DEVELOPING A MISSION, VISION, GOALS, AND

OBJECTIVES FOR THE PROJECT

AA Our objective is to develop a one-minute commercial to solicit contributions to WXYZ to air on
local TV stations by June 5, 2016

2022
 Synopsis

Writer and columnist AA Our looks at how to get started with a new project and what it will take to reach your goal.

Every project solves a problem of some kind, but people are inclined to skip over the definition of the problem.
An objective specifies a desired end result to be achieved.
A task is an activity performed to achieve that result.
Edwards Deming has raised some serious questions about the advisability of trying to quantify goals and objectives.
Our objective is to develop a one-minute commercial to solicit contributions to WXYZ to air on local TV stations by June 5, 2016.
Our motive may be to make a profit in the process, but the mission is always to meet the needs of the customer.
 Key concepts

• big mistake
 Highlights

• Every project solves a problem of some kind, but people are inclined to skip over the definition of the problem
• It is when there are obstacles that make it difficult to reach the goal that one has a problem
• The major “political” problem you may encounter is that the sponsor will undoubtedly have given you a mission that is based
on his definition of the problem to be solved
• Your motive may be to make a profit in the process, but the mission is always to meet the needs of the customer
• AA Our objective is to develop a one-minute commercial to solicit contributions to WXYZ to air on local TV stations by June
5, 2016
 Defining the Problem

Every project solves a problem of some kind, but people are inclined to skip over the definition of the problem.
The problem has essentially been defined as, “How do I repair my car?” The actual problem, at its most fundamental level, is that
the person has no way to get to work—or so he says.
Could he ride the bus, go with a coworker, or ride a bike until he has the money to have the car repaired?
This manager has defined the problem in terms of people, and that is the way it must be solved
Imagine that he replaces all of the salespeople.
It is when there are obstacles that make it difficult to reach the goal that one has a problem
 Confusion of Terms

Suppose a person tells you that she is taking a new job in a distant city, and she plans to move there.
Suppose we were to ask her to tell us where she wants to be when her problem is solved
She would say, “I would have a place to live in the new city.”.
She doesn’t want to live under a bridge, homeless people sometimes do
She can tell you if you ask her, “What kind of place are you looking for?” “It needs to have three bedrooms, the house must be of a
certain size, and I prefer a certain style,” she says.
This is her vision for the kind of place she wants to live in.
 The Real World

We know the differences among the mission, vision, and problem, but in the real world you never get them in this order.
Your boss or project sponsor will say, “Here is your mission,” without any mention of a problem statement.
The first order of business for a project team is to develop these into a form that everyone will accept.
The major “political” problem you may encounter is that the sponsor will undoubtedly have given you a mission that is based on his
definition of the problem to be solved.
Sometimes his definition will be incorrect, and you will have to confront this.
You will spend a lot of the organization’s money, only to find that you have developed the right solution to the wrong problem
 The Real Mission of Every Project

I should add that the vision you are trying to achieve is the one the customer holds.
Another way to say this is that you are trying to satisfy the customer’s needs.
Your motive may be to make a profit in the process, but the mission is always to meet the needs of the customer.
Your best safeguard is to keep the customer involved in the project from concept to completion so that there is a constant check on
whether what you are doing will achieve the desired result.
The mission statement defines what you are doing; how you are going to do it is project strategy and should be dealt with separately
 Developing Project Objectives

Note that objectives are much more specific than the mission statement itself and define results that must be achieved in order for
the overall mission to be accomplished.
An objective defines the desired end result.
The way in which I achieve that objective is to perform a number of tasks.
These might include typing text into my computer, reviewing some other literature on the topic about which I am writing, calling a
colleague to ask a question for clarification, and printing out the chapter, proofing it, and entering some revisions into my computer.
An objective specifies a desired end result to be achieved.
A task is an activity performed to achieve that result.
We say that an objective must be SMART, with each letter standing for a condition as follows: Specific Measurable [ 64 ]
 Attainable Realistic Time limited

Edwards Deming has raised some serious questions about the advisability of trying to quantify goals and objectives.
He argued that there is no point in setting quotas for a manufacturing process to reach.
A goal beyond the capability of the system can’t be achieved.
On the other hand, according to Deming, if the system is not stable, again there is no need to specify a quota, since there is no way
to know what the capability of the system is.
It helps keep you focused on the result you are trying to achieve, rather than on the effort being expended to get there.
AA Our objective is to raise $600,000 in funds from local viewers by September 18, 2016
 The Nature of Objectives

Note that these examples of objectives do not say how they will be achieved.
I consider an objective to be a statement that tells me what result is to be achieved.
The “how” is problem solving, and I prefer to keep that open so that solutions can be brainstormed later.
If the approach is written into the objective statement, it may lock a team into a method that is not really best for the project
 Assessing Project Risks

Once you have established your objectives, you can develop plans for how to achieve them.
One safeguard in managing projects is to think about the risks ahead that could sink the job.
This can be done for critical objectives and for other parts of the plan.
The simplest way to conduct a risk analysis is to ask, “What could go wrong?” or “What could keep us from achieving our
objective?” It is usually best to list the risks first, think about contingencies for dealing with them.
One way to look at risk is to divide a flip chart page in half, have the group brainstorm the risks, which you write down on the left
side of the page, and go back and list the contingencies—things you can do to manage the risks if they do materialize.
 What could go wrong?

One benefit of doing a risk analysis in this manner is that it may help you avert some risks.
When you cannot avert a risk, you will at least have a backup plan.
I mentioned this point previously, but it bears repeating: you are not trying to identify every possible risk, just some of the more
likely ones.
This point should be made to team members who are highly analytical or who perhaps have a tendency to be negative in general.
Risk analysis always has a positive thrust—that is, you are asking, “If it happens, what will we do about it?” You don’t want people
to say, “Ain’t it awful!”
 KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER

A problem is a gap between where you are and where you want to be, with obstacles making it hard to reach the goal.
Vision is what the final result will “look like.”
It defines “done.”

The mission is to achieve the vision.

It answers the two questions “What are we going to do?” and “For whom are we going to do it?”

Objectives should be SMART.

Answer the questions that follow to the best of your ability.
Who exactly is going to use the finished project deliverable(s)?
)) Write a problem statement on the basis of your answers to the first question.
)) Write a mission statement, answering the two basic questions: 1.
If you can’t, you may have to revise what you have written