Your Organization's Vision and Mission
A
recent, interesting experience had me thinking about a lesson we learnt at the
beginning of our entrepreneurial journey - the importance of setting a vision
and defining a mission. I believed that, by now, with the many thousand
articles and infinite success stories of great vision and mission statements,
these concepts were the unwritten rules for any entrepreneurial or established
initiative. However, I was in for a shock when one of my clients in asked me to
prepare even their vision and mission statements while we worked on their
website content!
Though we specialize in content writing for ecommerce
and IT products companies and its sales enablement, this unsettling experience
took me back to the basics as I revisited the purpose of defining the goals of
an organization, and I share with you a few of my observations. I hope you find
them useful.
Our
first vision statement was probably our innocent childhood answers to the evergreen
question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" The answers
varied from the obvious to the ridiculous: "A doctor saving all the
poor", "A pilot travelling across
the world in a day", "A cricketer winning the World Cup for my
country", or "A superhero swooping down to save a child from a
burning house and killing the villainous demon". With almost no training,
we were able to successfully define a purpose and set a goal. Yet, somewhere, in our hurry to grow up, we often
ignore these self-taught lessons.
So
let's take a quick walk across the basics.
Why have a vision and a
mission?
Vision
and mission are two essential elements of any entrepreneurial or personal
initiative. They give you a sense of direction, set the purpose, and impart a
meaning to your aspirations. They motivate you to overcome challenges and steer
you through your entrepreneurial journey with focus. Without a vision and
mission, you have no dream and you meander around your sea of opportunities
with no purpose and disastrous consequences.
Many
articles explain the purpose
of a vision and mission. These can be referred to before you embark on your
journey of defining these essential aspects of your initiative.
What are vision and
mission?
A
vision is your goal, providing your organization and you the intended
destination, leading you into a future state where you visualize the perfect
end to the journey. A vision is inspirational and a target worth aiming at.
It's short and specific, but not too restrictive. It's simple and ambitious but
not too unrealistic. A vision can be set for about a period of 5 to 10 years,
after which the organization can set new goals and define a new vision. Yes,
visions too can evolve with time.
A
mission is all about the present tense - it's about how you can achieve your short-term
goals to get to your vision, what the purpose of your work is and your
differentiators, who your target audience is, and what immediate effect you
desire to achieve from your work. A mission is a map for the entire
organization - every single employee and customer is part of the mission. A mission
must be easy to remember and imbibe - it must represent the values and approach
of every employee of the organization. Many companies widely publish their
mission but might keep their vision to themselves.
The
net overflows with
great examples of vision and mission statements.
How do we go about defining
a vision and a mission?
1.
Vision is the founding members' goal and purpose when they visualize the
entrepreneurial journey. Hence, the vision, at least initially, needs a lot of
reflection from the organization's leadership group.
2.
The company's vision statement is also a reflection of their core values. So
start with defining your core values.
3.
Ask yourselves the following questions:
·
Why did you embark on this entrepreneurial journey?
·
Where do you want to see yourselves, say, 7 years from now?
·
What is the ultimate goal of your initiative?
·
What is the biggest change you intend bringing to the lives of the
people who would be touched by your service?
·
What is the most desirable outcome of your entrepreneurial journey?
·
What is the biggest differentiator that will set you apart in your
field of expertise?
The
answer to these questions would lead you to your vision statement - a precise,
crisp, challenging, inspiring, and realistic statement that will be the leading
beacon for your organization. Of course you will be going through multiple
draft and reconsideration stages before you finalize the vision statement - do
not rush because this statement positions your presence in the field of your
expertise.
1.
Defining a mission requires the organization's effort. A mission statement
relates to the present situation. It requires every member of the organization
to identify with the statement and spend every effort in realizing the mission
statement.
2.
The mission statement should lead to the vision - there must be an integral
connect between the two statements.
3.
Ask the following questions:
·
What does
your organization do?
·
For whom?
·
What is the
most important service your organization provides?
·
How do you
work - what are your best known for?
·
What makes
you the best in your field of expertise?
·
What would
your customers feel after they interact with you every time?
4.
The answers to these questions will help you achieve a measurable mission
statement. Here too, you will have to work on defining and refining multiple
times - especially since it involves buy-in from your employees as well.
5.
Ensure that your mission statement is understood and imbibed by every employee.
Now,
at least some of the instructions for vision and mission statements do seem to
overlap, doesn't it? So, let's try to clarify the concept of vision and mission
through some examples:
Maruti Suzuki
Vision:
To
be a leader in the Indian automobile industry creating customer delight and
shareholder wealth - a pride of India
Mission:
·
Modernization of the Indian
automobile industry
·
Production of fuel-efficient
vehicles to conserve scarce resources
·
Market penetration, market
development
·
Networking and partnerships
·
Openness and learning
Google
Vision:
To
provide access to the world’s information in one click
Mission:
To
organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful
Uber
Vision:
Smarter
transportation with fewer cars and greater access
Mission:
To connect people with reliable rides through the use of data and
technology
Philips
Vision:
To
make the world healthier and more sustainable through innovation. Our goal is
to improve the lives of 3 billion people a year by 2025. We will be the best
place to work for people who share our passion. Together we will deliver
superior value for our customers and shareholders.
Mission:
Improving people's lives through meaningful innovation
Walmart
Vision:
To be the best
retailer in the hearts and minds of consumers and employees
Mission:
Saving people money
so they can live better
How can a content writer
help you?
Well,
we cannot step into your shoes to build from scratch - but we can definitely
guide you craft the vision and mission statements. After you do your
brainstorming, do come to us with your thoughts and we will work with you to
derive the statements that represent your vision and mission.
So
what are you waiting for? Take a step back from your routine work to define the
vision and mission statements that best represent your dreams, aspirations,
purpose, and differentiators. We'll help you fine tune these statements that
will guide your organization to achieve all your ambitious goals.
Good
Luck!
For
more detail visit @ http://www.addkraft.com/
