Professional & Organizational Development

Planning and visioning

Mission, vision, and values

While missions tend to be fairly static, they shouldn’t be obsolete. As part of a mission-driven institution, your unit or department should have an up-to-date mission statement that reflects its unique scope and aspirations. Along with ensuring your organization’s mission is current, you must make sure that organizational values are clear and that your employees know and understand both short-term objectives and long-term vision.

For your mission, vision, and values to be more than just words on paper, you need to invest considerable time and energy into crafting or refining them as well as effectively communicating them to your staff members.

The consultant’s role in this process could include:

  • Offering a neutral and fresh perspective
  • Acting as a sounding board for your ideas
  • Asking thought-provoking questions and facilitating group discussions
  • Partnering with you on strategies for developing, revising, or communicating about your mission, vision, and values with your team

Through its University Consulting Alliance, POD has access to numerous internal and external consultants who have experience with both higher ed and with helping leaders define their organization’s mission, vision, and values.

Strategic planning

Strategic planning is a systematic method of planning for the future built on the foundation of an organization’s mission, vision, and values. It typically includes historical analysis of the organization, assessing the current and future climate, and identifying strengths and weaknesses of the organization.

The consultant’s role in this process could include:

  • Partnering with one or more leaders on a strategic planning initiative
  • Designing a process that fits with your organization’s time frame, resources, and other characteristics
  • Facilitating meetings and activities that lead to the desired outcomes
  • Coaching leaders and team members in the development and implementation of a strategic plan

Through its University Consulting Alliance, POD has access to nearly two dozen internal and external consultants who have experience with both higher ed and strategic planning.