5-Step to Planning Model: Step Two ARTICULATING THE COURTS' VISION & MISSION THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE OF STRATEGIC PLANNING: PRESERVE THE CORE - STIMULATE PROGRESS The greatest challenge of strategic planning is to preserve the cherished core of the organization's ideology (i.e., values and purpose) while simultaneously stimulating progress and change in everything that is not part of that core ideology. To do this, those who participate in the planning process must take the time to focus on the core ideology and clearly articulate it. This step of the planning process may easily take form or it can take a significant investment of time so that all who participate understand and clearly describe this core of information. ARTICULATING THE COURTS' VISION & MISSION: BENEFITS Establishing a shared vision and mission for the county-wide court ensures that the planning process (1) preserves the core of what courts want to be and (2) stimulates the courts' efforts to seek enhancements in court operations that are consistent with their purpose. ARTICULATING THE COURTS' VISION & MISSION: PROCESS To ensure that both the team and the people involved in the county-wide planning effort experience and develop the clarity of purpose and core ideology necessary to build a strong foundation for the planning process, it is important that they: Understand what vision and mission mean to organizations generally; Focus on the "head" elements of community (i.e., shared vision, shared values, and shared purpose) as a key to team member expectations and actions regarding visioning and consensus-building activities with the countywide courts; Achieve consensus on specific statements that describe the important values and purposes teams would ascribe to the courts; and Estimate the extent to which the county's courts are perceived by the public and by key justice system stakeholders locally as operating in a manner consistent with these core values and purposes. Step 3 >>