Charters

Areas of Stewarding Organizations

Charters

“A system must have an aim.”

W. Edwards Deming

Areas of Stewarding Organizations

1. Charters 2. Leadership 3. Managing Systems 4. Training, Education, Development 5. Managing Innovation 6. Planning

7. Financial Management 8. Internal and External Communication 9. Service 10. Managing the Business Formula

Areas of Stewarding Organizations Charters

The Words at the Top

Vision Statement

Mission Statement

Values

Your Full Vision, Mission and Values

Purpose

Focus

Inspiration

Lead with Actions

Writing Charters for Organizations

Writing Charters for Deparments, other sub-groups

Levels

Charter Worksheet

Charters

The Words at the Top

There are many different terms for The Words at the Top - vision, mission, etc. I don’t think it matters what you call them. It does matter that you have some, that they really describe what you do and that they provide direction. The Words at the Top should say: - Who this organization is - What to expect from this organization - Who should be interested in joining this organization - In what areas to direct efforts towards the organization’s growth - What is important and what to ignore

A Charter contains:

Vision Statement

Mission Statement

Values

. . . and anything else it takes to express all you hope to be and do. The words at the top give direction. They set the tone. They can be used as tools to shape culture. They can settle disputes. Everything that anyone in the organization does should be called for by the Charter. Any activity in the organization not called for by the Charter or that doesn’t support it could indicate poor leadership.

Vision Statement

The Vision Statement focuses on the world. We will work the understanding that a Vision Statement addresses: How the world will be different when you are successful? How the world will look when you accomplish your mission? Words at the Top that address what we hope to do without addressing what we hope to accomplish would miss something very important to guide your group’s development and work. It is possible to engage in an activity without ever achiev- ing the objective of that activity. The Vision states the objec- tive of the Organization’s activities. People often say, because it is more general and broad, that a Vision Statement cannot actually be accomplished. I don’t accept that. No matter how broad and lofty, we should believe that our Vision ultimately can be accomplished. There is nothing wrong with working towards a Vision that will take more than one generation to complete. This short phrase may be enough for a Vision Statement. If it were my organization I would work to define orphan as well as orphaned orphan , but this short phrase could function very well as an Organization’s Vision Statement. It defines what part of the world you are to work in, it indicates what your work should accomplish, and it gives the scope: no more . As long as there are any, you still have work to do. Here’s an example of a Vision Statement: No more orphaned orphans.

Mission Statement

The Mission Statement is more about us and what we do. Calling out a Vision of how you would like to change the world leaves open a range of options for how to achieve that change. The Mission states more specifically what we will do to accomplish our Vision, the work we do in order to accomplish the change in the world called for by our Vision. The Vision Statement describes a broad vista. The Mission Statement starts to define a path to that vista. Following our sample Vision statement, different organi- zations could choose different paths towards that vision. Here are three sample Mission statements, each of which follows or is directed towards the Vision statement, but in very different ways. “Building the physical infrastructure to serve those who serve orphaned children.” In the first Mission statement, the Organization exists to connect orphans to adoptive families. An organization could accomplish the Vision following that path. Even here the Mission statement leave room for choice: the group could ac- complish this Mission either by directly connecting orphans to adoptive families or by facilitating such connections made by other organizations. The second Mission Statement takes a different path, working to provide orphans with all the resources they need, which could include connecting to adoptive families but could also include much else. A different Statement, which calls for “Making sure every orphaned child has an adoptive family.” “Making sure every Organization that serves orphans has all the resources they need.”

different actions, but which will also accomplish the Vision. The third Mission Statement offers again a different path to accomplishing the Vison, and calls for again different actions, but ultimately addresses and will lead to accomplish- ing the Vision. Choosing a Mission is a creative act. Assuming a life- affirming aim, there is not just one right thing to do. There are many! What are the values that: - you will live by in this organization - you want to demonstrate through the work of the organization - no level of success would justify living or working without. These need to be - captured in clear, concise language and shared with all current and future members of the organization. - demonstrated by the lives and actions of leaders and in- fluential members of the organization. We can’t dictate the values of people who join our organi- zations, but we can be clear by our words and our actions what the values of the organization are, which will create a culture the operated by those values. People who join the organiza- tion, then, will know how they need to live and work in the organization or face negative consequences. Values shape decisions. Roy Disney supposedly said “When values are clear, decisions are easy.” If the leadership of the organization makes decisions in accordance with stated values, even when (or especially when) such decisions bring sacrifice, then the other members will tend to act accordingly as well. Values

Your Full Vision, Mission and Values

Is the Charter a source of marketing slogans or an internal compass? People often feel that the Words at the Top should be short and easily remembered.

Why should I undertake to divide my virtues into four rather than into six? Why should I rather establish virtue in four, in two, in one? Why into “Abstine et sustine*” rather than into “Follow Nature” or “Conduct your private affairs with- out injustice” as Plato, or anything else? But there, you will say, everything is contained in one word. Yes, but it is useless without explanation, and when we come to explain it, as soon as we unfold this maxim which contains all the rest, they emerge in that first con- fusion which you desired to avoid. So, when they are all included in one, they are hidden and useless, as in a chest, and never appear save in their natural confusion. Nature has established them all without including one in the other. Pascal, Pensees , 20 * A maxim of the Stoics: Bear and Forebear. Bear whatever troubles you; Forebear (abstain) from temptations and pleasures that challenge your moral freedom.

A complete statement of your values

Levels:

One Line 30 Second Speech Brochure 200+ Pages!

What does it take to say everything important?

Complete Concise Clear

Purpose What are you supposed to do for your job? Why should you join this organization? Why do you get up and go into work in the morning? “Why am I doing this?” By stating the organization’s purpose, the Charter should answer all these questions.

Focus

The Charter helps avoid Mission Creep Attractive Nuisances

Shiny Object Collections.

Inspiration Everybody wants to live in a Good Place. Everybody wants to be part of something greater than them- selves - something that builds up a Good Place. Give them that opportunity, challenge, inspiration at work!

Lead with Actions We all want to be better than we are. The word for people who pretend to be better than they really are:

Using words to challenge and inspire. Don’t let your words get too far ahead of your actions.

Internal and External use of Inspiring words.

Writing Charters for Organizations

From Leadership

Gather input from Stakeholders: Internal and External - Customers and Suppliers Members of the Organization Members of the Community

Facilitated Process vs. Internal Process

Check against purposes and qualities in this section.

Charters for Departments, other sub-groups Compoments of a system tend to become selfish unless well managed. (Deming) Charters for Divisions, Departmemts or other subgroups within an organization can spell out both their unique contributions as well as their place in a cooperative system whose aim is to delight customers.

Writing Charters for Deparments, other sub- groups

From Leadership

Call out unique contributions

Be clear on those contributions serving the aim of the overall organization meeting customer needs, delighting customers).

Levels Formulated

Communicated

Understood

Engaged

Charter Worksheet

Vision -

What difference will you make? How will the world be different because your organization exists? How will you know if you are successful?

Mission - What is the reason this organization exists? How will you work to accomplish your vision?

Values - What values do you want to demonstrate through your organization? What values must you live by or else even the greatest suc- cess won’t be worthwhile? “When Values are clear, decisions are easy”

Any/Everything else you envision or hope or dream for this organization -

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