Mission and Vision: Does My Organization Need Them?
- Jerry Kraus
- Mar 31, 2017
- 7 min read
Introduction
I was recently asked, “What do you think about mission statements? Should we have one?” My simple answer was, “Yes,” but it’s not quite that easy. Just about every organization has a mission statement these days. It’s all over their websites and marketing material, but it starts to get pretty confusing pretty quickly – there are mission, vision, and core values statements everywhere. What is going on with this “mission-y vision-y” thing? Is there a difference? Help!
Okay, let’s back up. In my first blog post, I introduced my simplified version of an overarching model of organizational effectiveness, including four key elements that make up “excellence.” My framework boils down some very complex models, such as the McKinsey 7S Framework and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria, into a more manageable model that small companies and department managers might find slightly more palatable and useful.
Kraus Model of Organizational Effectiveness
To review, the four basic elements are:
Strategy - Mission, goals, action plans - purpose and alignment of "The What"
Systems - Policies, procedures, processes - "How" the work gets done
Structure - Functional responsibilities and reporting relationships - "Org Chart"
Culture - Climate, values, behavior - the "Human" side of the enterprise
Mission and Vision statements are two different things. Mission has to do with the “Strategy” element, and Vision has to do with the “Culture” piece. As I have said before, the astute leader understands that, while you can break organizational excellence down into some discrete parts, it is in managing the interdependence of these elements as an integrated whole where outstanding organizations and leaders maximize bottom-line performance. However, in order to study, evaluate, and apply the model, it is just easier to take them one at a time.
Mission vs. Vision
In The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at Work, Peter Block says:
“A vision is really a dream created in our waking hours of how we would like the organization to be. It differs from a mission statement in that a mission statement is a (description) of what business we are in and sometimes our ranking in that business. A mission statement names the game we are going to play. A vision is more of a philosophy about how we are going to manage the business. Organizations may call a vision something different, such as a credo, set of core values, or guiding principles.”
Mission is the purpose that the organization exists, or WHAT it does. Vision describes the values that the organization reveres, or HOW we are going to carry out the mission. I will point out right now that many organizations have articulated their “core values” in very positive, lofty terms, such as “The values we live by are: open communication, collaboration, innovation, and teamwork,” but executives and managers must understand that these are espoused values and do not necessarily represent what actually happens in every day life in the organization. In fact, more often than not, the current culture does not reflect the “dream created in our waking hours” that has been put on paper. The vision is a WISH for the future, and it serves an important function in articulating expectations for how we need to treat each other, our customers, and partners, but is not reality. A vision statement does, however, provide very important direction on where the organization is heading.
Strategy Element for Mission
The Strategy element includes the mission, goals, and action plans that all must be aligned to accomplish the organization’s goals. You will find many examples of mission statements if you visit some websites – click on the “About Us” page for almost any organization and you will find a mission statement.
“Helping families live healthier, better lives through food. Our commitment to you is simple: Every day you get our best.”
“We will deliver the highest quality health care in partnership with our community, one person at a time. The Center is You!”
“United Way improves lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world to advance the common good.”
Mission: Connect, Protect, Explore and Inspire the World through Aerospace Innovation
Aspiration: Best in Aerospace and Enduring Global Industrial Champion
Enterprise Strategy:
- Operate as One Boeing
- Build Strength on Strength
- Sharpen and Accelerate to Win
“The best or nothing.”
A mission statement is important for every organization and each department or function within an organization. Articulating the mission can help in getting “buy in” and commitment as to why we are here, and get everyone on the same page on what we do. More importantly, however, is not the statement itself or “wordsmithing” the goal to death that is important, but the engagement in dialogue about why we are all here together – the higher order objective to which we all are contributing. It is better to involve people at various levels starting at the top, rather than developing the mission statement in a vacuum and telling everyone what it is. The process matters.
Culture Element for Vision
In my first two blog posts on “Organizational Excellence” and “Leadership Style,” I highlighted the importance of organizational culture on bottom-line performance, and how leadership behavior impacts perceptions of the culture and “how it feels to work around here,” or how people are treated, how decisions get made, communication patterns, and the human side of the enterprise. I believe that the culture is the most critical element of organizational excellence because it ultimately determines how well everything else happens, including carrying out the mission.
The vision is based in values, behavior, and human interaction, and developing a statement or set of guiding principles can be powerful in establishing expectations of how we are going to behave, but it can easily go bad if senior executives and managers at every level do not practice, model, and reinforce those espoused values.
What are “values”? We talk about values and culture a lot, but it is not always clear what that means. Humans are complex beings with beliefs, attitudes, and values that drive and select our behavior. You see it in organizations, in our personal lives, and in politics – it’s everywhere!
Here is a simple distinction:
Beliefs are those things that we see as “True or False.”
Attitudes are those things that we are “For or Against – Pro or Con.”
Values are those things that we see as “Good or Bad.”
Much of the research on organizational excellence and leadership effectiveness reflects and emphasizes the importance of values. Many leadership assessment methods are values-based tools to help managers understand their style and leadership behavior, and how they are perceived by others. So, what are considered “good or bad” values in organizations? The answer lies in those lofty vision statements and core values.
In general, you will find that the desired values include: diversity, inclusion, teamwork, trust, open communication, creativity, constant learning, integrity, empowerment, customer focus, accountability, respect, innovation, and the list goes on. Again, vision and values statements can be useful in communicating expectations about how we are going to interact and behave, but they are not an end in and of themselves.
Some examples of vision and values statements are:
Our Values -
We care about the well-being and success of every person. High standards are a way of life.
We pursue excellence in everything we do. We make a difference in every community we serve. We respect and listen to our people. We empower our people to make decisions that improve their work and benefit our customers and our company.
What We Believe -
Good people, working toward a common goal, can accomplish anything they set out to do.
Our goal is to be the very best at serving the needs of our customers.
We can achieve our goal only if we fulfill the needs of our own people.
Clinical Excellence
We value our ability to provide the very best results to our patients, right here in our community.
Customer Service
We value customer service, as we take care of our patients and their families, in our relationships with our doctors, and in our interactions with colleagues.
People
We value each other as colleagues and mentors, and we value our patients, neighbors, friends, and community partners.
Financial Integrity
We value fiscal integrity while striving to meet community needs through investments in state-of-the-art equipment, renovations to our facilities, and development of new programs and services.
Community
We value our partners in the local health community, spanning the spectrum of care from acupuncture to wellness, from prevention to palliation, and from acute care to life care.
Enduring Values
At Boeing, we are committed to a set of core values that not only define who we are, but also serve as guideposts to help us become the company we would like to be. And we aspire to live these values every day.
Integrity We take the high road by practicing the highest ethical standards and honoring our commitments.
Quality We strive for first-time quality and continuous improvement in all that we do to meet or exceed the standards of excellence stakeholders expect of us.
Safety We value human life and health above all else and take action accordingly to maintain the safety of our workplaces, products, and services.
Diversity & Inclusion We value the skills, strengths and perspectives of our diverse team. We foster a collaborative workplace that engages all employees.
Trust & Respect We act with integrity, consistency, and honesty in all that we do.
Corporate Citizenship We are a responsible partner, neighbor and citizen to the diverse communities and customers we serve, promote the health and well-being of Boeing people, their families and our communities, and we protect the environment.
Stakeholder Success By operating profitably and with integrity.
Innovation – Never stop inventing new ways to realize the potential of the road ahead.
Performance – We unite all aspects of performance to engineer something you can’t get from a spec sheet.
Design – We combine artistry and engineering to create cars that are visionary from every angle.
Safety – We continue to pioneer technology that helps protect from and prevent collisions.
Environment – We believe that respecting our planet means far more than meeting a miles-per-gallon figure.
“We pride ourselves on prompt and friendly service.”
I don’t know what else Stinky’s vision is – fill in the blank! How about, “We envision a world where _______ .”
Conclusion
There are an infinite number of ways that your organization or department can describe and communicate the mission and vision, but it is a good to work with others to discuss and articulate it and work toward living it out every day. Hopefully, understanding the difference between the two can help you on your journey in becoming the best leader you can be, and realize that just putting the words together isn’t enough.
Remember, mission is the purpose of the organization, or what it is trying to do. Vision is the means to the end, or how it operates and how people interact – the values and behavior.
No matter what, executives and leaders have a tough job trying to live up to those lofty ideals. Do the best you can, and try to get better at it each day. Good luck!
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