Hierarchy of Organizational Concepts and Definitions
1. Mission:
1.1. Definition: A broad and overarching goal or purpose that an organization or individual
aims to achieve.
1.2. Example: A nonprofit organization's mission might be "to eliminate poverty in
underprivileged communities."
2. Objective:
2.1. Definition: Specific, measurable goals or outcomes that contribute to the mission's
accomplishment.
2.2. Example: An objective for the above mission could be "to provide food and shelter to
1,000 families in the next year."
3. Strategy:
3.1. Definition: A plan or approach designed to achieve long-term goals or objectives.
3.2. Example: A strategy for the nonprofit might involve partnering with local businesses to
raise funds and gather resources.
4. Policy:
4.1. Definition: A formal statement that outlines principles, rules, and expectations for
decision-making and behaviour within an organization or context.
4.2. Example: An organization may have a policy that prohibits smoking in the workplace to
promote a healthy environment.
5. Directive:
5.1. Definition: An authoritative instruction or order that must be followed.
5.2. Example: A manager issues a directive to employees to complete a particular project by a
specific deadline.
6. Guideline:
6.1. Definition: A set of recommendations or advice to help make decisions or take actions in a
particular way.
6.2. Example: Safety guidelines in a laboratory instruct researchers on how to handle
hazardous materials.
7. Protocol:
7.1. Definition: A formal set of rules or procedures to be followed, often in scientific or
technical contexts.
7.2. Example: The HTTP protocol governs how web browsers and servers communicate on the
internet.
8. Process:
8.1. Definition: A series of defined steps or activities to achieve a specific outcome.
8.2. Example: The hiring process in a company involves posting job openings, interviewing
candidates, and making job offers.
9. Workflow:
9.1. Definition: A sequence of tasks, processes, or steps that describe how work is done within
an organization.
9.2. Example: A workflow in a content creation company might include writing, editing,
reviewing, and publishing articles.
10. Operation:
10.1. Definition: The ongoing activities and actions performed to keep an organization or
system running smoothly.
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10.2. Example: The day-to-day operations of a retail store include stocking shelves, assisting
customers, and processing sales.
Task:
11.1. Definition: A specific piece of work or activity to be completed.
11.2. Example: Writing a report on market research findings is a task assigned to an employee.
Step:
12.1. Definition: An individual action or phase within a process or procedure.
12.2. Example: In a recipe, each instruction, like "chop vegetables," represents a step.
Checklist:
13.1. Definition: A list of items or tasks to be checked off or completed.
13.2. Example: A pilot uses a pre-flight checklist to ensure that all necessary safety measures
are in place before take-off.
Schedule:
14.1. Definition: A plan that outlines the timing and sequence of activities or events.
14.2. Example: A project manager creates a project schedule to allocate tasks and set deadlines
for team members.
Milestone:
15.1. Definition: A significant point or achievement in a project or journey, often used to mark
progress.
15.2. Example: In a software development project, a milestone could be the completion of a
major feature or module.
Method:
16.1. Definition: A systematic way of doing something or achieving a specific result.
16.2. Example: In research, the scientific method involves making observations, forming
hypotheses, conducting experiments, and analysing data.