Re: STRATEGY AND MISSION

[Myron Tribus <mtribus@earthlink.net>]

The definitions tend to be a bit slippery.  Here are some definitions I use.  My only justification is that they seem to form a consistent set, but not necessarily consistent with what many other people say;

MISSION: The purpose for the existence of the enterprise.
AIM: A general statement of the things we expect to be doing to fulfill the mkission.  Some times the statement of the aim is incorporated in the mission statement.		
	Example: Our Mission is to Care for the Health of the Community
			 Our Aim: Is to have the latest and most efficient 
			 technologies in health care, backed up by the best trained
			 people
STRATEGY:  A statement about our general approach to fulfilling the aim
	Example: Our strategy is to always run at on the plus side of 
	breaking even finanially.  We are not in this business to get rich
	but we cannot affor debt.	
PLAN: A Plan sets out specific actions with time tables for action
	The important difference between a plan and a strateg is this:
		When you know what you want to do and how to do it, you make
		a plan.  The steps in a plan are designed to facilitate the
		next step.
		If you know what you want to do but are not sure how to do it
		you make each step contingent on what you learned in the 
		step.  Thus a strategy is required when you are learning how
		to do something and a plan is used when you already know.

GOAL: A goal statement describes what we intend to do and when we expect to do it.  A goal statement tends to overlap with a plan but is more generic.  Plans give details and are more specific

If you compare what I have written with others have said, you will probably get confused.  That's what happens to me!  Good luck.

Myron Tribus