11/20/2022
Do you know the difference between a vision and a mission? Most people don’t or have it wrong, and the result is that they are used ineffectively. It doesn’t have to be like that.
I’m sure you have seen them: nice-sounding mission and vision statements on some company’s website. And, I bet you have wondered too: what do they actually mean, and what is the difference between them?
I certainly have. And in my search to come up with a good explanation of what they mean and how they are different, back years ago, I found this picture by Bob de Wit de Wit and Ron Meyer, in their book “Strategy: Process, Content, Context.”
As the figure illustrates, The key difference between a vision and a mission is that a vision is forward-looking, at where you want to go, while a mission is more oriented toward the present, to who you want to be on your journey.
A vision expresses what some call your organization’s “dot on the horizon.” It describes a desirable future state from which you can derive medium-term and short-term objectives and targets.
A mission, on the other hand, describes ongoing principles. It expresses who and what is important for your organization, on a day-to-day basis.
Is this the only, true or right view on vision and mission? Of course not, there is no such thing. But, it is a useful view and a distinction that can help many organizations improve what they currently have.
Now, have a look at your organization’s vision and mission. Is it truly a vision, or a mission? How would you improve it to make it more useful?
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