Summary

Whereas mission and vision statements are all about considering possibilities, gathering new information and dreaming big dreams, every organization eventually has to stop exploring and begin deciding which areas it wants to focus on. This process is known as setting strategic priorities, and is designed to answer the question: how do we best meet our clients` needs and achieve our purpose?

The Background

Let`s see how setting strategic priorities might work in practice. Within six months of becoming the executive director at Education Unlimited (a nonprofit that provides mentoring opportunities to low-income children), David Owings found himself guiding the organization through strategic planning.

The Solution

At the strategic planning retreat, the organization completed the vision and mission statements, and then turned to setting strategic priorities. They decided to set priorities by answering the following questions: Which activities (i) most closely align with our vision and mission, (ii) draw on our existing skills and talents, (iii) are most important to our constituents, and (iv) will most likely succeed. After answering these questions, they arrived at three strategic priorities -- training, counseling and mentoring -- by which the organization would carry out its mission.

Lessons Learned

As this example illustrates, strategic priorities are an important funnel through which an organization`s activities must pass. If an activity or goal does not fit into one of the priority areas, then by definition that activity or goal cannot be pursued. This ensures that the organization remains focused at all times on what it does best, and prevents the all too common problem of being pulled in too many directions.