It's Tuesday at 2:00pm! (PST Time: I live and work from Southern California)
Thank you for your comments last week on the topic of CONFLICT. If you missed it, read it HERE.
Ty shared a great summary:"I love Patrick Lencioni and James! Haha. Looking at these two disparate perspectives on conflict, James reveals the “secret sauce” that Patrick would agree is critical for healthy conflict: humility. With it, we can have conflict, hear one another, objectively evaluate what is really best and move forward together. It’s never about winning for humble people. Without it, it’s just about us and that is the recipe for failure and unfruitfulness in conflict. We might win, but ultimately we all lose."
I'm going to switch things up a little bit today and simply share something I've been thinking about for the past number of months.
The organization I work with, Extreme Response, is doing a Strategic Plan. It's been a great process of asking questions, listening to others, and simply evaluating where we are, where we're going and how we're going to get there. It hasn't been an easy process, and we're not finished yet, but it's been a lot of "good work". (I'll keep you posted on where and how we land!)
There's a book that has been on my shelf for a while that is a simple "Strategic Plan", and I thought today I'd simply share 5 questions and encourage you to use these questions to evaluate the organization you're leading or working with, and hopefully create some constructive conversation around these idea.
Peter Drucker, known as the "father of modern management" wrote a book years ago that has been re-released and updated, called "The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization". (order it HERE)
He simply asks some questions that I'm going to pass on to you and encourage you to think about today:
#1) What Is Your Mission?
Every organization needs a "reason" to be.
#2) Who Is Your Customer?
We're not always sure "WHO" we're trying to serve or reach.
#3) What Does Your Customer Value?
What do our customers need or want, and what are they willing to engage in?
#4) What Are Your Results?
What are we measuring and evaluating? Are we making a difference? Is it working?
#5) What Is Your Plan?
What are we going to do to accomplish our Mission?
INC Magazine shares a short article that digs a little deeper HERE. For the full model, read the whole book!
What I've learned through the Strategic Planning Process is that I'm "remembering" why I am involved in our organization and why I love what I do. It brings clarity, it reminds me of purpose, it pushed towards results and impact, and I realize how far I've drifted from the original mission, so it's a time to "reset" and get ready to move forward with new energy, focus and passion.
Maybe these questions can help you find that today.
"If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old."
Peter Drucker
"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things."
Peter Drucker
"The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said."
Peter Drucker
"The best way to predict the future is to create it."
Peter Drucker
