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The Vision Statement -
OUR FUTURE IN THE
MAKING Founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Background and Context By Sitarama das
VISION STATEMENT Background & Context The journey to manifesting this Vision Statement document has been long, at times arduous but ultimately rewarding. It has taken three and a half years to reach this point with many hours of debates, discussions and consultations. The following is an overview of the process which began in January 2010.
The Need for a Review Bhaktivedanta Manor has become internationally renowned for being a very successful temple, with the enviable position of financial stability and plentiful growth. It is regarded across Europe as a thriving beacon of good practice. In January 2010, Bhaktivedanta Manor faced an array of internal challenges. These led to some fundamental questions being asked about the how the Temple Council itself was functioning:
• How do we deal with tensions and challenges? • What is the basis of our decision making; what rationale is been applied? • Why have we chosen a particular path? Who decides? • Is the Manor effective in what actions it undertakes? • What is the best way to move forward? Upon reflection, the Temple Council agreed to a formal review/analysis of its direction and effectiveness. Initially, this took the shape of interviews with members of the Temple Council, the GBC, Patron Council – a total of 17 people to be interviewed - and was the beginning of Bhaktivedanta Manor’s Organisational Review.
Consultation 1: Internal Management Review – February 2010 With the purpose of identifying what adjustments would be necessary to become more effective
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in fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s Seven Purposes at Bhaktivedanta Manor, the following objectives were set:
efforts; and to improve the communication and realisation of Srila Prabhupada’s vision for Bhaktivedanta Manor.
1. To re-examine the purpose and direction of Bhaktivedanta Manor 2. To identify the challenges and impact of the growth of Bhaktivedanta Manor 3. To discern what strategy is needed to retain direction and control for effective growth 4. To investigate best practice models of governance and leadership with Bhaktivedanta Manor’s future role as a separate charity / affiliate of ISKCON UK
Many of the issues expressed primarily revolved around disagreement on priorities and on finance. As there seemed to be no agreed benchmark as a temple, the result was a constant tug-of-war over resources with differing opinions about their proper utilisation between individuals and departments. Particular areas that needed serious attention were: Leadership (specifically the culture within the then Senior Management); Vision and Direction (which seemed to be lacking, other than a Master Plan for buildings) and a clear long-term strategy.
Key Findings Comments from the interviews were self-critical and analytical, and expressive of a genuine concern to change both the management culture and the modus operandi of Bhaktivedanta Manor and to reach out to and connect with the greater Manor constituencies; to widen the outreach
Consultation 2: Broad Constituency Questionnaire – November 2010 In November of 2010, the temple leadership agreed that a consultation should be carried
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out that engaged the various communities and stakeholders related to Bhaktivedanta Manor. The purpose of the consultation was to review the temple management and the services it provided. As part of this process, many different groups of stakeholders were approached. The level of response was very encouraging, and the respondents represented a good cross-section of the greater community. A total of 130 people were invited to participate, out of which 76 responded, equating to a 58.4% response rate which was fairly good, considering the nature of this type of consultation. Key Findings The overall tone of the response was appreciative but also contained a stiff critique. In all, it represented a multiplicity of voices and has been extremely informative for the purpose of this review. Reflecting on the feedback received, there was an overwhelming feeling of regret
amongst the present leadership at the lack of introspection and attention to certain key areas of Bhaktivedanta Manor’s management and they unanimously agreed to a process of change in order to begin to address these issues. From this initial consideration of the feedback, it was apparent that, in due course, change needed to occur in the following areas: • Investment in initiatives that appeal to the broader British public; • The promotion of a culture of integrity and sound ethical conduct; • An open discourse and broad participation in understanding and responding to what we are as a diverse faith group and spiritual community; • A re-evaluation of the leadership and how it can best be formed to respond to the expanded requirements of the Society (ISKCON), while abiding by the directions of Srila Prabhupada and respecting diversity;
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• Developing facilities to make accommodation for the growth and needs of the community; and • The necessity of a broad and representative visionary body.
Agreement on a Model Fit for Purpose – February 2011 In considering points highlighted in the consultations, it was of utmost importance to find a suitable medium, an inclusive forum by way of which to facilitate discussions and formulate possible solutions. With guidance from an array of experts a consultative decision making model / process known as the ‘ooda-loop’ (see diagram below) was welcomed by the Temple leadership as a vehicle for moving forward.
This concept of decision-making occurs in a recurring cycle of observe-orient-decide-act with constant feedback to refine decisions and thereof actions. The consultations which took place can be likened to Observations. The second O for orientation – as the repository of our genetic heritage, cultural tradition, and previous experiences – is the most important part of the O-O-D-A loop since it shapes the way we observe, the way we decide,
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the way we act. The Vision think Tank in context of Bhaktivedanta Manor was set up to discuss issues of vision, mission and direction in light of the Srila Prabhupada’s instructions – including the Seven Purposes of ISKCON, and feedback from the various consultations. It should look beyond the present needs and objectives and plan for the longer term (8-10yrs). Broadly speaking, the following framework was accepted: • Vision and Values – review every ten years • Mission – review every five years • Strategic Priorities – set as part of major planning exercise - to be delivered every three years • Annual Goals – set as part of smaller scale annual planning exercise every year
Vision 2020 Group’s Task The Vision Think Tank soon became the Vision 2020 group. It was important to ensure that it comprised of all key constituencies of Bhaktivedanta Manor. The following list was made and individuals identified to fulfil representative or in some cases where suitable representation was not possible, individuals who were familiar with issues of that particular constituency: • • • • • • • • •
Srila Prabhupada’s direct disciples Previous leaders/ managers at BM Elder devotees in community Elder preachers Sanga group leaders Patron council members Residents brahmacaris and brahmacarinis Gurukuli youth Pandava Sena youth
The group finally comprised of approximately
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14 members including two representatives from the Temple Council. Over time, a core group of 10 developed as attendance varied from each constituency grouping. Their task was: To define the mission and purpose of BM • Identify vision and mission • Identify ideals in context of Srilaada’s stated purposes • Interpretation of mission • Setting policy To set direction: • To invigorate the mission • To align principles with practice • To set position on key issues eg outreach; ‘Hindu’ debate etc
To regulate : • Define principles, • Define culture, behaviour and attitudes • Set parameters (constitution of some form) At the onset Terms of Reference were set up to ensure that the commitment of the Management Body to engage the Vision Group towards developing an agreed long term vision for Bhaktivedanta Manor was maintained. (See Appendix 1) The Vision Group worked independently of the temple and met once a month for a full day. On occasion, individuals from the temple or experts in the field were invited to participate and contribute to the discussions to glean specific information in relation to areas of interest. After discussions of the issues raised from the consultation feedback in the initial set of meetings, eight key areas began to emerge as a
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focus of attention. These were further refined and are now represented in the Vision statement as the Eight Topics of Discussion. Over the two and a half year period, the Vision 2020 Group met twice for more in-depth sessions over three days at Buckland Hall in Wales. This allowed them to delve into issues in much greater detail. It was then that it was decided that the Vision Statement should define ‘principles’ and that on completion, strategies for each of the eight areas would need to be developed and implemented to realise the Vision. Although the initial timeline for the completion of the document was approximately one year, it became evident after eight months at our first Review meeting with the Temple and Patron Councils that we still had a long way to go. We finally completed and presented the first draft of the document in November 2012. Although feedback was positive, it was clear that several areas needed refining for the temple to consider
taking it seriously. The most important position to reach was a point of consensus and agreement between the Vision 2020 Group and both Temple and Patron Councils. It took another nine months of discussion and review between the three bodies before we were all able to come to an agreement on a final statement in August 2013. It was always assumed that the implementation of the vision would be over a ten-year period. So, being the 40th anniversary, it was a natural decision to define this project to run from the 40th to the 50th Anniversary of the installation of Radha Gokulananda – and what an achievement that would be!
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Turning Vision into Reality Phase 2 – September 2013 Bhaktivedanta Manor’s Vision Statement document is now complete and is being launched today on the 11th September 2013, 44 years to the day since Srila Prabhupada placed his first step in the UK. So, what next? This is the beginning of Phase 2 - putting into practice the vision, the ideas and programmes generated and synthesised out of all the consultation, discussions and deliberations over the last three years. A procedure for moving forward in Phase 2 has been established. A team of facilitators will host several sessions around each of the eight topic
areas elaborated in the Vision Statement. They will thus set out strategic plans, develop strategic priorities and identify specific goals for each of the areas. These strategies will be entirely aligned to the Vision Statement. The Temple Council will coordinate this process with participation from members of different constituencies. This process will likely take three to six months. Srutidharma das as the Temple President of Bhaktivedanta Manor is committed to leading the initiative at the helm together with a team of Coordinators for Phase 2 which will include Gauri das and Rasamandala das. Short, medium and long terms goals will be set culminating in the 50th anniversary of Bhaktivedanta Manor in 2023. However, we hope to see the first stages of implementation of certain ideas and policies beginning in the coming year.
For the present, a small body comprising of members of the Vision Team and both Temple and Patron Councils will act as a Review Team and will meet every three to four months to ensure the process is moving forward correctly and evaluate whether it is on track and meeting set milestones.
Appendix 1
Members to include:
(BM Management Body comprises of Temple and patron Councils)
• Temple Council: Srutidharma das, Kripamoya das, Gauri das • Patron Council: Dilip patel, Sanjay Gadhvi • Vision Group: Akhandadhi das, Sakshi Gopal das, Kapila Monet • Facilitator: Sitarama das
Terms of Reference between Bhaktivedanta Manor (BM) Management Body & Vision 2020 Group
1. The Management Body has made a commitment to engage the Vision Group towards developing an agreed long term vision for Bhaktivedanta Manor. 2. Continual communications/ dialogue between Vision Body and Management Body 3. The Management Body is bound to attend a formal presentation by the Vision Group in a given year. The Vision Group should select a date suitable to all. The first Report will be at the end of 2011 (progress reports may be provided in the interim)
4. The Management Body is obliged to give feedback / critique or otherwise approve work to date, but is under no obligation to carry out instruction from Vision Group. 5. Once Vision is agreed by Vision Group and Management Body, the Vision team will work with management with implementation of issues. 6. The Vision Group will publish the resultant ‘Vision’ after approval and agreement by Management Body. (Anything published should be sensitive to the parameters of the Vision Group and the responsibilities of the Management Body). 7. Disagreement between Vision Group and Management Body is to be resolved only through continual dialogue. 8. The Vision Group will engage in sessions to listen to congregational groups through Focus groups and / or istagoshtis . 9. The Vision Group is able to ask Management questions of strategic and day to day plans as
per need with respect to sensitive information. 10. Information acquired by the Vision Group from either congregation or management MUST be kept in the strictest confidence and discussed only with the parties involved or within the Vision Group. 11. The Vision Group shall have no more than 15 members. New members can be proposed by the Management Body or Vision Group, however all recommendations must be approved by both. 12. The Vision Group will contemplate the Vision from a practical, broad and forward perspective and shall not engage with day to day considerations. In dealing with the congregation, it will re-phrase the issues on these terms.
Bhaktivedanta Manor Vision Statement - September 2013