In
the last 25 years or so, vision statements have grown to become a staple of
organizational life. Companies, universities, hospitals, government agencies –
they all have their vision statements. They also routinely confuse them with
mission statements.
A
vision statement is, in its purest form, describes what an organization (or
individual; I’ve know some individuals with vision statements) aspires to be. A
mission statement is how the organization intends to achieve that vision. The shorthand
version: what we want to be, and what we’re doing to get there.
You
can read a vision statement, and know immediately that it was either produced
by an individual, perhaps with a person or two helping, or by a committee or
series of committees. An individually written one usually strives for one idea;
the committee-written one (assisted by the Legal Department) tries to include
everything top make sure nothing (and department) is omitted.
When
done well, both a vision statement and a mission statement can read like a
fine, moving poem.
