What is Organization?

A social unit of people that is structured and managed to meet a need or to pursue
collective goals. All organizations have a management structure that
determines relationships between the different activities and the members, and subdivides
and assigns roles, responsibilities, and authority to carry out different tasks. Organizations
are open systems--they affect and are affected by their environment.
Mission and Vision of an organization
A mission and vision are standard and critical elements of a company's organizational
strategy. Most established companies develop organizational mission statements and vision
statements, which serve as foundational guides in the establishment of company objectives.
The company then develops strategic and tactical plans for objectives.
Mission Statement Purpose
A company's mission statement is essentially its statement of purpose. It serves as a guide
for all of the company's decision-making. Shareholders, leaders and employees are generally
the target of the mission. It should help workers within the organization know what decisions
and tasks best align with the mission of the company. A mission statement offers insight into
what company leaders view as the primary purpose for being in business. Some companies
have profit-motivated missions, while others make customers a focal point. Other firms use a
mission to point out more altruistic intentions that ultimately lead to profits.
Vision Statement Purpose

Vision statements are sometimes confused or used synonymously with mission statements.
However, vision statements should offer more of a direction and include a perspective of
corporate values. A vision might provide a direction for the company for the next five to 10
years, while also noting a commitment to integrity, transparency, openness and other such
values. "Mind tools," indicates that a vision statement takes your mission and adds an
element of human values. It should inspire employees and given them a sense of purpose.

W H AT I S V M O S A ?

One way to make that journey is through strategic planning, the process by which a group
defines its own "VMOSA;" that is, its Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, and Action
Plans. VMOSA is a practical planning process that can be used by any community
organization or initiative

Developing mission statements are the next step in the action planning process. An
organization's mission statement describes what the group is going to do, and why it's going
to do that. Mission statements are similar to vision statements, but they're more concrete,
and they are definitely more "action-oriented" than vision statements. The mission might

refer to a problem, such as an inadequate housing, or a goal, such as providing access to

health care for everyone. And, while they don't go into a lot of detail, they start to hint - very
broadly - at how your organization might go about fixing the problems it has noted. Some
general guiding principles about mission statements are that they are:

Concise. Although not as short a phrase as a vision statement, a mission statement

should still get its point across in one sentence.

Outcome-oriented. Mission statements explain the overarching outcomes your

organization is working to achieve.

Inclusive. While mission statements do make statements about your group's

overarching goals, it's very important that they do so very broadly. Good mission
statements are not limiting in the strategies or sectors of the community that may
become involved in the project.

The following mission statements are examples that meet the above criteria.

"To promote child health and development through a comprehensive family and
community initiative."

"To create a thriving African American community through development of jobs,

education, housing, and cultural pride.

"To develop a safe and healthy neighborhood through collaborative planning,

community action, and policy advocacy."

O B J E C T I V E S ( H O W M U C H O F W H AT W I L L B E A C C O M P L I S H E D BY
WHEN)

Once an organization has developed its mission statement, its next step is to develop the
specific objectives that are focused on achieving that mission. Objectives refer to specific
measurable results for the initiative's broad goals. An organization's objectives generally lay
out how much of what will be accomplished by when. For example, one of several objectives
for a community initiative to promote care and caring for older adults might be: "By 2015
(by when), to increase by 20% (how much) those elders reporting that they are in daily
contact with someone who cares about them (of what)."
There are three basic types of objectives. They are:

Behavioral objectives. These objectives look at changing the behaviors of people

(what they are doing and saying) and the products (or results) of their behaviors. For
example, a neighborhood improvement group might develop an objective around
having an increased amount of home repair taking place (the behavior) or of
improved housing (the result).

Community-level outcome objectives. These are related to behavioral outcome

objectives, but are more focused more on a community level instead of an individual
level. For example, the same group might suggest increasing the percentage of
decent affordable housing in the community as a community-level outcome
objective.

Process objectives. These are the objectives that refer to the implementation of
activities necessary to achieve other objectives. For example, the group might adopt
a comprehensive plan for improving neighborhood housing.

It's important to understand that these different types of objectives aren't mutually
exclusive. Most groups will develop objectives in all three categories.

Examples of objectives include:

By December 2010, to increase by 30% parent engagement (i.e., talking, playing,

reading) with children under 2 years of age. (Behavioral objective)

By 2012, to have made a 40% increase in youth graduating from high school.
(Community -level outcome objective)

By the year 2006, increase by 30% the percentage of families that own their home.
(Community-level outcome objective)

By December of this year, implement the volunteer training program for all
volunteers. (Process objective)
S T R AT E G I E S ( T H E H O W )
The next step in the process of VMOSA is developing your strategies. Strategies explain how
the initiative will reach its objectives. Generally, organizations will have a wide variety of
strategies that include people from all of the different parts, or sectors, of the community.
These strategies range from the very broad, which encompass people and resources from
many different parts of the community, to the very specific, which aim at carefully defined
areas.
Examples of broad strategies include:

A child health program might use social marketing to promote adult involvement with
children

An adolescent pregnancy initiative might decide to increase access to contraceptives

in the community

An urban revitalization project might enhance the artistic life of the community by
encouraging artists to perform in the area

Five types of specific strategies can help guide most interventions. They are:

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Providing information and enhancing skills (e.g., offer skills training in conflict
management)

Enhancing services and support (e.g., start a mentoring programs for high-risk youth)

Modify access, barriers, and opportunities (such as offering scholarships to students

who would be otherwise unable to attend college)

Change the consequences of efforts (e.g., provide incentives for community members
to volunteer)

Modify policies (e.g., change business policies to allow parents and guardians and
volunteers to spend more time with young children)

The Iron Triangle:

Enterprise Focus:
Information Security:
Reliability
Business Continuity: Intertwined with the principle of Reliability, the principle
provides guidance on the importance of large scale disaster recovery. As above, there
needs to be some soul-searching because DR plans do not come cheap.
RecoveryScalability: All organizations generally plan to grow and information
technology should be able to scale to meet increased usage in a timely manner without
major disruptions. This principle should comment on strategies such as load-balancing,
adding connectivity ports, multi-tier application architectures, horizontal and vertical
scaling, management economies of scale, etc.

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Flexibility: Concerns how the element can support a change or an overhaul in the
type of function and services it performs.
Interoperability: Computing software, hardware and processes should promote the
compatibility and usability between systems, applications and data.
Manageability: manager is usually expected to just make it happen.
Predictability: Closely related to manageability, this is a commentary on all the
above items in terms of how accurately we can predict outcomes and how soon.
Isolation, Segmentation and Tiering
Centralization and consolidation of Enterprise Services
Vendor/Framework Standards: This principle adds a control technical diversity.
Standards allow for efficiencies in management, support, and procurement.
Other Technical Standards: Architecture principles should address all technical
standards that are important to IT and that will likely enforce other principles.

Qualities of a Manager
Creativity
Creativity is what separates competence from excellence. Creativity is the spark that propels
projects forward and that captures peoples' attention. Creativity is the ingredient that pulls
the different pieces together into a cohesive whole, adding zest and appeal in the process.
2. Structure
The context and structure we work within always have a set of parameters, limitations and
guidelines. A stellar manager knows how to work within the structure and not let the
structure impinge upon the process or the project. Know the structure intimately, so as to

guide others to effectively work within the given parameters. Do this to expand beyond the
boundaries.
3. Intuition
Intuition is the capacity of knowing without the use of rational processes; it's the cornerstone
of emotional intelligence. People with keen insight are often able to sense what others are
feeling and thinking; consequently, they're able to respond perfectly to another through
their deeper understanding. The stronger one's intuition, the stronger manager one will be.
4. Knowledge
A thorough knowledge base is essential. The knowledge base must be so ingrained and
integrated into their being that they become transparent, focusing on the employee and
what s/he needs to learn, versus focusing on the knowledge base. The excellent manager
lives from a knowledge base, without having to draw attention to it.
5. Commitment
A manager is committed to the success of the project and of all team members. S/he holds
the vision for the collective team and moves the team closer to the end result. It's the
manager's commitment that pulls the team forward during trying times.
6. Being Human
Employees value leaders who are human and who don't hide behind their authority. The best
leaders are those who aren't afraid to be themselves. Managers who respect and connect
with others on a human level inspire great loyalty.
7. Versatility
Flexibility and versatility are valuable qualities in a manager. Beneath the flexibility and
versatility is an ability to be both non-reactive and not attached to how things have to be.
Versatility implies an openness - this openness allows the leader to quickly change on a
dime when necessary. Flexibility and versatility are the pathways to speedy responsiveness.
8. Lightness
A stellar manager doesn't just produce outstanding results; s/he has fun in the process!
Lightness doesn't impede results but rather, helps to move the team forward. Lightness
complements the seriousness of the task at hand as well as the resolve of the team,
therefore contributing to strong team results and retention.
9. Discipline/Focus

Discipline is the ability to choose and live from what one pays attention to. Discipline as selfmastery can be exhilarating! Role model the ability to live from your intention consistently
and you'll role model an important leadership quality.
10. Big Picture, Small Actions
Excellent managers see the big picture concurrent with managing the details. Small actions
lead to the big picture; the excellent manager is skilful at doing both: think big while also
paying attention to the details.
Tasks of a Manager
Sets objectives. The manager sets goals for the group, and decides what work needs to
be done to meet those goals.
2) Organizes. The manager divides the work into manageable activities, and selects
people to accomplish the tasks that need to be done.
3) Motivates and communicates. The manager creates a team out of his people,
through decisions on pay, placement, promotion, and through his communications with
the team. Drucker also referred to this as the integrating function of the manager.
4) Measures. The manager establishes appropriate targets and yardsticks, and analyzes,
appraises and interprets performance.
5) Develops people. With the rise of the knowledge worker, this task has taken on
added importance. In a knowledge economy, people are the companys most important
asset, and it is up to the manager to develop that asset.
Responsibilities of a Manager

Get the Job Done

One of the most important functions of a manager is to ensure that the people in your
department do the job that needs to be done on time and with the highest degree of quality
possible. Remember that you are the one who'll need to answer to the board of directors or
the owners of the company if your department falls short, so first and foremost make sure
the job gets done well, on time and within budget. Communicate with your boss on a regular
basis, whether it's through written reports, personal meetings or both, to keep him updated
on the progress of your team.
Be a Leader
As a manager, you set the tone for your department. If you're upbeat and positive, your
employees will be as well. It is your responsibility to lead by example -- not only in regard to
your own attitude but also your personal work ethic and how you interact with other people.
Treat others with respect, whether they are other managers, subordinates, superiors,
customers, suppliers or other stakeholders. Always arrive at work at least 10 minutes before
you need to be there. Don't take long lunch hours unless they are necessary to the job, such
as having lunch with clients or colleagues. Stay until closing time each day. Make sure that
you're the one in charge at each employee meeting, but at the same time act as a facilitator
and encourage the participation of your workers. Be as conscientious and thoughtful about
your own work as you expect your employees to be about theirs.

Evaluate Performance and Processes

To be an effective manager, you need to know that your employees are being as productive
as possible and that the processes in place to facilitate completion of their tasks are working
optimally. For this reason, it's important to not only evaluate your workers' performance, but
also the processes they're using during the course of each workday. If an employee is falling
short, find effective ways to motivate that individual to do a better job. If a process could be
improved, gather input from your employees and develop a way to improve it. Make sure
that you're completely fair with your employee evaluations and that each worker is given his
evaluation on time.