Are You a Leader Who Drives a Mission?

Every organization has a mission, a vision, stated values and a success or a strategic plan. While each is inter-connected and equally important to the success of an organization’s operations, in most cases, most members know little about what it all means.

Ensure your club’s success in last few months of the Toastmasters year by re-centering your lens on mission possible! Revisit your Club’s vision, mission and value statements, and your Club Success Plan at your next club meeting. By showing members how their activities and their club’s activities feeds into larger goals, members have a clearer understanding of how they contribute to the success of their club.

Mission, Vision, and Values

What is a mission statement?

Its a short summary of an organization’s priority of its activity. Mission statements are action-based, and affirm the organization’s purpose, its objectives, and its approach to reaching those objectives.

Your Club’s Mission is defined by Toastmasters International:

• We provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.

What is a vision statement?

Its an integral part of an organization’s strategy. Vision statements help to set priorities, allocate resources, and ensure that everyone is working towards common goals and objectives.

In describing the desired future position, its meaning and purpose, members and officers understand the purpose of the Club’s existence and the core values on which it is governed.

Your Club’s Envisioned Future is defined by Toastmasters International:

• To be the first-choice provider of dynamic, high-value, experiential communication, and leadership skills development.

What are values?

Elements of the mission and vision statements are used to provide a statement of an organisation’s purpose, goals, and values. Values are traits or qualities that represent an organization’s highest priorities and guiding beliefs.

In Toastmasters, all members are guided by a set of essential core values of:

• Integrity, Respect, Service, and Excellence.

In combination, mission, vision, and value statements identify and develop clear priorities and direction so that everyone understands and can contribute to the success of the organization. To determine if your club has maintained its defined direction, ask yourself:

• (for community clubs): how does my club focus on servicing our members? How are we adding vibrancy to our meetings and value for the target audience we serve?
• (for corporate clubs): how does my club demonstrate value to the corporation so that the people in higher management take note and see club membership or club leadership as a benefit?

As your club strives to reach its objectives, reviewing the mission, vision, and value statements can help re-focus the club’s activities and energies.

Then regularly review your Club Success Plan.

What is a Success Plan?

The Club Success Plan is a strategic planning document based on the needs and goals of its members. At the start of each Toastmasters year, Club Executives complete a Club Success Plan for their club. The plan is designed to help club officers focus their efforts – the what, how, who, and when – and the efforts of the club itself during the officers term in office.

Once the Club Success Plan is complete, don’t file it away and forget about it. Regularly review it at your executive meetings to evaluate club progress, and make course corrections as needed. Good communication is important, so remember to show it regularly to your membership so everyone sees how the club is working through its strategic plan. When everyone works together, it’s easier to manage time and resources, and position the club towards achieving the club’s goals.

How often do your members get updates from the club’s leadership team or context on how their work contributes to the wider club goals?

The level of member interest in your club’s mission, vision, values, and strategic plan can directly correlate to the levels of communication about the club’s operations by the club’s executive.

Reviewing your club’s mission, vision, values, and success plan is a great motivating tool. It reminds everyone why they’re working towards a common goal. Reflecting on this in hindsight isn’t enough. High-performing clubs are linked to being mission-driven. Get people engaged in your club’s future by giving members a sense of purpose. Be the leader who drives the club to success!

Created by Nancy Movrin, DTM, Program Quality Director 2022-2023