The document outlines the significance of vision statements, core values, and mission statements for local government, emphasizing their role in guiding the actions of new administrators. It details how these elements foster community commitment, enhance productivity, and facilitate effective decision-making. An action plan for new administrators is also provided, highlighting steps for receiving charges, conducting evaluations, and building relationships within the community.

1. Importance of Vision and Core Values For Local
Government, And An Action Plan For New
Administrators As They Begin Their Duties
How Determining a Vision Statement, Core Values, & a
Mission Statement Facilitate Action Plans for New Chief
Executive Officers of Local Units of Government
Clarence E. Goodlein
Discussion Leader & Facilitator

2. How Visions Begin &
What They Require.
• Visions Begin With Knowledge of a Community
and Hope and Confidence Concerning its People
and their Future.
• Visions Require Courage and Leadership as Well
as Commitment to the Community and its Future.
• To Be Effective, Visions Require a Foundation of
Core Values and a Mission or Strategy that
Provide Means of Accomplishing the Vision.

3. What are
Core Values?
• Set of Beliefs That Specify How We Will Behave.
• Principles That We Will Refuse To Compromise.
• Context Within Which a Vision and Mission Are
Accomplished.
• Communicates What We Deem Important and
“How We Do What We Do”.

4. What is a Vision?
• What We Want to Become or Achieve.
• Our Image of an Ideal Future.
• A Dream That Inspires Action and Results.
• Communicates Where We Are Headed and
“Why We Are Doing What We Are Doing”.

5. What is a
Mission or Strategy?
• Defines What We Are Doing in Terms of
Outcomes, Goals and Objectives.
• Directs Us to Our Vision and Enables Us to Attain
Our Vision.
• Facilitates Operational, Tactical, and Strategic
Planning.
• Communicates What We Do and the Purpose of
the Organization.

6. Benefits of Core
Values, Vision, and Mission
Statements.
• Communicate Intent, Purpose, and Direction
to Staff.
• Communicate Determination and
Commitment to Clients and Stakeholders.
• Facilitate Effectiveness and Efficiency.
• Provides the Basis for Metrics That Can Be
Used to Evaluate Outcomes.
• Unifies Organizations and Facilitates the
Exercise of Leadership.

7. Importance of Declaring
Core Values, Vision, &
Mission or Strategy.
• Organizations With Core Values, Vision, and
Mission Statements Are Typically 29% More
Productive Than Organizations Who Have Not
Developed and Published These Declarations.
(World at Work Association, Watson-Wyatt Work Study. (2006). Clarifying
Competencies – Powerful Tools for Driving Business Success. Retrieved from
http://www.worldatwork.org)
• These Guiding Principles Facilitate Good
Judgment and Decision-Making in the Absence of
Policy & Procedure Concerning a Certain Matter.

8. What Should
Core Values Do?
Serve as a Moral Compass for Our Actions and
Describe How We Will Behave During Our
Exercise of Government. They Should Exemplify:
Integrity & Truth Leadership & Courage
Honor Collaboration
Pride Accountability
Commitment Passion
Perseverance Quality of Work
Respect For Everyone Service To Others

9. What Should A Vision
Statement Provide for Local
Units of Government?
Framework That Guides Every Aspect of Our
Exercise of Government by Describing What We
Hope Our Local Unit of Government Will Be in the
Future:
Through The Leadership Of Our Government And
Partnerships With Its Citizens, Businesses,
Organizations, And Other Units of Government,
Our Community Will Be The Best Place To Visit And
in Which to Live, Work, And Raise a Family.

10. Mission, Strategies, or
Methods For Reaching
Vision (I).
Enact Policies and Practices and Encourage
Partnerships & Collaborations that:
• Improve the Efficiency & Effectiveness of Our
Government and Neighboring County and City,
Village, & Township Governments.
• Enable Cost Avoidance or Lessen Expenditures in
all Units of Government Nearby.
• Renew or Expand Services to Businesses and
Residents.

11. Mission, Strategies, or
Methods For Reaching
Vision (II).
• Heighten the Confidence of Our Stakeholders.
• Encourage Economic Development That Recognizes
& Acknowledges the Character of Our Community
Today as Well as its History & Traditions.
• Promote & Publicize Our Community as a Destination
for Families and Others Seeking Business
Opportunities.

12. New Administrator’s
Action Plan – 1st Month:
Receive Charge From Elected
Officials.
• Duties & Responsibilities.
• Priorities.
• Expectations.
• Deadlines.
• Short-term Goals & Objectives.
• Long-term Goals & Objectives.

13. New Administrator’s
Action Plan – 1st Month:
Reviews & Evaluations (I).
• Pending Deadlines.
• Budgets & Accounts.
 Current Fiscal Year
 Future Fiscal Years
• Policies & Procedures.
• Litigation.
 Pending
 History

14. New Administrator’s
Action Plan – 1st Month:
Reviews & Evaluations (II).
• Community.
 History
 Issues
 Present
 Past
• Other Units of Government.
 History
 Issues
 Present
 Past

15. New Administrator’s
Action Plan – 1st Month:
Analyses.
• S.W.O.T. Analysis (County Government, Policies,
Procedures, & Practices; Risk & Liability;
Organizational Dynamics).
 Strengths (Advantages, Skills, & Efficiencies)
 Weaknesses (Deficiencies & Vulnerabilities)
 Opportunities (Good Fortune From S/W)
 Threats (Obstacles, Changing Standards or Criteria)

16. New Administrator’s
Action Plan – 1st Month:
Relationship Building.
• Elected Officials.
• Department Heads.
• Employees.
• Residents.
• Businesses.
• Other Units of Government.
• Stakeholders.
• Vendors.