Abstract

While it is important to have members formulate goals at the outset of their service term, some may be intimidated by a formal exercise that prompts them to do so. The group approach outlined in this effective practice is designed as a non-threatening way for members to articulate their objectives for the year ahead. This activity can be used successfully in a variety of settings where people need to develop a group statement. Susan Hale Whitmore contributed this effective practice to ACList, the AmeriCorps e-mail discussion list, in June 2003.

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Issue

Announcing outright that your group will create a vision statement together is not always a good idea. Members are sometimes reluctant to put their thoughts down on paper, they may jump ahead in the exercise, or they aren't comfortable with the idea because they've been introduced to it in a business context.

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Action

The following goal-setting activity is designed to be completed collaboratively. Using the group dynamic to help individual members focus, allows for a more casual, less intimidating experience. For a group as large as 30 participants, include the following steps:

1. Label the activity as generically as possible, such as "Reflection for the Year Ahead." In printed materials and introduction, do not refer to this as an exercise in "Creating a Vision Statement."
2. Direct everyone to think for a moment about why they, as individuals, chose to join the "world of service."
3. Hand out a 3"x5" white index card to each participant.
4. Direct each member to write an overall statement on their card about the impact they intend to work towards over the coming months. This should be restricted to two sentences maximum.
5. Give members five minutes to complete this task.
6. Divide the group into teams of two if you have 10 or less, teams of three if you have 11-15, and teams of four or five otherwise.
7. Hand out a 4"x6" colored index card to each team.
8. Using the individual cards, have team members work together to create a maximum of two sentences on the "communal" impact they intend to work towards over the coming months.
9. Give teams about 20 minutes to write the final statement. (Some people finish this more quickly.)
10. Ask a volunteer from each team to read that team's "communal" card aloud twice — so it will really sink in for the listeners.
11. After all cards have been read, lead a discussion on any similarities people heard.
12. Facilitate a 10-minute discussion (or until the group reaches consensus) on the impact members intend to work towards over the coming months. Write notes on flip chart pages as the discussion progresses. At the end of the conversation, write out a clean version.
13. Once you have a one- or two-sentence statement that everyone agrees on, announce that the group has created their vision statement.
14. Have the facilitator read the statement to the entire group.

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Context

The Community HealthCorps is a partnership of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), the Corporation for National and Community Service, and 18 Community Health Centers located across the country.

Community HealthCorps members, within the AmeriCorps program, reach out to the medically underserved and provide outreach and support services for low-income families served by community, migrant, and homeless health centers.

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Outcome

This is a fun and efficient activity to help a group of 30 draft a vision statement. The activity is interactive, yet fairly easy to facilitate, and can be used successfully in a variety of settings where people need to develop a group statement.

The vision statement can be used during the course of a service term to inform the work and to check progress towards goals.

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Posted On

August 14, 2003

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For More Information

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Resources

The AmeriCorps e-mail discussion list is a forum for AmeriCorps programs, state commissions, T/TA providers, staff of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and anyone else interested in AmeriCorps. Discussion focuses on training, technical assistance, and programmatic issues. Those without web access can subscribe by sending an e-mail message to join-aclist@lists.etr.org.

Source Documents

Related Practices

• Crafting a team-specific vision statement

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Related sites

AmeriCorps

National Association of Community Health Centers

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