Let me introduce the five “Al” siblings: informational, aspirational, foundational, directional, and decisional. Also, meet their young cousin, survival.

In my years of learning about organizations and teaching graduate students about strategy and organizational analysis, I have seen several key concepts that are extremely important but difficult to visualize or implement in meaningful ways. So, I have associated each of them with an al sibling and, more recently, added their cousin.

The concepts (in the order of the als above) are mission, vision, values, goals, and outcomes. And the added concept is resilience.

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