The Vision and Mission Alignment Retrospective is a structured activity that helps teams assess their progress towards achieving the organization's strategic vision and mission. It encourages open discussion around core values, long-term goals, and the steps needed to maintain alignment.
By examining what has brought the team closer or further from their objectives, participants can identify key accomplishments, roadblocks, and areas for improvement. This retrospective fosters a shared understanding of the organization's purpose and direction, while generating actionable insights to course-correct as needed.
This retrospective technique has proven valuable for teams across industries seeking to stay focused on their 'why' amidst the demands of daily operations.
What is The Vision and Mission Alignment
Guiding Vision & Mission
What are our organization's core vision and mission statements?
Start by revisiting the organization's vision and mission statements to ground the discussion. Provide context on their origins and importance as guiding principles. Encourage participants to reflect on how well these statements capture the 'why' behind their work.
Progress & Achievements
What key accomplishments have moved us closer to our vision and mission?
Highlight and celebrate successes that demonstrate alignment with the organization's strategic direction. Probe for specific examples of initiatives, decisions, or behaviors that upheld core values or advanced critical goals. Discuss what enabled these positive outcomes.
Obstacles & Misalignment
What factors or decisions have pushed us away from our vision and mission?
This topic allows teams to openly discuss perceived misalignments, missteps, or external forces that have hindered progress towards strategic goals. Encourage candid yet constructive dialogue around root causes and areas requiring realignment. Avoid blame and stay focused on learnings.
Path Forward
What should we start, stop, or continue doing to better align with our vision and mission?
This topic generates a tangible action plan to address misalignments and capitalize on opportunities for better vision/mission integration. Facilitate a balanced discussion covering areas for improvement as well as effective practices to be reinforced or expanded upon.
Suggested Icebreaker Questions
- If our organization was a vehicle, which one would it be and why?
- Share a quote, mantra or personal motto that resonates with our vision and mission.
Ideas and Tips for Your Retrospective Meeting
- Clearly communicate the purpose and importance of this retrospective to encourage open and honest dialogue.
- Have the vision, mission and values statements easily accessible to reference throughout the discussion.
- Create a safe space where participants feel comfortable respectfully challenging decisions or surfacing concerns.
- Encourage diverse perspectives, as differing viewpoints can reveal blind spots or areas for improvement.
- Assign a neutral facilitator to keep the conversation focused and productive, preventing conflicts or tangents.
- Conclude by summarizing key takeaways and formulating a concrete action plan to address misalignments.
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