- Conquering the Leadership Challenge
May 11, 2021 - May 12, 2021
9:30 am - 6:00 pm
Conquering the Leadership Challenge – Hosted by Smith County CSCD May 11-12, 2021 Training (more…)
Equipping Individuals and Organizations to Accomplish Their Visions, Missions and Goals
We give you the tools to think outside the box and a path to creative problem solving. Contact Us Today
Conduct Leadership Training & Developmental Programs, Assess organization’s training needs, Develop training curriculum based upon an organization’s training needs assessment, Deliver quality training on-site
Technical Assistance MBA team can: Conduct Organizational Needs Assessment Projects Facilitate an organization’s visioning and goal setting projects Facilitate organizational performance reviews
Our team consists of individuals with a wide variety of experiences including developing and delivering quality staff development services for staff at all levels of an organization, coordinating human resource services and more.
Lessons Learned as an
Organization Remodeler
Part III
In Part I of this this series on “Lessons Learned as an Organization Remodeler,” I (1) shared with the readers of this column the experiences which I felt qualified me to call myself an “organization remodeler,” (2) explained that the lessons I had learned as an organizational remodeler led me to the conclusion that the keys to having an effective organization are the development of:
• The correct organizational design,
• A clear and compelling vision and mission,
• A well-coached team of talented and highly motivated individuals,
• A culture based on effective communication, collaboration and shared values, and
• A strategy for developing each of the above.
and (3) discussed why organizational design is important.
In Part II, I described the various types of organizational designs and the strengths and weaknesses of each.
In this month’s column we will focus on “having a clear and compelling vision and mission.”
For a number of years now, MBA has been conducting training, providing technical assistance and facilitating strategic planning initiatives with a variety of organizations. One of the
things that we have discovered is that a number of executives have not learned the difference between a vision statement and a mission statement. We often see organizational vision statements that are actually mission statements and organizational mission statements that are actually vision statements. We also see well intended vision and mission statements that are uninspiring, confusing, and so long that they are impossible for anyone to remember.
You may be asking yourself, “Why does it matter if there is confusion about vision and mission statements, or if they are written in a certain way?” The answer is that a study by Bain and Company indicated that organizations that have clearly defined vision and mission statements that are aligned with a strategic plan outperform those who do not.
That being said, let’s clear up any confusion between what a vision statement is and what a mission statement is.
A Mission statement:
• Defines the present purpose of an organization;
• Answers the questions about why an organization exists.
o What it does
o For whom it does it, and
o What the impact of doing it is.
• Is written succinctly in a few sentences, and
• Is something that all employees should be able to articulate upon request.
Some examples of effective mission statements are:
• Erie Insurance: “To provide our policyholders with as near perfect protection as is humanly possible and to do it at the lowest possible cost,”
• Nature Air: “To offer travelers a reliable, innovative and fun airline to travel in Central America,”
• Nissan: “Nissan provides unique and innovative automotive products and services that deliver superior, measurable values to all stakeholders in alliance with Renault.”
• Mel Brown and Associates: Equipping individuals and organizations to accomplish their visions, missions and goals.”
Some organizations periodically refine their mission statements based on changing economic realities or unexpected responses from consumers. For example, some companies are launched to provide specific products or services; yet, they later realize that changing what they do, who they do it for, or the impact of doing what they do will enable them to grow the business faster and more successfully.
Having a clearly defined mission statement helps employees better understand organization-wide decisions, organizational changes and resource allocation, thereby lessening resistance and workplace conflicts.
A Vision Statement:
• Defines the optimal desired future state – the mental picture of what an organization wants to achieve over time,
• Provides guidance and inspiration as to what an organization is focused on achieving in five, ten, or more years,
• Functions as the organization’s compass. It is what all employees understand their work every day ultimately contributes towards accomplishing over the long term; and,
• Is written succinctly in an inspirational manner that makes it easy for all employees to repeat it at any given time.
Leaders may change, but a clearly established vision encourages people to focus on what’s important and better under-stand organization-wide change and alignment of resources.
Some examples of effective vision statements are:
• Alzheimer’s Association: “Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s Disease.”
• Avon: “To be the company that best understands and satisfies the product, service and self-fulfillment needs of women – globally.”
• Norfolk Southern: “Be the safest, most customer-focused and successful transportation company in the world.”
• Microsoft: “Empower people through great software anytime, anyplace, and on any device.”
• Reston Association: “Leading the model community where all can live, work, and play.”
Effective vision and mission statements help clearly define the organization for organizational employees and for the community they serve.
The absence of vision and mission statements or poorly written vision and mission statements are lost opportunities for:
• Attracting/engaging/retaining talent;
• Building organizational culture; and,
• Increasing productivity while leveraging all resources to successfully implement a strategic plan.
Facilitating the vision and mission development process for our clients is one of the methods that MBA uses to equip individuals and organizations to accomplish their visions, missions and goals.
Conquering the Leadership Challenge – Hosted by Smith County CSCD May 11-12, 2021 Training (more…) The Keys to Leading Effective and Productive Meetings A virtual workshop Facilitated by Mel Brown, Ph.D. Turning time spent in meetings into productive time – time that produces sustainable results – has to be a priority for any effective leader or manager – and like any other leadership or management skill, meeting management can (more…)
Upcoming Events
May 11, 2021 - May 12, 2021
9:30 am - 6:00 pm
June 2, 2021
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
“All supervisors, new and veteran, should attend this training. Mel Brown missed nothing.” ~~Tariq Raza, Smith County Juvenile Services
“I enjoyed this class. I did 21 years in the Army and have been through numerous classes like this and I will say this is one of the best.” ~~ Larry Day, McLennan County CSCD.
“Tariq came into my office this morning and quoted you on a number of things he took from your training. I’m sure others took to heart many fine points from your presentation.” ~~ Tony Carvajal, Special Projects Coordinator, Smith County Juvenile Services.
“Hi Dr. B,
“Happy Tuesday! After your class last week, I asked the management team in the Wharton office to have a short meeting on Thursday morning. Linda, Brad, Rebecca, and I met to discuss the class. All of them are very pleased with it, and I can tell a HUGE difference in how they respond to questions and how they address and approach a variety of matters. Their enthusiasm towards the department seems to be renewed. . .
“I’m so very excited about this. We made some plans to move the department forward and are going to have regularly scheduled management team meetings like this one
“I asked them about further topics for the class, and all agreed that they want to learn as much as possible about handling toxic employees and their behaviors
“Thanks for all the insight and motivation you are providing!”
~~ Roxane Marek, Director, Wharton and Matagorda Counties (Tx) Community Supervision and Corrections Department
“The program evaluation process performed by MBA for our facilities was very thorough and spoke to all the organizational needs I wanted addressed. Mel, Jeff and Bill were easy to work with and very professional in dealing with our staff and juveniles. The final product is a meaningful document that is straight forward and easy to understand.” — Homer Flores, Chief Juvenile Probation, Nueces County Juvenile Probation Department, Corpus Christi, Texas
“When you need help or advice, it’s always smart to turn to an expert whose broad knowledge, experience and professional objectivity will serve your management and treatment staff, as well as the young men in your care. WE did this when we hired you.” –Jane O’Shaunessy,, Cornerstone Programs, Inglewood, Colorado
“The training your company provides is excellent. Regardless of who from company does the training, it is always quality training.” –Melinda Wilson, Gregg County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, Longview, Texas
“All supervisors at all ranks should participate in this class.”–David Dottei, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Conroe, Texas
“Mel is the consummate professional. He is meticulous in detail. He excels in management coaching and leadership training. He has great insight into systems theory and quality control techniques.”–Mike Griffiths, Former Director, Texas Juvenile Justice Department
“Mel is someone that will support my leadership in my absence. I trust him to train and develop our staff and clients. Mel will deliver in relationships and results. I highly recommend Mel for your next project.” –Joe Gonzalez, President, The Management Connection
“I’ve known and worked with Mel concerning criminal justice for many years and would recommend his services and knowledge to anyone that is in need of correct progressive answers and always with integrity. Tommy Warren, T Warren Investments, The Woodlands, Texas
“The program evaluation process performed by MBA for our facilities was very thorough and spoke to all the organizational needs I wanted addressed. Mel, Jeff and Bill were easy to work with and very professional in dealing with our staff and juveniles. The final product is a meaningful document that is straight forward and easy to understand.”–Homer Flores, Chief Probation Officer, Nueces County Juvenile Probation Department, Corpus Christ, Texas
“MBA did all that was asked of them. They provided sound advice and recommendations to follow up on.”–Steve Henderson, Director, Lubbock County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, Lubbock Texas.
Our experience with MBA was really great. You asked good questions at the beginning of the process to help us better defined exactly what we wanted and then you worked with us to give us that. You responded to our needs. You were willing to be on site when needed. The end product was user friendly. The manual you provided for the system was excellent. The training you provided us on how to use the performance appraisal tool was also extremely beneficial. While we know we were not your only client, you treated us like we were.” –Dave Johnson, Wichita County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, Wichita Falls, Tex
“The training your company provides is excellent. Regardless of who from your company does the training, it is always quality training.” –Melinda Wilson, Director Gregg County Community Supervision and Corrections Department
“I think what you do is amazing!!!! And you absolutely lit a fire under me!!! Thank you!!!” ~~Lisa Willis Calhoun, Free Lance Artist, Woodland, California