hand.

To effective, Schwartz emphasizes objectives must meet the following criteria:

* They should be reduced to their most quantifiable form. Otherwise, goals may he defined too ambiguously. For example, the plan might be to distribute mail in a timely manner. But breaking it down makes it much clearer and easier to follow. Change it to opening, sorting, and distributing all mail for the third floor before 10 a.m. on each workday, and it's much more quantifiable.

* Similarly, avoid being vague. It makes it hard for everyone to have a means by which to measure a goal. The best way to do this is to be specific. Look at the words you're using. If any word used to state the objective could mean different things to different people or be the least bit unclear, reword it or go into more detail. This avoids any confusion and ensures that everyone is on the same page. Also, define the time frame for the goal and what measurement will prove that it has or hasn't been met.

* Choose the right environment. Goals should be created in a comfortable group setting. Everyone should be able to comment, voice opinions, and ask questions. Achieving goals demands open communication. Even setting the objective, the manager must be able to perceive any neutral feedback so that he or she will recognize a goal toward which people are noncommittal.

If it's talked about freely, everybody will truly express how they feel about the goal. Is it attainable? Will it fail because of pre-existing problems in the workplace? Is it something that doesn't deserve priority status at this time? Goals won't reach fruition unless both the managers and associates fully believe in them. That's why you cannot dictate a goal to a group and expect it to be followed. Get everyone's opinion instead, and you'll find you come up with something in which the whole group feels invested.

* Remember that goals should be challenging, hut realistic. A goal that's easy to reach can inspire boredom and carelessness. But if it's unrealistic, you're taking the risk that an employee might try so hard to reach it that he or she puts other responsibilities aside. Then you have a solution that's creating more problems.


* Build a checklist. Start with a plan for how the goals should be accomplished. That will help everyone realize what is to be achieved, when it will be accomplished, and how it will be measured.

* Conduct a goal review. It gives you the chance to tell all of your associates why a goal was set, who set it, and how it fits into the organization.

* Do a follow-up. Take the checklist created previously, and use it as a standard by which you can review and assess the accomplished goal.

Setting goals properly helps organizations, managers, and associates avoid scenarios like missed opportunities, failed assignments, and uncompleted projects. And it has side benefits, such as encouraging teamwork and boosting morale. So stop avoiding goals because they're usually not met. Put the emphasis on organizing and encouraging everyone to strive toward them instead. Declare the objective as a team, and you'll find that meeting goals is easy.