Management expert Peter Drucker famously said that what gets measured gets managed. When it comes to mission and vision, that can be especially important. Having a strategic vision and a well-crafted mission statement is a start, but unless they are reflected in day-to-day organizational goals they won’t be real to the people doing the work. Here are a couple of examples:
Dartmouth sustainability initiative includes a vision: “Dartmouth will build upon our unique strengths and traditions to become a global hub of sustainability by the end of this decade.” It also includes clear goals, such as adapting teaching and using the campus as a laboratory for best practices. In addition, they have identified progress indicators. For example, if the project is successful their graduates will be in demand for sustainability solutions and everyone on campus will understand how the institution leads in this area.
Connecticut state colleges and universities developed system and institution mission statements. As part of the project, a team identified metrics that met these guidelines:
- Meaningful
- Indicative of progress
- Valid and reliable
- Comparison data is readily available
- Greater value than the cost of collection
- Institutional actions can impact the metric
How does your institution measure progress toward its mission and goals?
Dee Anne Bonebright
Higher EDge 