The Ideology of Revisioning Boundaries

Submitted by saunders1994 on September 9, 2009 - 1:56pm.

http://revisioningboundaries.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/mission-statements-vision-statements-unleashing-the-power-of-purpose/

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Mission and Vision Statements - What's the point of having both?

By Phil Dourado on July 29, 2010 - 3:22pm

But, why would you want a mission statement aimed at top leaders and stockholders and a vision statement aimed at employees and customers? I never understand why organizations have a vision AND a mission statement. Life's complicated enough. I know, I know...They are supposed to do two separate things. My argument is that they should not. There should be ONE THING. And there should be one message for all those stakeholders saying "What we exist for" not two - That smacks of two-facedness.

The Role of Mission, Vision and Values in Strategic Planning

By Earl Wallace on July 30, 2010 - 3:39am

Here is how mission, vision, and values relate to organizational direction and achievement. A strategic plan explains how an organization intends to use what it has to accomplish what it desires or is required to do. A strategic plan says, “We will use these resources to accomplish this mission that will get us to our vision as we pursue it with these values.” People implement strategic plans by living out values when dealing with coworkers, partners, suppliers, and customers. When employees are mission focused, they will deploy resources to fulfill the mission. If the mission is achieved successfully over time, the organization’s vision becomes reality. I once heard the relationship between mission, vision, and values explained this way: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s mission was equality. His vision was expressed beautifully in his “I Have a Dream” speech. And his values were nonviolence. (The Three-Dimensional Leader, pg 29)

Think of mission as the main the thing the organization has to accomplish, and think of the vision as what the world will look like if the organization is wildly successful at fulfilling its mission.

Vision is what inspires us to work hard at accomplishing the mission!

Thanks Earl...I still think it's over-complicated

By Phil Dourado on July 30, 2010 - 1:46pm

Thanks for that, Earl. I know that's how most large organizations who do this define mission, vision, values. I just think it's unnecessarily complicated. I'm working with a large organization that has a brilliant core purpose that everyone understands. They are about to overlay on top of that a vision that at the moment looks wordy and complex...and unnecessary as their core purpose already gives them an ideal state to head towards.

People throughout organizations are commonly being asked to buy into the mission, vision, values trilogy. I think it should be much simpler and more down to earth - Where are we going, why and how will we get there. The other stuff just keeps consultants in business it appears to me - and shuts out a large number of employees who don't buy into all the 'mission, vision and values' language, which has become 'management speak' and 'consultant speak'.

I guess I'm arguing for plainer less high falutin' language. And less complexity. And more clarity. So many mission and vision statements look alike. And I've worked with a number of organizations who spend a lot of money and time working out what their core values / behaviors should be - And they come up with 'our unique set of values' and all they have to do is look at other organizations' unique sets of values to find out that at least 50% of them and often 100% of them are in common. Because they are people's values.

It's become an industry, Earl, is what I don't like. And it tends to be divorced from what really happens in the organization, which breeds cynicism. So, in many cases it's a layer of unreality. Sticking to simple language - Where are we going, why and how will we get there - forces much simpler, down to earth language to be used that talks about practical behaviors and everyone can be held to account.

It Is Overly Complicated

By Kate Moor on August 2, 2010 - 2:32am

I agree with you Phil. Vision and mission should be the same. Simple and straightforward!! Easy to understand - states what the business is doing and why.

I also have a problem with values when many organisations pay scant heed in living by them. Best not to have them if it is just something that is stuck on the wall.

Kate