Differences between goals and objectives and their use in the development of corporate strategic plans
Strategic planning – Goals versus objectives
The difference between where we are (current status) and where we want to be (vision and goals) is what we do (target objectives and action plans)
Goals
By definition are “Outcome statements that define what an organization is trying to accomplish both programmatically and organizationally” Goals are usually;
– A collection of related programs
– A reflection of the major action of the organization
– A rallying point for chairmen
Try to think of each goal as a large umbrella with several spokes coming out from the center. The umbrella itself is a goal. Now, how do you narrow down club activities into four or five categories that can be considered the club goals for the next three to five years.
First ask yourselves, what are the main things my club is concerned with? Look at this list to see if your club is concerned with any or all of the topics.
– membership
– service
– creating an image in your community
– communications
– financial stability
– member development
Can your club identify with any of these statements as primary concerns of the group? If so, which ones? Can any of these be grouped together? Those are the decisions for each individual club, but basically all clubs are concerned in one way or another with the above subjects.
After the goals are identified clubs can then think in terms of what they want to accomplish within each goal in the next three to five years. Using membership as an example, does your club want to concentrate on:
– Growth or maintaining present membership numbers
– New club building
– Retention
– Revitalisation
– Member development
Do you see where each of these topics is related to the broader membership goal? These subjects are often mistaken for goals, but are really objectives under a general membership goal.
