Suzanne,
In trying to guide several different organizations to think about
and develop core values, purpose, mission and visions, I have found the
work of Collins and Porras particularly helpful. They provide a context,
define these terms, and lay out a framework of the relationships among
them. It's certainly not the only definitions or framework, but it may be
useful as you develop your own process. See:
Collins, James C. and Jerry I. Porras. "Organizational Vision and
Visionary Organizations." California Management Review, Vol. 34, No. 1
(Fall 1991), pp. 30-52.
and
Collins, James C. and Jerry I. Porras. Built to Last: Successful Habits
of Visionary Companies. New York, NY: Harper Business Publishers, 1994.
I found the first most helpful in formulating a process to assist members
of the organization focus on a task many find quite uncomfortable and
difficult, and the second most helpful in addressing "why?" and in
providing concrete examples. I hope this is useful.
Bob
[Host's Note: In association with Amazon.com, these links for Collins and
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Paperback
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... Rick]
--Bob Emmerichs <shcir@erols.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>