Strategies

With focusMT, the mission statement and strategic fields of action of an organisation can be displayed transparently and consistently in one central location.

Mission statements can be used in focusMT to describe an organisation’s identity and self-image in a concise and precise way, laying the foundation for strategy. The elements of a mission statement are Purpose (Why do we exist?), Vision (What do we want to be in the long term?), Mission (How will we get there?), and Values (How do we want to work together?). Although mission statements are typically defined only for the top organisational unit (and thereby apply implicitly to all sub-units), the elements can also be used at lower structural levels if needed.

Strategies describe the path to achieving the company’s vision. In focusMT, one or more strategy/-ies can be defined for each organisational unit. Strategies have a temporal scope (usually several years) and consist of strategic fields, which can be defined in focusMT. Optionally, several strategic fields can be grouped into a strategic area. All strategic fields can be actively monitored with actions and reviews. Furthermore, each strategic field can be assigned goals, KPIs, and projects to represent and make transparent the complex interrelationships. By linking strategic fields with goals, projects, and KPIs, causal relationships become visible and contributions to strategic implementation are made transparent.

Mission Statement

1. Navigate via the menu to Strategies and Goals -> Manage Mission Statement.

In the overview, all organisational units that have a mission statement are shown as a structure tree.

The date filter above the structure tree controls the time period for which you want to display the organisational structure. In addition to entering an explicit start and end date, there are quick filters for selecting quarters and calendar years.

In the Organisational Units dropdown, you can choose whether to show all organisational units or only those with a mission statement. You need all organisational units, for example, if you want to add a new vision for a unit without a mission statement.

In the details area, the Purpose (Why do we exist?), Vision (What do we want to be in the long term?), Mission (How will we get there?), and Values (How do we want to work together?) of the selected organisational unit are displayed.

With the Edit button, you can create or edit the mission statement for the selected organisational unit. In the editing modal, you can format the individual texts using the rich text editor and also insert hyperlinks to documents or websites.

Strategy Overview

1. Navigate via the menu to Strategies and Goals -> Manage Strategies.

In the strategy overview, all of the organisation’s strategies with their assigned strategic fields are displayed as a structure tree.

The date filter controls the time period for which you want to display strategies. In addition to entering an explicit start and end date, there are quick filters for selecting quarters and calendar years.

With the Add button, you can add new strategic fields or folders; with Edit, you can edit or delete existing strategic fields.

The strategic fields are displayed as a structure tree, with expandable and collapsible levels. Harvey balls in front of the goals indicate the current status of each strategic field. Green goals are “on track” and are likely to be achieved; red ones are “off track” and probably won’t be achieved. Yellow goals are “at risk”.

When clicking on a strategic field, tabs with details appear on the right-hand side:

• The Description tab allows for a detailed explanation of the goal.
• In the Reviews tab, regular checks are entered to assess and comment on the progress of the strategic field. This includes a description, an implementation rating, and a forecast. The most recent review of a goal determines the Harvey ball status in the structure tree.
• In the Actions tab, necessary tasks for implementing the strategic field are entered with title, responsible persons, degree of implementation, and start/end date. Actions can be agreed for new strategic fields or as corrective measures during reviews (cf. PDCA).
• In the Relationships tab, links to other focusMT objects can be recorded to visualise causal relationships and make contributions to strategy implementation visible.

Create Strategic Field

1. Navigate via the menu to Strategies and Goals -> Manage Strategies.
2. Click the Add button.

On this screen, you can add new strategic fields or folders for structuring. All mandatory fields are marked with a red *.

Using the Folder toggle, you can define whether the new element is a folder for holding strategic fields or further subfolders. If the toggle is not activated, a new strategic field is created.

Each strategic field must be assigned an organisational unit from the organisational structure. This can be a department, a team, or a network in network-based organisations.

Each strategic field must also be assigned a parent strategic field. If “None” is selected, the new strategic field is assigned to the top level in the contribution hierarchy.

Each strategic field requires a short and concise title. This should be phrased in a way that describes the strategic field or folder as compactly and accurately as possible.

The Description field allows you to define the strategic field clearly and precisely so it can be understood by everyone.

In the input fields Benefits and Risks, describe the potential benefits or value of implementing the strategic field, as well as any potential risks.

The start and end date of the strategic field are flexible and not tied to a fixed time grid but should be aligned with the duration of the overarching strategy. The time frames ultimately guide the roadmap of the strategic fields of action.

Edit Strategic Field

1. Navigate via the menu to Strategies and Goals -> Manage Strategies.
2. Click on the strategic field you want to edit in the structure.
3. Click the Edit button.

In this modal screen, a strategic field can be edited. All mandatory fields are marked with a red *, as with the creation process.

Click the Save button to confirm the changes and return to the goals overview.

Delete Strategic Field

1. Navigate via the menu to Strategies and Goals -> Manage Strategies.
2. Click on the strategic field you want to delete in the structure.
3. Click the Edit button.
4. Click the Delete button.
5. Confirm the deletion by clicking Delete again.

Tips & Tricks

• Keep your wording concise and to the point.
• Link other focusMT objects to strategic fields to make interdependencies clear.
• Carry out reviews regularly (e.g. quarterly) to stay on top of strategy implementation.