Mission, Vision and Values

Uma is generating ideas for her mission and vision statement. She wants to write what she aims to achieve in her life. She wants her family, friends, and neighbors to talk about how she established a community center for the senior citizens residing in her locality. According to some of the tools for generating valuable information about oneself, what step is being executed by Uma?

Uma is considering how she would like to be remembered.

When will there be a greater need for "change leaders" in an organization?

When a vision statement creates some dissonance with the status quo

Pick the correct guideline that should be followed while generating ideas for your mission and vision.

Write a rough draft (a page of any length) of your mission statement.

What is a mission statement?

A statement of purpose, describing who the company is and what it does

How do vision statements foster a spirit of continuous innovation and improvement?

By creating a tension and restlessness with regard to the status quo

How can the leadership in an organization make frontline responsibility effective?

By learning to trust workers and giving them sufficient opportunities to develop quality decision-making skills

How can individuals know if they have been honest in developing their personal mission and vision statements?

By sharing the results of the process with one or more people who are close to them

Pick the first step among the tools for generating valuable information about yourself.

Describe your ideal day.

According to the broader definition of visionary leadership, what happens when the mission and vision serve as a form of cruise control?

Efficiency will be achieved with limited hands-on supervision. EXPLANATION A broader definition of visionary leadership suggests that, if many or most of an organization's employees understand and identify with the mission and vision, efficiency will increase because the organization's members "on the front lines" will be making decisions fully aligned with the organization's goals. Efficiency is achieved with limited hands-on supervision because the mission and vision serve as a form of cruise control. To make frontline responsibility effective, leadership must learn to trust workers and give them sufficient opportunities to develop quality decision-making skills.

What happens when there is a correlation between a manager's leadership style and the productivity and motivation of employees?

Employees will feel a sense of importance and see themselves as part of the process necessary to maintain a successful and profitable business.

What means integrating decisions about people with decisions about the results an organization is trying to obtain?

Human resources management alignment

What is the first step to identifying one's core mission statement and values?

Identify past successes.

In an organization, when should corrective action be prompted by mission and vision?

In cases where performance falls short of performance objectives

Choose the main purpose of applying an organizational design.

It is used to match the form of the organization as closely as possible to the purposes the organization seeks to achieve. EXPLANATION Organizational design is a formal, guided process for integrating the people, information, and technology of an organization. It is used to match the form of the organization as closely as possible to the purposes the organization seeks to achieve. Through the design process, organizations act to improve the probability that the collective efforts of members will be successful.

What is true of strategic human resources management?

It reflects the aim of tying the organization's human capital, its people, into the mission and vision.

Pick the right statement for an organizational design.

It should reflect and support the organizational strategy.

What is a characteristic of organizational culture?

It shows people what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior.

While identifying her personal mission and vision, Julia prepares a list of five instances of her achievements at home and at workplace. She then identifies common themes to the instances and writes them down. According to the steps for identifying one's core mission statement and values, what should Julia do next?

Julia should identify her core values.

In identifying your core mission statement and values, what step should be implemented after identifying core values?

Make a list of the ways you could make a difference.

Pick the correct statement regarding mission and vision.

Mission and vision both relate to an organization's purpose and aspirations.

Why are mission and vision most effective when they pervade the leadership of the entire organization, rather than being just the focus of senior management?

Mission and vision guide choices about organizing through an organizational structure and an organizational culture.

According to the broader definition of visionary leadership, how is efficiency achieved with limited hands-on supervision in an organization?

Mission and vision serve as a form of cruise control.

Pick the right statement regarding mission, vision, and leading.

People will help diffuse a revolutionary philosophy even while the leader (i.e., the founder or CEO) is not present.

Pick an accurate criterion for developing a good BHAG-a big, hairy, audacious goal.

Set with understanding, not bravado.

Which of the following best describes administrative systems in an organizational structure?

Systems that govern the organization through guidelines, procedures, and policies

What should be kept in mind while developing one's personal mission and vision?

The development of a personal mission and vision is exactly the opposite of what most people follow.

What is likely to happen when an organization's vision challenges the status quo?

The need for "change leaders" increases.

Why do mission and vision rarely spell out specific actions firms should take when performance is below expectations?

They are high-level statements.

How does a company of large size and magnitude effectively manage and motivate employees from diverse backgrounds and experiences?

They depend on the productivity and performance of their employees.

Pick the correct description of mission statements.

They describe who the company is and what it does.

Pick the question that is answered by vision statements.

"Where is this organization going?"

What is an organizational culture?

A system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs showing people what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior EXPLANATION Organizational culture is a system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs showing people what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Organizational culture is formulated from the interaction of the employees in the workplace. Organizational culture is defined by all the life experiences, strengths, weaknesses, education, upbringing, and other attributes of the employees.

What is the first step among the tools for generating valuable information about yourself?

Describe your ideal day. EXPLANATION A useful mission and vision statement should include two pieces: what you wish to accomplish and contribute and who you want to be, the character strengths and qualities you wish to develop. While this sounds simple, those pieces of information are not always obvious. Try these tools for generating valuable information about yourself: Step 1 includes describing your ideal day. This is not about being practical. It is designed to include as many sides of you and your enthusiasms as possible: creative, competent, artistic, introverted, extraverted, athletic, playful, nurturing, contemplative, and so on.

Choose a criterion for developing a good BHAG-a big, hairy, audacious goal.

Have a long time frame. EXPLANATION Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, describes setting out a bold vision as a BHAG: a big, hairy, audacious goal. One of the guiding criteria is to have a long time frame.

What happens when an organization's mission challenges the status quo?

It creates a need for "change leaders." EXPLANATION Taking lead on any task is much more difficult if attempted alone. Therefore, the more that a mission or vision challenges the status quo-and recognizing that good vision statements always need to create some dissonance with the status quo-the greater will be the organization's need for "change leaders." People will help diffuse the revolutionary philosophy even while the leader (i.e., the founder or CEO) is not present.

Select the point that best describes leading.

It involves influencing others toward the attainment of organizational objectives.

What is a vision statement?

It is a future-oriented declaration of an organization's purpose and aspirations.

In generating valuable information about yourself, what is true of the first step that involves describing your ideal day?

It is designed to include as many sides of you and your enthusiasms as possible.

Which of the following characterizes organizational culture?

It is formulated from the interaction of the employees in the workplace. EXPLANATION Organizational culture is a system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs showing people what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Organizational culture is formulated from the interaction of the employees in the workplace. Organizational culture is defined by all the life experiences, strengths, weaknesses, education, upbringing, and other attributes of the employees.

Ken wishes to identify his core mission statements and values. He spends sometime identifying few instances at his workplace where he had been successful in the past. He writes them down and identifies a common theme. According to the steps for identifying one's core mission statement and values, what should be Ken's next step?

Ken should identify his core values. EXPLANATION Following some steps can help you identify your core mission statement and values. Step 1 is to identify past successes. Spend some time identifying four or five examples where you have had personal success in recent years. These successes could be at work, in your community, or at home. Write them down. Try to identify whether there is a common theme-or themes-to these examples. Write them down. Ken has executed the first step by listing instances of his past successes. The next step is to identify his core values.

Which guideline should be followed while identifying your core mission statement and values?

Make a list of the ways you could make a difference. EXPLANATION Following some steps can help you identify your core mission statement and values. Step 3 is to make a list of the ways you could make a difference. In an ideal situation, think about how you could contribute best to the following: the world in general, your family, your employer or future employers, your friends, and your community.

What is a system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs showing people what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior known as?

Organizational Culture

What is a formal, guided process for integrating the people, information, and technology of an organization known as?

Organizational design

Choose the point that should be kept in mind while developing one's personal mission and vision.

The development of a personal mission and vision is exactly the opposite of what most people follow. EXPLANATION One should note that the development of a personal mission and vision, and then a strategy for achieving them, are exactly the opposite of what most people follow. Most people do not plan further ahead than their next job or activity. It is advocated to look as far into the future as one can and decide where he or she wants to end up and what steps will lead him or her there.

Why should an organization's mission and vision statements be widely circulated?

They enable employees to better understand the strategy and its implementation.

How do goals and objectives that flow from an organization's mission and vision provide a basis for assessing actual versus desired performance?

They provide feedback that helps managers assess the degree to which the organization is succeeding.

What is a likely result when vision statements create a tension and restlessness with regard to the status quo?

They tend to foster a spirit of continuous innovation and improvement. EXPLANATION Mission and vision create a target for strategy development. That is, one criterion of a good strategy is how well it helps the firm achieve its mission and vision. The best vision statements create a tension and restlessness with regard to the status quo-that is, they should foster a spirit of continuous innovation and improvement.

Choose a critical role of mission and vision statements.

To inform strategy development

How is an organizational design used?

To match the form of the organization as closely as possible to the purpose's) the organization seeks to achieve

Which of the following components is essential to organizational success and achieving customer satisfaction?

Treat employees as key stakeholders.

Select the first step that should be implemented while identifying one's core mission statement and values.

identify past successes. EXPLANATION Following some steps can help one identify one's core mission statement and values. Step 1 is to identify past successes. Spend some time identifying four or five examples where you have had personal success in recent years. These successes could be at work, in your community, or at home. Write them down. Try to identify whether there is a common theme-or themes-to these examples. Write them down.

What is an organizational design?

t is a formal, guided process for integrating the people, information, and technology of an organization. EXPLANATION Organizational design is a formal, guided process for integrating the people, information, and technology of an organization. It is used to match the form of the organization as closely as possible to the purposes the organization seeks to achieve. Through the design process, organizations act to improve the probability that the collective efforts of members will be successful.