The Future ?

[NW Mailing List]

I appreciate Jimmy defining what a "Vision Statement" is.
Personally, I'd like to see the "Vision" stripped to the barest minimum (I understand that, by definition, it can be as short, or long, as you want it to be). It bothers me that the proposed "vision" contains wording like "intends to be" and "as resources permit". All that is a given, but shouldn't define, or restrict, the vision. To me, the vision should be limitless and not restrained by any "can we, will we, should we" statements.
As an example, I would submit to you the following, dropping any reference to anything that limits or restricts any portion of the vision:
“NWHS will establish and maintain the Society andits Archives as the recognized, authoritative sources for information about thehistory and operations of the Norfolk & Western and Virginian railways. We will do so by implementingthe latest, proven research technologies to make our collections available to the widestpossible communities of historic research.”
Just my personal thoughts on the matter.
Jeff Sanders


 

     On Thursday, October 16, 2014 7:02 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
   

  Alex,
     Doing away with the fluff and keeping to the subject at hand, which is the Vision Statement of the N&W HS, maybe we should look at the definition of "Vision Statement".
 One reads, and I feel that this is universal:
 
 "A vision statement is a declaration of a company's goals for the midterm or long-term future. Ranging from one line to several paragraphs, a vision statement identifies what the company would like to achieve or accomplish. A good vision statement provides the inspiration for the daily operations of a business and molds its strategic decisions. Aspirational in nature, vision statements lay out the most important primary goals for a company."
 
 Looking  at the N&W HS vision statement one more time:
 
 “Over the next 20 years we intend to implement the steps necessary to establish and maintain the Society and its 
 Archives as the recognized, authoritative sources for information about the history and operations of the N&W 
 and VGN railways and their respective places in the development of the Central Appalachian region and in the 
 development of rail transport in general. As our resources permit, we intend to put in place up-to-date, proven 
 research technologies to make our collections available to the wider history and research communities.” 
 
 This clearly discriminately targets the "Central Appalachian" region. In essence, separating it from the rest of the N&W/VGN systems and making it the aforementioned "primary goal". This is in direct contradiction to your item number 4 below.
 
 Now, let us look at the NS' vision statement:
 
 "The NS vision: Be the safest, most customer-focused, and successful transportation company in the world."
 
 Nowhere in the NS statement do I see any one area singled out. In fact, it clearly states "in the world."
 
 So again, I submit to you that something along the lines of the way I have changed the N&W HS Vision Statement below is more in keeping to the vision that we should be keeping.
 
 “Over the next 20 years we intend to implement the steps necessary to establish and maintain the Society and its 
 Archives as the recognized, authoritative sources for information about the history and operations of the N&W 
 and VGN railways and their respective places in the development of the regions along their "Right of Way" and in the 
 development of rail transport in general. As our resources permit, we intend to put in place up-to-date, proven 
 research technologies to make our collections available to the wider history and research communities.” 
 
 
 Sincerely yours,
 Jimmy Lisle
 
 On 10/15/2014 12:24 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
  
  Some particular points:   1)     Any member of the NWHS is eligible to present their candidacy to be on the Board of Directors or an officer of the NWHS. If elected by the membership any member can than become part of the “powers that be”  and make decisions that affect the direction of the NWHS. Three BoD members are elected every year and we are always looking for candidates. Additionally  officers are appointed every year by the BoD from those who step forth and volunteer to serve.   2)     When you deal with history it is hard to assume that Event B would not have happened if Event A did not happen. If Event A did not happen there may have been an Event C that caused Event B to happen. As an example the N&W chartered the Guyandotte & Tug River (Event A) in 1903 to get from Clarks Gap to Wharncliffe via Pineville (Event B). By 1907 the route was surveyed and all of the right-of-way was acquired, but the railroad was never built. Pineville(Event B0 was developed because the Virginian (Event C) extended its railroad from Mullens to Gilbert.      3)     The N&W/Virginian had more effect on the development of the Central Appalachian Region than any other region, but if the N&W had not done it some other railroad probably would have simply because of the mineral wealth. 4)     The vision statement does not give precedence to one region or another, but does recognize the prominent role the N&W/Virginian had in the Central Appalachian Region, The added statement “and in the development of rail transport in general” has equal weight in the vision statement. 5)     The attached region map defines the Appalachian Region. In 2009 the region was divided into subregions. The 2008 Subregions Map shows the counties in each state defined to be in the Appalachian Region.   6)     In reality the NWHS does not concentrate on one region or another. We publish what volunteers choose to produce. The data items we enter into the data base are what we find when we open the boxes on the pallets. It would be difficult to say that all of the mechanical and structural drawings, photographs, and other data items are regional directed.   7)     I expect that many members have different interpretations of what is published and we always appreciate members suggestions.   Alex Schust 
  
   
 
 
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