Vision and Mission Statements - Are They Worth The Trouble?

Vision And Mission Statements - Are They Worth The Trouble?
By Tim Connor

In a highly competitive and rapidly changing world, organizations need focus, clarity and clear direction. One of the tools that can contribute to this outcome is a mission - vision, defining statement and/or statement of purpose. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter what you call it as long as you have some way of determining what you are, what you are becoming and why you want to get there. It is a statement of purpose. It is a statement that determines how all the little daily decisions are made by everyone in the organization.

This statement becomes the template by which conflicts are resolved, objectives are established, goals are made and tactics are developed.

The process of developing this statement can be: bottom-up (including every employee in the organization), top-down, a management-mandated policy, or a combination of top-down and bottom-up. (I like the combination approach the best). The ultimate goal is a statement that accurately represents who or what you are or stand for, and what or who you want to become – your vision for the future. There are a number of critical issues that impact the effectiveness, accuracy or value of this process. They are:

1. Ensure that reality is integrated into the process. The reality of your philosophy, resources, the marketplace (customers, suppliers, competitors), and your values.

2. The process should include input from everyone who will be responsible for buying into the statement and/or communicating it throughout the organization or to the marketplace.

3. It should not be a quick exercise (just to get it done). It should be a carefully thought-out process that ensures accuracy and that can stand the test of any circumstance, so that actions and decisions become easy when measured against it.

4. Once developed, it should be communicated to every employee (inside-mission statement) and every customer, vendor and the media (outside-mission statement).

5. It should be reinforced in meetings and discussions, on correspondence, banners and posters.

6. It should be the standard on which goals are set, objectives are established, problems are resolved, actions are taken, and decisions are made.

7. It should be re-visited at least yearly and rewritten if the current statement does not accurately reflect what or who you are and what or who you are becoming.

Developing a mission / vision statement can contribute to improved team effort, focused behavior, improved decision making and reduced conflict, as well as create consistency and send a clear message to the world and your employees defining who you are and what you stand for.

Tim Connor, CSP is an internationally renowned sales, management and leadership speaker, trainer and best selling author. Since 1981 he has given over 3500 presentations in 21 countries on a variety of sales, management, leadership and relationship topics. He is the best selling author of over 60 books including; Soft Sell, That’s Life, Peace Of Mind, 91 Challenges Managers Face Today and Your First Year In Sales. He can be reached at tim@timconnor.com, 704-895-1230 or visit his website at http://www.timconnor.com.

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