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Whenever an organization begins any major undertaking, it must first visit or revisit its strategic identity and direction. Too often, organizations do not take the time to figure out who they are and where they are going. As a result, planning starts and goes off in any number of directions. When this happens, agencies lose their focus, and although something is accomplished, it is usually not what was originally intended or what was needed. Deciding the mission, vision and core values will focus the agency on its actual business, not just the one it has been pursuing. Knowing who the organization is and where it is going is crucial to beginning any successful plan.

To accomplish effective planning, organizations must define:

1. A mission statement: a statement of the identity and purpose of the agency;
2. a vision statement: an aspiration of the future state of the agency or an expression of what the organization looks and acts like when it is fulfilling its mandates; and
3. a set of core values that are statements representing the beliefs by which the organization operates and serves its customers.

Typically, these elements are in place before a strategic planning process is initiated. However, if they are not, the mission, vision and values should be developed as a reference point at the beginning of the strategic planning process.

This section introduces a streamlined way of creating the mission, vision and values that involves critical workforce segments in their development. The steps will help you to create:

• Mission statement — why this organization exists.
• Vision statement — the desired future state or the statement of what it looks like when we are doing it correctly.
• Core values statement — the "rules of engagement," the rules we operate with ourselves and others.

These elements become the framework to understand your agency or university, its role and importance, its contribution to the welfare of the citizens and its operating rules.