Articles

Vision and mission are things that every organization should have. It describes and defines the main work scope of the organization. The vision statement and mission statement are often confused, and many companies use the terms interchangeably. However, they each have different purposes. In this article, we will take about vision and mission: their definition, characteristics, examples, and steps to develop them.

What is the vision of an organization?

A vision is a picture of the organization future. It answers the question what; what your organization is trying to accomplish and reach or look like in the future. For example, in 5 to 10 years from now.

in other word, we can say it is the organization dream. It describes the organization future goals that it wants to achieve.

It is a clear answer to the questions “what you want to achieve?” and “where you want to be?”.

Characteristics of the vision statement

There are some common characteristics shared in vision statements:

1. Clear, concise, not longer than a short paragraph.
2. Inspiring and motivating.
3. Realistic and applicable.
4. Easy to communicate.

Vision statement examples:

• Heinz: To be the world’s premier food company, offering nutritious, superior tasting foods to people everywhere.

• Amazon: Our vision is to be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.
• Bakkah: To be the company of choice for providing management consulting and professional learning services.

What are the benefits of developing a vision statement?

• Help organizations to focus on what is important away from distractions.
• give people an insight into your organization’s interests.
• Inspire employees to achieve their dreams by working hard.

What is the Mission of an organization?

A mission is your organization's purpose of existence or why your organization is found. It describes what you should do to achieve the organization's vision.

In another word, it is the explanation of who you are and why you exist.

It is a clear answer to the questions “what does the organization do?” and “how the organization differs from others?”

Characteristics of the mission statement

There are some common characteristics shared in mission statements:

1. Consistent, clear, and powerful.
2. Memorable and easy to understand.
3. Inclusive and actionable 
4. guide for day-to-day operations

Mission statement examples:

• International Red Cross: To provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

• Google: To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

• Bakkah: Guide our customers to unleash their potentials by providing state-of-the-art consultation and learning services.

What are the benefits of developing a mission statement?

• Inspire People to be Focused and Productive.
• Form a connection with customers.
• Differentiate yourself from other competitors.

How to create and develop a vision and mission for your organization?

1- Identify your competitive advantage

The competitive advantage or the unique selling proposition is what distinguishes you from other competitors in the field. In this step, you may need the help of your employees. You can also use analytics tools such as USP Analysis, SOWT Analysis, and Core Competence Analysis.

2- Identify your goals

In this step, you are not only identifying the goals, but you are also working on putting action steps that will help you achieve the identified goals. Remember that your goals must second and nurture your competitive advantage. Set clear goals that can be measured; you can use the tool SMART to identify the goals.

3- Define the organization's values

Define what are the values that you will adopt to achieve your goals. Think about the values that your organization has or wants to have; this will help you define or develop great ones. It can consist of only one word such as “integrity, innovation, quality, teamwork, etc.” or a phrase such as “access to education for all”. Your team members can be a vital tool that may help you in defining your values.

4- Build your mission and vision statement

Combine the three steps mentioned above and start creating your mission and vision statement relying on them. While creating, remember that the statement must be short, concise, inspiring, motivational, broad, timeless, and easy to remember. The statements should clearly communicate the direction and values of an organization.

Ask employees to join you in a brainstorming session, since 2 heads are better than one. Discuss the suggested vision statements based on the following questions:

• Will it draw people to common work?
• Does it give hope for a better future?
• Will it inspire community members to realize their dreams through positive, effective action?
• Does it provide a basis for developing the other aspects of your action planning process?

Perform the same session for the mission statement and discuss the outcome based on the following questions:

• Does it describe what your organization will do and why it will do it?
• Is it concise and clear?
• Is it inclusive of the goals?
• Is it actionable for people who may involve in the organization?

Now your unique Vision and Mission are ready to be published and spread out!

Bakkah for Consulting can help you develop your strategy, vision and mission. Book your consulting session here.