Mission, strategy and objectives

The mission of an organization is of outstanding importance to be able to properly manage the organization. If an organization has no mission, no strategic management can be performed. A mission can be translated to particular strategies which can in turn be sub divided into concrete objectives such as improve returns, broaden revenue mix or minimize operational problems. Those elements of the model cannot be converted to concrete figures as is the case with key performance indicators or measures.

However, it can be made quantifiable by weighting all of the children of the parent in the 1:n relation. If quantification can take place, these text-elements can be displayed in a red or green color if they are successively better or worse respectively. Those elements cannot be depicted as tables with figures or graphs but a metaphor or icon that represents the element’s state will be appropriate.

Future goals to achieve

Missions, strategies and objectives are in fact future goals to achieve. Those goals can change because of internal or environmental changes. Hence, these elements should be changeable for those users that are authorized for such actions. Although key performance indicators or critical success factors can also reflect future goals, most time these will hold actual information.

Organizations do not have always a clear idea

As already discussed, organizations do not always have a clear idea what their mission is. Sometimes it is difficult to find out what their mission and strategy is. Therefore, missions and strategies are not always known or commonly accepted and hence they should be less visible or even off the screen. Other first class properties of missions, strategies and objectives are already covered in a previous blog 'Business Intelligence: goals and objectives'.

Explanation

The terms ‘goal’ and ‘objective’ mentioned in that blog are quite similar to the term’s mission and strategy used here. The first class properties mentioned in that paragraph are also valid to those elements discussed here.