Strategic Management Objectives Quiz

Strategic Management Objectives

• Objectives are specific, measurable results of an initiative. They show how much of what will be accomplished by when.
• For instance, one objective for a community program could be: "By 2024, increase by 20% the number of elderly reporting daily contact with someone who cares about them."
• There are three basic types of objectives:
  • Process objectives: These provide the groundwork or implementation needed to achieve other objectives. An example might be adopting a plan as the objective for enhancing neighborhood housing.
  • Behavioral objectives: These focus on changing people's actions and behaviors, and their results. An example could be increasing home repairs and decreasing broken/boarded windows.
  • Community-level outcome objectives: These focus on community-wide changes in people and are not limited to individuals. An objective might be increasing community residents with suitable housing.

SMART + C Objectives

• Objectives should use the S.M.A.R.T. + C. framework:
  • Specific: Defining how much (e.g., 10%) of what (e.g., behavior) will be achieved by when (e.g., 2025).
  • Measurable: Information about the objective can be collected, noticed, or obtained.
  • Achievable/Realistic: The initiative is feasible.
  • Relevant/Realistic: The objectives align with the organization's overall mission and vision.
  • Timed: Includes a timeline for completion.
  • Challenging: Stretches the organization to set goals for community improvements.

Why Create Objectives?

• Having benchmarks to track progress.
• Showing progress to members, funders, and the community.
• Focusing the organization on the most impactful initiatives.
• Aligning members around common goals.

When to Create Objectives?

• When an organization has developed (or revamped) its vision and mission statements and is prepared for the next steps.
• When the organization's focus or scope has changed or widened.
• When addressing community issues, creating services, and implementing changes that require several years for completion, involve behavior change in large groups, or need multiple approaches.

How to Create Objectives?

• Define or reaffirm vision and mission statements.
• Determine the necessary changes.
• Gather baseline data about the issues to be addressed.
• Define realistic goals for the organization.
• Establish objectives for the initiative.
• Review the created objectives.
• Utilize objectives to define organizational strategies.

Example objective

• By 2025, rates of teen pregnancy among 12-17-year-old girls will decrease by 30%.