Is There an “End” in Sight?

Defining Ends Policy

• Ends do not describe the organization. They describe what will be different in the lives of people because of the organization. Remember that Ends are always stated in terms of results or benefits for the owners or some of the owners.
• Ends never refer to results for staff.
• Beware of verbs in Ends—if you use them, be sure they are referring to what the beneficiaries of an organization will be doing, not to an activity that the organization is doing (e.g., "students will demonstrate mastery of mathematics consistent with their grade level", not "mathematics will be taught.")
• If an Ends statement does not specify a cost, it is implied as "state of the art, within available resources, efficiently."
• Other ways of specifying cost include relative priority, rank, percentage, dollars per capita, complete End A before beginning End B, etc.
• Don't be concerned about how to measure the End until after you have first clearly defined the value that is important to you in terms of results. It's the CEO's job to find a way to demonstrate achievement.
• Be sure the End is defined enough for the CEO to make a reasonable interpretation.
• The CEO can interpret the End in any reasonable way, but cannot leave out what the Board has specified at any further level of detail.