Steps in Strategic Planning

Steps in Strategic Planning Strategic Planning Model Many books and articles describe how best to do strategic planning, and many go to much greater lengths than this planning response sheet, but our purpose here is to present the fundamental steps that must be taken in the strategic planning process. Below is a brief description of the five steps in the process. These steps are a recommendation, but not the only recipe for creating a strategic plan; other sources may recommend entirely different steps or variations of these steps. However, the steps outlined below describe the basic work that needs to be done and the typical products of the process. Thoughtful and creative planners will add spice to the mix or elegance to the presentation in order to develop a strategic plan that best suits their organization! Step One Getting Ready To get ready for strategic planning, an organization must first assess if it is ready. While a number of issues must be addressed in assessing readiness, the determination essentially comes down to whether an organizations leaders are truly committed to the effort, and whether they are able to devote the necessary attention to the big picture. For example, if a funding crisis looms, the founder is about to depart, or the environment is turbulent, then it does not make sense to take time out for strategic planning effort at that time. An organization that determines it is indeed ready to begin strategic planning must perform five tasks to pave the way for an organized process: identify specific issues or choices that the planning process should address clarify roles (who does what in the process) create a Planning Committee develop an organizational profile identify the information that must be collected to help make sound decisions. The product developed at the end of the Step One is a Workplan. Step Two Articulating Mission and Vision A mission statement is like an introductory paragraph: it lets the reader know where the writer is going, and it also shows that the writer knows where he or she is going. Likewise, a mission statement must communicates the essence of an organization to the reader. An organizations ability to articulate its mission indicates its focus and purposefulness. A mission statement typically describes an organization in terms of its: Purpose why the organization exists, and what it seeks to accomplish Business the main method or activity through which the organization tries it fulfill this purpose Values the principles or beliefs that guide an organizations members as they pursue the organizations purpose Whereas the mission statement summarizes the what, how, and why of an organizations work, a vision statement presents an image of what success will look like. For example, the mission statement of the Support Centers of America is as follows: The mission of the Support Centers of America is to increase the effectiveness of the nonprofit sector by providing management consulting, training and research. Our guiding principles are: promote client independence, expand cultural proficiency, collaborate with others, ensure our own competence, act as one organization. We envision an ever increasing global movement to restore and revitalize the quality of life in local communities. The Support Centers of America will be a recognized contributor and leader in that movement. With mission and vision statements in hand, an organization has taken an important step towards creating a shared, coherent idea of what it is strategically planning for. At the end of Step Two, a draft mission statement and a draft vision statement is developed. Step Three Assessing the Situation Once an organization has committed to why it exists and what it does, it must take a clear-eyed look at its current situation. Remember, that part of strategic planning, thinking, and management is an awareness of resources and an eye to the future environment, so that an organization can successfully respond to changes in the environment. Situation assessment, therefore, means obtaining current information about the organizations strengths, weaknesses, and performance information that will highlight the critical issues that the organization faces and that its strategic plan must address. These could include a variety of primary concerns, such as funding issues, new program opportunities, changing regulations or changing needs in the client population, and so on. The point is to choose the most important issues to address. The Planning Committee should agree on no more than five to ten critical issues around which to organize the strategic plan. The products of Step Three include: a data base of quality information that can be used to make decisions; and a list of critical issues which demand a response from the organization the most important issues the organization needs to deal with. Step Four Developing Strategies, Goals, and Objectives Once an organizations mission has been affirmed and its critical issues identified, it is time to figure out what to do about them: the broad approaches to be taken (strategies), and the general and specific results to be sought (the goals and objectives). Strategies, goals, and objectives may come from individual inspiration, group discussion, formal decision-making techniques, and so on but the bottom line is that, in the end, the leadership agrees on how to address the critical issues. This can take considerable time and flexibility: discussions at this stage frequently will require additional information or a reevaluation of conclusions reached during the situation assessment. It is even possible that new insights will emerge which change the thrust of the mission statement. It is important that planners are not afraid to go back to an earlier step in the process and take advantage of available information to create the best possible plan. The product of Step Four is an outline of the organizations strategic directions the general strategies, long-range goals, and specific objectives of its response to critical issues. Step Five Completing the Written Plan The mission has been articulated, the critical issues identified, and the goals and strategies agreed upon. This step essentially involves putting all that down on paper. Usually one member of the Planning Committee, the executive director, or even a planning consultant will draft a final planning document and submit it for review to all key decision makers (usually the board and senior staff). This is also the time to consult with senior staff to determine whether the document can be translated into operating plans (the subsequent detailed action plans for accomplishing the goals proposed by the strategic plan) and to ensure that the plan answers key questions about priorities and directions in sufficient detail to serve as a guide. Revisions should not be dragged out for months, but action should be taken to answer any important questions that are raised at this step. It would certainly be a mistake to bury conflict at this step just to wrap up the process more quickly, because the conflict, if serious, will inevitably undermine the potency of the strategic directions chosen by the planning committee. The product of Step Five is a strategic plan! Whats in a vision statement? [From http://www.allianceonline.org/faqs.html] Martin Luther King, Jr. said, I have a dream, and what followed was a vision that changed a nation. That famous speech is a dramatic example of the power that can be generated by a person who communicates a compelling vision of the future. Management author Tom Peters identified a clear vision of the desired future state of the organization as an essential component of high performance. Widely-read organizational development author Warren Bennis identified a handful of traits that made great leaders great. Among them is the ability to create a vision. So, What Is a Vision and How Do I Get One? A vision is a guiding image of success formed in terms of a contribution to society. If a strategic plan is the blueprint for an organizations work, then the vision is the artists rendering of the achievement of that plan. It is a description in words that conjures up a similar picture for each member of the group of the destination of the groups work together. There is one universal rule of planning: You will never be greater than the vision that guides you. No Olympic athlete ever got to the Olympics by mistake; a compelling vision of his or her stellar performance inevitably guides all the sweat and tears for many years. The vision statement should require the organizations members to stretch their expectations, aspirations, and performance. Without that powerful, attractive, valuable vision, why bother? How a Vision is Used John Bryson, the author of Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, states that typically, a vision is more important as a guide to implementing strategy than it is to formulating it. This is because the development of strategy is driven by what you are trying to accomplish, your organizations purposes. A mission statement answers the questions: Why does our organization exist? What business are we in? What values will guide us? A vision, however, is more encompassing. It answers the question, What will success look like? It is the pursuit of this image of success that really motivates people to work together. A vision statement should be realistic and credible, well articulated and easily understood, appropriate, ambitious, and responsive to change. It should orient the groups energies and serve as a guide to action. It should be consistent with the organizations values. In short, a vision should challenge and inspire the group to achieve its mission. The Impact of Vision John F. Kennedy did not live to see the achievement of his vision for NASA, but he set it in motion when he said, By the end of the decade, we will put a man on the moon. That night, when the moon came out, we could all look out the window and imagine And when it came time to appropriate the enormous funds necessary to accomplish this vision, Congress did not hesitate. Why? Because this vision spoke powerfully to values Americans held dear: America as a pioneer and America as world leader. In an amazing longitudinal study on goal setting, Yale University surveyed the graduating class of 1953 on commencement day, to determine if they had written goals for what they wanted their lives to become. Only three percent had such a vision. In 1973, the surviving members of the class of 1953 were surveyed again. The three percent who had a vision for what they wished their lives would become had accumulated greater wealth than the other 97 percent combined. Great wealth, a man on the moon, brother and sisterhood among the races of the globe what is your organizations vision? Shared Vision To a leader, the genesis of the dream is unimportant. The great leader is the servant of the dream, the bearer of the myth, the story teller. It is the idea (vision) that unites people in the common effort, not the charisma of the leader, writes Robert Greenleaf in Leadership Crisis. He goes on to write: Optimal performance rests on the existence of a powerful shared vision that evolves through wide participation to which the key leader contributes, but which the use of authority cannot shape. The test of greatness of a dream is that it has the energy to lift people out of their moribund ways to a level of being and relating from which the future can be faced with more hope than most of us can summon today. The Process for Creating a Vision Like much of strategic planning, creating a vision begins with and relies heavily on intuition and dreaming. As part of the process, you may brainstorm with your staff or your board what you would like to accomplish in the future. Talk about and write down the values that you share in pursuing that vision. Different ideas do not have to be a problem. People can spur each other on to more daring and valuable dreams and visions dreams of changing the world that they are willing to work hard for. The vision may evolve throughout a strategic planning process. Or, it may form in one persons head in the shower one morning! The important point is that members of an organization without a vision may toil, but they cannot possibly be creative in finding new and better ways to get closer to a vision without that vision formally in place. Nonprofit organizations, with many of their staff and board members actively looking for ways to achieve a vision, have a powerful competitive and strategic advantage over organizations that operate without a vision. Perceptions of Ideal Futures: An Exercise in Forming Vision This section outlines an exercise you may employ to assist your organization in defining its own vision. By using this exercise to develop your organizational vision, you may be better assured that the vision statement that is developed is a shared vision. At a retreat, or even at a board meeting or staff meeting, take an hour to explore your vision. Breaking into small groups helps increase participation and generate creativity. Agree on a rough time frame, say five to ten years. Ask people to think about the following questions: How do you want your community to be different? What role do you want your organization to play in your community? What will success look like? Then ask each group to come up with a metaphor for your organization, and to draw a picture of success: Our organization is like a mariachi band all playing the same music together, or like a train pulling important cargo and laying the track as we go, or . The value of metaphors is that people get to stretch their minds and experiment with different ways of thinking about what success means to them. Finally, have all the groups share their pictures of success with each other. One person should facilitate the discussion and help the group discuss what they mean and what they hope for. Look for areas of agreement, as well as different ideas that emerge. The goal is to find language and imagery that your organizations members can relate to as their vision for success. Caution: Do not try to write a vision statement with a group. (Groups are great for many things, but writing is not one of them!). Ask one or two people to try drafting a vision statement based on the groups discussion, bring it back to the group, and revise it until you have something that your members can agree on and that your leaders share with enthusiasm.

Television Overexposure and ADHD: Is there a connection? :: Essays Papers

Television Overexposure and ADHD: Is there a connection? It is an urban myth that an overexposure to watching television may cause people to develop Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). My purpose is to study this theory to discover if it is accurate. I am also interested in discovering how ADHD plays a role in education. Before I can begin I have to start by researching what ADHD is. ADHD is a disorder among people that is associated with three main symptoms which are poor sustained attention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity. Along with these three main topics, three subtypes have also been identified in the forms of being predominately inattentive, predominately hyperactive-impulsive, and combined types (Barkley). Where does ADHD occur? Out of the childhood population 4-12% have ADHD (Clayton). Along with that percentage boys can be found outweighing girls in a ratio of 3:1. ADHD can continue on into a person’s adolescence stage in 50-80% of clinically diagnosed case and into adulthood in 30-50% of these same cases (Barkley). How can someone determine if their child or children have ADHD? ADHD is most likely evaluated through diagnostic interviews with the child, their parents, and the child’s tearcher(s). Other evaluations are behavior rating scales completed by both the parents and the teacher(s), direct observations of the students’ school behavior, and clinic based testing (Anastopoulos). There are many different methods as to how ADHD is treated. Some examples are couneling and behavior management training for the parents, family, and teacher. The are also special education resources available in order to help children with ADHD. Another alternative for parents is to have a professional prescribe psychoactive medications for their child or children to improve their behavior (Barkley). The most effective type of medication found for ADHD are stimulants. Different medications work differently on many people and it is important to work with a professional to decide which prescription is right for you. In some cases the use of stimulant psychoactive medication dramatically reduces hyperactive and impulsive behaviors, im proves focus, and has even improved physical coordination (Attention).

From Apocalyptic to Messianic: Philosophia Universalis :: Philosophy Philosophic Essays

From Apocalyptic to Messianic: Philosophia Universalis ABSTRACT: Perhaps for the first time in history, the turn of a millennium is directly reflected in philosophy-as an apocalyptic end of philosophy. Recently, an attempt to channel apocalyptic into messianic has been undertaken by Derrida in his Spectres of Marx. However, Derrida's endeavor does not relate directly to philosophy and thus does not alter its apocalyptic landscape. Considering the critical state of contemporary philosophy, it is unclear whether such an alteration can be performed in the West. A radical reinterpretation appears to be much more probable when undertaken from an outside position. It may be that this is the case with the Philosophia Universalis developed by the Russian-American David Zilberman (1938-1977) from classical Hindu philosophies and applied, as a new synthesis, to Western philosophy. Major ideas of the Philosophia Universalis as well as its principal results and achievements comprise the content of this presentation. It is a miraculous feeling: You are touching cinders, But because of your touchz They blush — they turn into diamonds." David Zilberman Contemporary Western philosophy is eschatological through and through; bread of apocalypsis is philosophical daily bread there for quite a long time already. (1) One may argue who introduced what Derrida calls 'an apocalyptic tone in philosophy' (2) — Derrida himself, Heidegger, or, even earlier, Nietzsche, Marx, or Kant. It appears, however, that the very idea of the end of philosophy is taken seriously. As any end, the end of philosophy means death, and thus, as Derrida elaborates on in his Spectres of Marx, entails funeral, eulogy, spectres, and sentiment of irretrivable loss. Could it be otherwise? Would it be possible to philosophize at (on) the end? Could philosophy be an eschatology and still remain a living thing? Questions of death and rebirth, ends and new beginnings are among those fashionable ones in contemporary philosophy. They have been raised lately, among others, by Derrida in his indepth and novel analysis of apocalyptic and messianic. (3) This exploration, obviously inhereting to philosophical intentions of M. Blanchot, E. Levinas, and V. Benjamin, results in a broad picture of a world organized under the idea of the "new International", a messianic structure of the future ought to replace (and actually replacing, according to Derrida) apocalyptic discourses of today. Messianic as a structure of experience within community without community, party, political structure, as focused around some secret unindentified bond between those accepted into it, appears to be the widest possible description of the human world to come.

Harper Lee Research Paper

â€Å"†¦ climb into his skin and walk around in it. † Atticus teaches Scout and important life lesson. The novel To Kill and Mockingbird describes Lee’s childhood growing up in a small country town called Maycomb. She grew up in a small family consisting of her dad, Atticus and her older brother, Jem. The novel describes her childhood adventures and journeys as she grows and matures. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird discusses biographical and historical events by using characterization and setting. â€Å"Harper Lee was born in Monroevill, Alabama in 1926† (Hacht). Lee was born to Frances Finch, who died when Lee was young, and was the daughter of a lawyer in Maycomb County, Amasa Coleman†(Moss, Wilson 390), who they referred to as â€Å"Atticus†. Lee was a â€Å"Tom-boy† growing up because she was the only girl in the family. â€Å"Truman Capote, famous writer, was a close childhood friend of Lee and is thought to have served as the model for Dill in the novel† (Hacht). â€Å"After graduating from the public schools of Monroeville, Lee attended a small college in nearby Montgomery before attending the University of Alabama† (Telgan 285), and one year at Oxford University in England (Stabler 663) essay writer premium 3d. She studied law after graduating essay writer program, but withdrew one semester before completing her law degree† (Hacht). She withdrew for her law degree to pursue her writing career (Hacht). â€Å"She helped author Truman Capote research information for the book, In Cold Blood† (Stabler 663). â€Å"She wrote essays and short stories in her spare time. † Her agent called to tell her about the one of her short stories being extended into a novel (Telgan 287). The book was To Kill and Mockingbird which was her only book, was immediately popular and critical success, winning a Pulitzer Prize in 1961 (Hacht).The practice of slavery made whites prejudice agains t blacks, and the whites did not get along well with the blacks, which was a cause for a major change. Even though slavery ended they where still treated unfairly. â€Å"Although Lee sets her novel in the south of the 1930s, conditions were little improved by the early 1960s in America† (Telgan 295). Despite the end of slavery African Americans were still denied many of their basic rights. Blacks were demeaned by society. They segregated the public rest rooms and drinking fountains and forced blacks to the back of buses. Injustice was challenged was challenged by a woman named Rosa Parks.She refused to give up her seat to a white man. Being lead by Martin Luther King Jr. , civil right leaders lead a boycott against the bus system in Montgomery, Alabama on December 5, 1995 (Telgan 295-296). â€Å"Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop, grass grew on the sidewalk, and the courthouse sagged in t he square† (Lee 5) Lee describes the setting o Maycomb for the reader to visualize the setting of the story. â€Å"†¦ Mrs. Dubose was the meanest old lady who ever lived† (Lee 35). Harper Lee uses characterization to describe the meanness in Mrs.Dubose, and why Jem and Scout hate to walk by her house. Harper Lee teaches life lessons in To Kill a Mockingbird by describing her childhood. She discusses biographical and historical events by using characterization and setting to help the readers see what she wrote. Hacht, Anne M. â€Å"To Kill an Mockingbird. † Literary Themes for Students: Race and Predjudice. Vol. 2 Detroit: Gale, 2006. 470-483. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. Hardin Valley Academy. 23Oct. 2009http://go. galegroup. com/ps/start. do? p=GVRL&u=tel_k_hardinhs Moss, Joyce & Wilson, George â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird. † Literature and Its Times. Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events That Influenced Them. Vol. 3: Growth of Empires to the Great Depression (1890-1930s) Detroit: Gale, 1997. 390-396. Gale Virtual Reference Liberary. Gale. HARDIN VALLEY ACADEMY. 26 Oct. 2009 http://go. galegroup. com/ps/start. do? p=GVRL&u=tel _K_hardinhs Stabler, Scott â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird. † St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 4. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000. 663-664. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale HARDIN VALLEY ACADEMY. 26 Oct. 2009 http://go. galegroup. com/ps/start. do? p=GVRL&u

Speech notes

Some speeches may, in fact, last those agonizing 52 minutes; however, some speeches last only moments. Remember when the dean of your college got up to Introduce the speaker? That was a speech, too. I'm sure that one was much more brief. There are three mall types of speeches that you likely see on a regular basis. Let's take a look at each of those speeches now. Informative Speeches Imagine sitting in the audience of a large lecture hall listening to your professor talk about the theory of relativity.It may sound like confusing words to many, but what he is really doing is giving an informational speech. This kind of speech is delivered mostly to convey information to the audience about something they don't already now. There are a few types of informational speeches: Speeches about objects Speeches about events Speeches about processes Speeches about concepts When a public speaker talks about things that can inspire your senses, like touch, smell or feel, it is a speech about objec ts and involves talking about things in the sensory and physical world.Maybe he is talking about the way a spider looks or the way freshly snipped herbs smell. It may even be a speech about your favorite president. Either way, the speech is written to appeal to the senses. Some speeches are written to inform people of a current or past happening. This Is a speech about an event, and it is meant to bring people up to speed on things that have, are or will be going on in the world. Upon taking the presidential oath, a newly elected president will give his Inaugural Address, where he tells the citizens of the united States his plans for his term.This speech Is done to get the nation excited about the prospect of a new president. A cooking demonstration Is a good example of a speech about processes because It instructs the audience on how to do something through a process. So, the next time you happen to pass a gourmet store and see a chef showing onlookers how to make manmade pasta, kn ow you are listening to a speech designed to show you how to do something step by step. To talk. Some are speeches about concepts, written about theoretical ideas and notions, like world peace, freedom or love.Unlike the other types of informative speeches, this type of speech is intangible. As with any of the informative speeches, they should be written as topical (or by topic), chronological (or by date) or spatial (or how things physically fit together). A writer may use a topical organization if writing about types of wines. The writer may start with a wine type, then go into region and then grape varieties. Chronological organization would most likely be used when writing about an event, such as events that led up to the Civil Rights Act.When writing about things to do in Miami Beach, a writer may break down the area to a few important sightseeing locales and then list important places of interest for each. Not all speeches are informative. For instance, persuasive speech writi ng is a little different. Persuasive Speech So, you get roped into attending a How To Get Rich in Real Estate seminar. After a few minutes, you realize that the lecture is less about real estate and more about buying he speaker's set of CDC and books on tape.Likely, this was a persuasive speech, and it is designed to change a group's thinking or behavior. This type of speech is often used in sales and advertising to get people to buy things. A persuasive speech could be an emotional appeal, where the speaker attempts to elicit sensitivity from the group, or it could be a logical appeal, where the speaker wants the audience to rely on their own reasoning to make a decision. A speech about hunger in America may pull at your heartstrings and make you quickly dial a number to send money.That is a purely emotional decision based on the persuasive talk of the speaker. Choosing a good acne cream based on product facts and before and after visuals might muster up some attention because the audience is asked to use logic to decide whether the product works. If the visuals show a clearer face after use, soundness may say the product is good. Of course, some speeches are not meant to change anything. They are mostly Just for fun, and that is when special occasion speeches are used. Special Occasion Speech So, you're the best man at your friend's wedding.That means you have to arrange the bachelor party, buy a tuxedo and worst of all -give a speech. With a lump in your throat and a shaky hand, you begin talking. What you are doing is giving a special occasion speech, and it is generally done to toast a celebration or commemorate some special event. This type of speech usually does not require major research, and there is no formal style of execution. It is done as a means of rejoicing at a fun event. The only rule to a festive get together, keep it brief, and the audience will most likely refrain from throwing things at you.

Treasury, Foreign Exchange and Financialization Essay

Treasury, Foreign Exchange and Financialization - Essay Example The table below which is labeled – Table 1 shows the principal repayments schedule for the $200mn facility provided by Toronto Dominion Bank (TD). These were used as a basis for calculating the interest payments in the appendix. ... This has resulted in a difference of $2.4m in overpayment. These repayments were used as a basis in calculating the interest payments in the appendix. The table in the appendix shows the most likely scenario, a high interest scenario and a low interest scenario for CRP as a basis for deciding which of the three hedging strategies is most favorable. The interest payments on the swap option were calculated semi-annually in keeping with the requirements of that option. The interest rates used to calculate the quarterly interest payments were adjusted to reflect the effects on the interest paid interest on the loan by the corresponding hedging strategy. Therefore, the information does not reflect whether CRP or the other party gained from the interest rate swap, interest rate cap or the interest rate collar hedging strategies. The aim of the schedule is to determine which hedging strategy provided the best option in terms of being the least expensive for CRP. The table in the appendix sh ows the interest payments on the $200mn loan under the three hedging strategies and for each scenario. Most likely scenario Table 2 indicates that under the most likely scenario the interest rate swap option provides the best hedging alternative with a required interest payment of $53.7mn and an average interest rate of 11.31% for the three year period (interest remaining fixed throughout the period). This compares favorably with a required interest payment of $59mn and an average interest rate of 11.65% on the interest rate cap option. The interest payment required on the interest rate collar option is $59.6mn with an average interest rate of 11.77%. The loan agreement indicates that the interest rate charged on the hedging instrument should not exceed

CROSS-CULTURAL MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CROSS-CULTURAL MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Every company across the world is trying to maximize the profitability from the opportunity it has in the global world economy. Companies are looking for the opportunities to expand their businesses and serve the international markets. International markets on one hand provide lucrative opportunities and on the other hand poses different challenges for the international business managers. Much of these challenges come due to the differences of the cultures of the target market places. Every market differs with each other in geographic specifications, customer demographics, consumer choices and preferences, taste, culture and traditions and in various different aspects. It is very important for the international businesses to cater the needs of different markets by responding to different environmental factors. One of the most important issues for the business organisations’ in the present business scenario is ‘Culture’. Culture has been defined in different ways by academicians, sociologists, researchers and various experts from different fields. Hofstede (1980) has regarded it as ‘collective programming of the mind’. This collective programming allows people to distinguish the members of one group from the other. Maanen and Schein (1979) has defined culture as values, beliefs, and expectations that members of a group come to share. Success and failure of any project of organisation is subject to its culture and culture of the people working in/with it. Organization culture allows its employee certain degree of freedom, innovativeness and support. It depends on leadership for the mission, vision and approach. Employees of any organization must follow the vision of management in order to achieve desired results. The components of organization’s culture are as follows: Mooij and Marieke (2004) state â€Å"Organization culture is collection of vision, values, norms, beliefs and attitude of an organization.† Organisation culture is one