Mission, Strategy, and Tactics

Two years ago, as part of a discussion on the evolving role of universities around the world, the topic of organizational missions arose. I have always put quite a lot of stock in the idea of the mission statement so the discussion became fairly heated.  I consider myself a naturally strategic thinker, and therefore find a concise statement of purpose quite appealing.  A well-crafted mission statement can provide a great deal to an organization, especially early in its development and at times of crisis.  It was, and remains my opinion that an organization’s mission statement should be what fundamentally defines that organization.  I wrote the following on my notepad as a thought-seed, and was reminded of it today.

Missions give organizations identity, and should therefore remain
unchanged during the organization’s lifetime.

Strategies however, offer actionable directives and should be
the dynamic interpretation of missions.

I believe these definitions allow for the steady guiding message I see as vital, as well as the adaptation mechanism necessary for survival.  As part of a current volunteer effort, I am helping to draft an organizational charter that outlines the mission and goals of a National Photonics Initiative.  Making the distinction between mission, strategy and tactics has been the major challenge due to the committee setting but it is a great opportunity to explore the challenges inherent in sculpting such an important statement