First, an acronym for remembering: M-V-G-O-D … “My Vision (for) Goal-Oriented Delivery”

Mission, vision, goals, objectives, and deliverables (MVGOD) form the framework for the collective “payload” that a project delivers. Want to charter a project with only a single, simple statement of purpose? Go for it, but then be prepared to slip-slide around in ambiguity while your project shape-shifts in front of you. Define MVGOD up-front, together with your sponsor and/or customer, and everything else will flow much more easily to a completed, satisfying set of outcomes and deliverables. And don’t forget to write everything down (once), date it (once), and have all stakeholders review, agree and sign-off (again, only once). You’ll then have an unambiguous “contract” (and written memory) for kicking off your project with clear intent. (more…)

The Google-sifting for this post started innocently enough by turning over the web rocks of a relatively benign topic, “employee disengagement.” My intent was to present counterpoint to my post about the business model and employee-centric culture at Southwest Airlines, but my searching quickly devolved into a torrent of depressing content about concepts like “bully bosses” and “desk rage.”
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