mission A statement of an organization's fundamental purpose

strategic goal A goal set by and for top management of the organization

tactical goal A goal set by and for middle managers of the organization

operational goal A goal set by and for lower-level managers of the organization

optimizing Balancing and reconciling possible conflicts among goals

strategic plan A general plan outlining decisions of resource allocation, priorities, and action steps necessary to reach strategic goals

tactical plan A plan aimed at achieving tactical goals and is developed to implement parts of a strategic plan

operational plan Focuses on carrying out tactical plans to achieve operational goals

long-range plan A plan that covers many years, perhaps even decades; common long-range plans are for five years or more

intermediate plan A plan that generally covers from one to five years

short-range plan A plan that generally covers a span of one year or less

action plan A plan used to operationalize any other kind of plan

reaction plan A plan developed to react to an unforeseen circumstance

contingency planning The determination of alternative courses of action to be taken if an intended plan is unexpectedly disrupted or rendered inappropriate

single-use plan Developed to carry out a course of action that is not likely to be repeated in the future

program A single-use plan for a large set of activities

project A single-use plan of less scope and complexity than a program

standing plan Developed for activities that recur regularly over a period of time

policy A standing plan that specifies the organization's general response to a designated problem or situation

standard operating procedure (SOP) A standing plan that outlines the steps to be followed in a particular circumstance

rules and regulations Describe exactly how specific activities are to be carried out

management by objectives (MBO) A formal goal setting process involving collaboration between managers and subordinates; the extent to which goals are accomplished is a major factor in evaluating and rewarding the subordinate's performance