December 31st, 2009

Mission Activation: How to Actually Live Your Mission Statement (Even During Frantic & Uncertain Times)

by Dr. Brian Higley

Many organizations, teams and individuals work very hard to develop Mission and Vision Statements – yet almost everyone I speak with believes that they often do not seem to “live” these statements extremely well. Each year, a lot of valuable time and energy go into developing Mission Statements that will quickly be forgotten or ignored in the often frantic day-to-day activities that follow. And – here’s the kicker – most people know that they will not fulfill their Mission Statements even as they spend valuable time developing them! And yet we continue to develop Mission Statements (both personal and professional) even as we recognize deep down that most of them will not be fulfilled very well. What is going on here – and how can we stop wasting valuable time, energy and money developing statements that we know will not be fulfilled?

Read the rest of this Article »

November 2nd, 2008

Creating an “Excellence Tree”: 6 Steps Toward “Mission Activation”

by Dr. Brian Higley

To return to the original Mission Activation article, click here.

Here are what we have found to be the 6 most important components of a powerfully ”Activated” Mission.  Since we believe that Mission Activation is so similar to the process of growing a strong tree, we often refer to the process of Mission Activation as growing an “Excellence Tree.”

1. “Check The Soil”: Assess current levels of (and potential for) Mission Activation. In order to Activate a Mission, it is often helpful to first get a sense of how many of the Mission Activation components listed below are working for (or against) teams and individuals.  There are many ways to assess the soil – some more valid than others.  We’ve found that the best way to assess current Mission Activation potential is by having team members to take part in a confidential online Mission Activation audit, “The CACE Assessment.” For individuals who are not a part of a team or group, we assess the soil on an more individual basis via The Self-Mastery Assessment.

Read the rest of this Article »