The Sherwood Protocol™
Then they vowed that even as they themselves had been despoiled they would despoil their oppressors, whether baron, abbot, knight, or squire, and that from each they would take that which had been wrung from the poor by unjust taxes, or land rents, or in wrongful fines.
But to the poor folk they would give a helping hand in need and trouble, and would return to them that which had been unjustly taken from them.
Howard Pyle - The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
All enterprises , even a band of merry men, have some understanding of why the enterprise exists. Whether it's a multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical corporation, a hip-hop band or the local food bank, to survive, the endeavor must serve a purpose. It is the principal reason people participate, investors invest, customers buy, agents book, governments fund, and so on.
After reviewing hundreds of published vision statements, mission statements and other declarations with titles like 'our purpose', 'our goals', or 'our guiding principles', it became evident that most of these declarations were absolutely inadequate, even as simple statements of the companies' primary purposes. They fell woefully short of illuminating a strategic path for anyone with a relationship to the enterprise, including key employees and investors.
The question naturally arose; does the lack of articulation reflect the writers' lack of understanding or care, or does it actually reflect a lack of vision on the part of the management team? History, even the most recent corporate calamities, suggests both are true.
The Sherwood Protocol is a vision-driven planning system developed to assist new ventures and small to medium-sized companies to develop, publish and use a Vision Profile™ as a beacon, illuminating the path upon which the enterprise can further plan, build and flourish. It is not, however, restricted to that audience. The prescribed form and method of the Vision Profile is applicable to organizations of all sectors and sizes. It is equally applicable to local youth baseball associations and multinational corporations. Whether you run the town library or a high-tech corporate behemoth, you will find truths in the Vision Profile that will help you succeed.
You can download a copy of A Brief Guide to the Sherwood for your review and use within your organization (see "terms of use" at the end of the document). Simply click on the small Robin Hood icon below. The file is in PDF format, so you will require Adobe's Acrobat Reader to work with the document.
