Purpose

• The purpose statement answers the question – why do this? What difference will it make?
• A purpose statement should be rich, visionary and powerfully articulated in a way that points to the future, or more accurately, pulls for the future.
• A purpose statement should be clear, concise and compelling.
• The purpose statement allows others to stand with us in alignment – it touches the heart as well as the mind – it’s a tool for mobilizing ownership, participation, a shared commitment and a shared vision.

Intended Results

• Intended results are specific and distinct outcomes. If you stand in the future – at the completion of the activity – and look back, this is the list of what was accomplished.
• In creating a list of intended results, we want to look from many angles: what will be accomplished for us? For others? What will be learned? What new organizational capabilities will be developed? What new openings for action will be revealed?
• We want the list to be complete, inclusive, clear and unambiguous.
• We want the list to be ordered in a way that communicates clearly – that rolls out naturally in the direction of achieving the purpose. For a meeting, a well-organized list of intended results can become the agenda.