Identifying what matters most is both a timeless and timely topic, one that almost always engenders lively conversation among association staff and volunteers. These conversations often look externally to relevant environmental trends and how they might impact the association and those it serves. Environmental scanning (and other strategic planning) discussions generate more value when an association has its internal house in order. At minimum, this requires the association to have three: 1. A succinct, clearly articulated, and widely understood mission statement that is regularly discussed and applied to strategic and tactical decisions. 2. A vision statement, stretch goals, or BHAGs* that tell an inspiring and aspirational story about the future(s) the association is trying to create. 3. Relevant mission- and vision-related metrics to assess progress and inform programmatic and resource allocation decisions. 4. Clarity about which stakeholders and efforts the association prioritizes to help fulfill its mission and make progress towards its vision, as well as why they matter. *BHAGs stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goals and is a concept introduced by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in their seminal book, Built to Last. Let’s briefly examine each of these four areas and their implications for an organization trying to determine what matters next. 1. MISSION An effective mission statement articulates the business the organization is in—and anchors its efforts—in as few words as possible. People should be able to speak it easily from memory (no wallet card required!) and more importantly, understand how it applies to their respective efforts. Many mission statements are a relic of decades past in which an effective statement was thought to include an expression of why the organization exists, who it serves, what products and services it offers, and how it conducted itself. These paragraph-long statements neither alienated nor excited many people, nor were they memorable or widely applied. Contemporary thinking about mission focuses on sharing the most robust meaning as succinctly as possible. You can’t realistically determine what matters next if you lack a clear understanding of why your organization exists. My own mission is “to help people facilitate better discussions, decisions, and results.” In its most abbreviated form it is only five words: to help people facilitate better. You know you have an actionable mission when it can be turned into a question and applied in almost any circumstance; i.e. What content should I include in this article to help people facilitate better? 2. VISION A good vision articulates an inspiring and aspirational picture of a desirable future state, one that will require significant effort, time, and possibly innovation, to achieve. While some organizations aim decades into the future with their vision, 5–10 years is common. The timeframe should be challenging but not completely impossible to achieve. Along with mission statements, effective visions are a steadying force among the ongoing turnover of board members and other volunteers. They provide an overall North star that can attract people who find the vision desirable and want to work to make it a reality. They help inform how present efforts can be designed to help achieve the desired future(s). Instead of being captured in a vision statement, the desired future state many organizations hope to create is represented IDENTIFYING WHAT MATTERS MOST By Jeffrey Cufaude Leadership 27
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