Definition:

A vision statement is sometimes called a picture of your company in the future but it’s so much more than that. Your vision
statement is your inspiration, the framework for all your strategic planning.

A vision statement may apply to an entire company or to a single division of that company. Whether for all or part of an
organization, the vision statement answers the question, “Where do we want to go?”

What you are doing when creating a vision statement is articulating your dreams and hopes for your business. It reminds you of
what you are trying to build.

While a vision statement doesn’t tell you how you’re going to get there, it does set the direction for your business planning. (For
more on the role of your vision statement in business planning, seeQuick-Start Business Planning.) That’s why it’s important
when crafting a vision statement to let your imagination go and dare to dream – and why it’s important that a vision statement
captures your passion.

Unlike the mission statement, a vision statement is for you and the other members of your company, not for your customers or
clients.

When writing a vision statement, your mission statement and your core competencies can be a valuable starting point for
articulating your values. Be sure when you’re creating one not to fall into the trap of only thinking ahead a year or two. Once you
have one, your vision statement will have a huge influence on decision making and the way you allocate resources.

How to Write Vision and Mission Statements

Definition of a Vision 
A Vision is defined as 'An Image of the future we seek to create'. It is a dream. 

Definition of a Mission
A Mission is defined as 'Purpose, reason for being'. Defined simply "Who we are and what we
do". It is the vehicle which leads to the vision. 

What is the difference between Vision Statements and Mission Statements? 

 The definition for Vision Statements is a sentence or short paragraph providing a broad,
aspirational image of the future. Vision Statements therefore contain details of the
university's future - its vision ( the future plans with aims and objectives )These types of
Statements focus on tomorrow.
 A good definition for a Mission Statement is a sentence or short paragraph which is
written by the organization which reflects its core purpose, identity, values and principle
business aims. 
 Mission Statements therefore contain important information about a company in a
 nutshell. This should include the University mission ( what the PU does, its products, its
services and its customers).

How long are Vision Statements? 

A good statement is a sentence or short paragraph consisting of two to four sentences. 

Some hints and tips on How to write a Vision Statement for those working in organizations,
institutions and establishments: 

 Take your time when writing a Vision Statement. Its a hard but very important task,
learning how to write a Vision Statement takes time! It needs to be positive and
inspirational
 Get the 'feel' of Vision Statements by checking out Petra University Vision and Mission
Statements at PU website .
 Most importantly: your vision and mission MUST go down- top i.e. : Vision and Mission
of the Department MUST be in consistent with the Faculty's and the Faculty's MUST be
in consistent with PU's.

To make Life Easier:

Your Vision is :
to be a ...... what : (describe) ... to provide ..... what : (describe) for ... what ... in the field of ....
what ... 
Your Mission is ... what you do ... for whom ... and how . 

The Value Of Vision And Mission

It’s where you want to be and how you’ll get there

By

Dan Goldberg

The terms vision statement and mission statement, have been beaten to death by

organizations. However, both of these items can help drive companies in ways that build

loyalty, growth and consistency, if handled correctly.

Too often these credos are fed to employees without a full understanding of their impact

on the individual. It is not uncommon to have a group of executives formulate the

statements without the input of employees, leading to irrelevant, common and confusing
paragraphs. These statements are usually filled with self-aggrandizing adjectives and

bland objectives, which are then framed and hung on the wall for all prospects and clients

to see as they enter the organization’s office.

In order to avoid stereotypical vision and mission statements the organization should

spend time to understand its goals, client base, growth and expansion plans, as well as

why the organization was founded and what it plans to do for its employees, the

community and itself in the short and long term.

When formulating the vision and mission statements executives should ask certain

pertinent questions of themselves and the other employees:

What affect will these statements have on the people who work within the organization?

How often will they refer to them?

Are they relevant to the folks who look at them everyday?

Were they put in place for the benefit of clients, shareholders, employees or all three

groups?

Whose input went into the formation of both statements?

Will they hold up over time?

Do they reflect the values and beliefs of the organization?

I recently spent three days with the employees of a company. All the executives were in

attendance in addition to most of the other folks. The purpose of the conference was to

enable everyone to contribute to the company’s vision and mission statements.

We started by laying out ground rules:

Everyone’s input was needed.

The entire process would be non-judgmental.

Attendees could say, in fact were encouraged to say, exactly what was on their mind

without retribution. The statements would be decided upon by the end of the conference and
implemented.
Open communications would continue after the conference.

We began the process by defining the vision statement as an understanding of how the

participants saw the present and future of the company. The mission statement was

defined as how they want to realize that vision, both now and in the future.

A list of the company’s principles and values were discussed. These included why the

company was started and what was behind its growth (both internally and externally).

Each word or phrase was dissected for relevance to the company, the industry and the

people in the room. Questions were asked such as: Were these the items that moved

people to buy into the company’s industry view? Were they the reasons why the

individuals worked for the company? Did they symbolize discomforting ideas for the

folks in attendance?

Everything was looked at from the perspective of the employee first.

Why did they work for the company? And why did they want to continue to work for it?

Those two questions are usually the forgotten elements in most vision and mission

statements.

The common conception is that vision and mission statements are made for clients and

prospects. They are, in fact, secondary to the employee’s buy-in. Vision and mission

statements are first and foremost, the fuel that drives the company from the inside out. If

you have all the bells and whistles for customers and prospects but it has no relevance for

employees, you may as well hang it facing the wall.

We spent time assessing the beliefs and values of each attendee and how they fit into his

or her view of the company. We then analyzed the past strengths and weaknesses of the

company. After extensive discussion we moved onto evaluating the organization’s

current strengths and weaknesses including the most important aspects of the company as

seen by the participants.

Following the insights involving currents strengths and weaknesses we began defining

where the attendees wanted to see the organization go from its current position. By

breaking into smaller groups they were able to begin forming their own vision and

mission statements by listing each group’s principles and values as vital components of

the greater vision and mission of the company.

Each group’s principles and values were then reviewed and prioritized. Common

elements were identified and defined.

From all the information collected the company’s vision and mission statements were

carefully crafted. Everyone’s suggestions were taken into consideration. The final

outcome made for a successful meeting. However, the next step is as important as the crafting of the
statements themselves.

Companies must be aware of the “drop the ball” syndrome.

Time and time again, organizations follow effective conferences with…nothing!

People go back to old ways and habits. The effects of the new vision and mission

statements wither away like the motivational seminar that has no follow-up.

Attendees stayed pumped-up for three days and then begin the deflation process.

It is imperative to keep the lines of communications open. There must be a process to

check-in with attendees to make sure they understand that their suggestions, thoughts and

views are valued.

In the case of our conference, everyone received his or her copy of the organization’s

vision and mission statement within a short period of time. They were thanked for their

input and reminded that they integral in writing both statements. In addition, a program of

inter-company communication was installed to make sure that the vital interaction that

created both documents continued.

The final outcome, were not only statements which were relevant to clients, prospects

and employees alike but also a group of people who felt an ownership in the future of the
vision and mission of their company.

Dan Goldberg is a keynote speaker and the President of Dan Goldberg Consulting, L.L.C.

a training, coaching and business development firm located in the Philadelphia, PA area.

He is the author of the book “Stand Back A Second, Just don’t fall off the edge,” and

author of “The Six Steps To Solid Sales Success” and “The Seven Elements of Successful

Management” programs and the audio tape “Growing A Successful Business”. You can

contact him at [email protected], visit his website at www.dangoldberg.com or reach

him at (215) 233-5352

Strategic Leadership and Decision

Making
18
STRATEGIC VISION
A specialist was hired to develop and present a series of half-day training seminars on empowerment and
teamwork for the managers of a large international oil company. Fifteen minutes into the first
presentation, he took a headlong plunge into the trap of assumption. With great intent, he laid the
groundwork for what he considered the heart of empowerment-team-building, family, and community. He
praised the need for energy, commitment, and passion for production. At what he thought was the
appropriate time, he asked the group of 40 managers the simple question on which he was to ground his
entire talk: "What is the vision of your company?" No one raised a hand. The speaker thought they might
be shy, so he gently encouraged them. The room grew deadly silent. Everyone was looking at everyone
else, and he had a sinking sensation in his stomach. "Your company does have a vision, doesn't it?" he
asked. A few people shrugged, and a few shook their heads. He was dumbfounded. How could any
group or individual strive toward greatness and mastery without a vision? That's exactly the point. They
can't. They can maintain, they can survive; but they can't expect to achieve greatness.

Mapes (1991)

SKY Magazine

Vision is a widely used term, but not well understood. Perhaps leaders don't
understand what vision is, or why it is important. One strategic leader is
quoted as saying, "I've come to believe that we need a vision to guide us, but I
can't seem to get my hands on what 'vision' is. I've heard lots of terms like
mission, purpose, values, and strategic intent, but no-one has given me a
satisfactory way of looking at vision that will help me sort out this morass of
words. It's really frustrating!" (Collins and Porras 1991). To understand vision,
clarify what the term means.

DEFINING VISION

One definition of vision comes from Burt Nanus, a well-known expert on the
subject. Nanus defines a vision as a realistic, credible, attractive future for
[an] organization. Let's disect this definition:

 Realistic: A vision must be based in reality to be meaningful for an

organization. For example, if you're developing a vision for a computer
software company that has carved out a small niche in the market
developing instructional software and has a 1.5 percent share of the
computer software market, a vision to overtake Microsoft and dominate
the software market is not realistic!
 Credible: A vision must be believable to be relevant. To whom must a
vision be credible? Most importantly, to the employees or members of
the organization. If the members of the organization do not find the
vision credible, it will not be meaningful or serve a useful purpose. One
of the purposes of a vision is to inspire those in the organization to
achieve a level of excellence, and to provide purpose and direction for
the work of those employees. A vision which is not credible will
accomplish neither of these ends.
 Attractive: If a vision is going to inspire and motivate those in the
organization, it must be attractive. People must want to be part of this
future that's envisioned for the organization.
 Future: A vision is not in the present, it is in the future. In this respect,
the image of the leader gazing off into the distance to formulate a vision
may not be a bad one. A vision is not where you are now, it's where you
want to be in the future. (If you reach or attain a vision, and it's no longer
in the future, but in the present, is it still a vision?)

Nanus goes on to say that the right vision for an organization, one that is
a realistic, credible, attractive future for that organization, can accomplish a
number of things for the organization:

 It attracts commitment and energizes people. This is one of the

primary reasons for having a vision for an organization: its motivational
 effect. When people can see that the organization is committed to a
vision-and that entails more than just having a vision statement-it
generates enthusiasm about the course the organization intends to
follow, and increases the commitment of people to work toward
achieving that vision.
 It creates meaning in workers' lives. A vision allows people to feel like
they are part of a greater whole, and hence provides meaning for their
work. The right vision will mean something to everyone in the
organization if they can see how what they do contributes to that vision.
Consider the difference between the hotel service worker who can only
say, "I make beds and clean bathrooms," to the one who can also say,
"I'm part of a team committed to becoming the worldwide leader in
providing quality service to our hotel guests." The work is the same, but
the context and meaning of the work is different.
 It establishes a standard of excellence. A vision serves a very
important function in establishing a standard of excellence. In fact, a
good vision is all about excellence. Tom Peters, the author of In Search
of Excellence, talks about going into an organization where a number of
problems existed. When he attempted to get the organization's
leadership to address the problems, he got the defensive response, "But
we're no worse than anyone else!" Peters cites this sarcastically as a
great vision for an organization: "Acme Widgets: We're No Worse Than
Anyone Else!" A vision so characterized by lack of a striving for
excellence would not motivate or excite anyone about that organization.
The standard of excellence also can serve as a continuing goal and
stimulate quality improvement programs, as well as providing a
measure of the worth of the organization.
 It bridges the present and the future. The right vision takes the
organization out of the present, and focuses it on the future. It's easy to
get caught up in the crises of the day, and to lose sight of where you
were heading. A good vision can orient you on the future, and provide
positive direction. The vision alone isn't enough to move you from the
present to the future, however. That's where a strategic plan, discussed
later in the chapter, comes in. A vision is the desired future state for the
organization; the strategic plan is how to get from where you are now to
where you want to be in the future.

Another definition of vision comes from Oren Harari: "Vision should

describe a set of ideals and priorities, a picture of the future, a sense of
what makes the company special and unique, a core set of principles
that the company stands for, and a broad set of compelling criteria that
will help define organizational success." Are there any differences
between Nanus's and Harari's definitions of vision? What are the similarities?
Do these definitions help clarify the concept of vision and bring it into focus?

An additional framework for examining vision is put forward by Collins and

Porras. They conceptualize vision as having two major components:
aGuiding Philosophy, and a Tangible Image. They define the guiding
philosophy as "a system of fundamental motivating assumptions, principles,
values and tenets." The guiding philosophy stems from the
organization's core beliefs and values and its purpose.

DEVELOPING A VISION

At this point you should know what a good vision consists of, and recognize a
vision statement when you see one. But how does a strategic leader go about
developing a vision for an organization? Nanus also offers a few words of
advice to someone formulating a vision for an organization:

 Learn everything you can about the organization. There is no

substitute for a thorough understanding of the organization as a
foundation for your vision.
 Bring the organization's major constituencies into the visioning
process. This is one of Nanus's imperatives: don't try to do it alone. If
you're going to get others to buy into your vision, if it's going to be a
wholly shared vision, involvement of at least the key people in the
organization is essential. "Constituencies," refer to people both inside
and outside the organization who can have a major impact on the
organization, or who can be impacted by it. Another term to refer to
constituencies is "stakeholders"- those who have a stake in the
organization.
 Keep an open mind as you explore the options for a new vision.
Don't be constrained in your thinking by the organization's current
direction - it may be right, but it may not.
 Encourage input from your colleagues and subordinates. Another
injunction about not trying to do it alone: those down in the organization
often know it best and have a wealth of untapped ideas. Talk with them!
 Understand and appreciate the existing vision. Provide continuity if
possible, and don't throw out good ideas because you didn't originate
 them. In his book about visionary leadership, Nanus describes a seven-
step process for formulating a vision:

1. Understand the organization. To formulate a vision for an organization,

you first must understand it. Essential questions to be answered include what
its mission and purpose are, what value it provides to society, what the
character of the industry is, what institutional framework the organization
operates in, what the organization's position is within that framework, what it
takes for the organization to succeed, who the critical stakeholders are, both
inside and outside the organization, and what their interests and expectations
are.

2. Conduct a vision audit. This step involves assessing the current direction

and momentum of the organization. Key questions to be answered include:
Does the organization have a clearly stated vision? What is the organization's
current direction? Do the key leaders of the organization know where the
organization is headed and agree on the direction? Do the organization's
structures, processes, personnel, incentives, and information systems support
the current direction?

3. Target the vision. This step involves starting to narrow in on a vision. Key

questions: What are the boundaries or constraints to the vision? What must
the vision accomplish? What critical issues must be addressed in the vision?

4. Set the vision context. This is where you look to the future, and where the
process of formulating a vision gets difficult. Your vision is a desirable future
for the organization. To craft that vision you first must think about what the
organization's future environment might look like. This doesn't mean you need
to predict the future, only to make some informed estimates about what future
environments might look like. First, categorize future developments in the
environment which might affect your vision. Second, list your expectations for
the future in each category. Third, determine which of these expectations is
most likely to occur. And fourth, assign a probability of occurrence to each
expectation.

5. Develop future scenarios. This step follows directly from the fourth step.
Having determined, as best you can, those expectations most likely to occur,
and those with the most impact on your vision, combine those expectations
into a few brief scenarios to include the range of possible futures you
anticipate. The scenarios should represent, in the aggregate, the alternative
"futures" the organization is likely to operate within.
6. Generate alternative visions. Just as there are several alternative futures
for the environment, there are several directions the organization might take in
the future. The purpose of this step is to generate visions reflecting those
different directions. Do not evaluate your possible visions at this point, but use
a relatively unconstrained approach.

7. Choose the final vision. Here's the decision point where you select the
best possible vision for your organization. To do this, first look at the
properties of a good vision, and what it takes for a vision to succeed, including
consistency with the organization's culture and values. Next, compare the
visions you've generated with the alternative scenarios, and determine which
of the possible visions will apply to the broadest range of scenarios. The final
vision should be the one which best meets the criteria of a good vision, is
compatible with the organization's culture and values, and applies to a broad
range of alternative scenarios (possible futures).

IMPLEMENTING THE VISION

Now that you have a vision statement for your organization, are you done?
Formulating the vision is only the first step; implementing the vision is much
harder, but must follow if the vision is going to have any effect on the
organization. The three critical tasks of the strategic leader are formulating the
vision, communicating it, and implementing it. Some organizations think that
developing the vision is all that is necessary. If they have not planned for
implementing that vision, development of the vision has been wasted effort.
Even worse, a stated vision which is not implemented may have adverse
effects within the organization because it initially creates expectations that
lead to cynicism when those expectations are not met.

Before implementing the vision, the leader needs to communicate the vision to
all the organization's stakeholders, particularly those inside the organization.
The vision needs to be well articulated so that it can be easily understood.
And, if the vision is to inspire enthusiasm and encourage commitment, it must
be communicated to all the members of the organization.

How do you communicate a vision to a large and diverse organization? The

key is to communicate the vision through multiple means. Some techniques
used by organizations to communicate the vision include disseminating the
vision in written form; preparing audiovisual shows outlining and explaining
the vision; and presenting an explanation of the vision in speeches, interviews
or press releases by the organization's leaders. An organization's leaders also
may publicly "sign up" for the vision. You've got to "walk your talk." For the
vision to have credibility, leaders must not only say they believe in the vision;
they must demonstrate that they do through their decisions and their actions.

Once you've communicated your vision, how do you go about implementing

it? This is where strategic planning comes in. To describe the relationship
between strategic visioning and strategic planning in very simple
terms, visioning can be considered as establishing where you want the
organization to be in the future; strategic planning determines how to
get there from where you are now. Strategic planning links the present to
the future, and shows how you intend to move toward your vision. One
process of strategic planning is to first develop goals to help you achieve your
vision, then develop actions that will enable the organization to reach these
goals.

CONCLUSION

An organization must and can develop a strategic plan that includes specific
and measurable goals to implement a vision. A comprehensive plan will
recognize where the organization is today, and cover all the areas where
action is needed to move toward the vision. In addition to
beingspecific and measurable, actions should clearly state who is
responsible for their completion. Actions should have milestones tied to them
so progress toward the goals can be measured.

Implementing the vision does not stop with the formulation of a strategic plan -
the organization that stops at this point is not much better off than one that
stops when the vision is formulated. Real implementation of a vision is in the
execution of the strategic plan throughout the organization, in the continual
monitoring of progress toward the vision, and in the continual revision of the
strategic plan as changes in the organization or its environment
necessitate. The bottom line is that visioning is not a discrete event, but
rather an ongoing process.

Creating a Vision
When you begin the process of strategic planning, visioning comes first. When
visioning the change, ask yourself, "What is our preferred future?" and be sure to:

 Draw on the beliefs, mission, and environment of the organization.

  Describe what you want to see in the future.
 Be specific to each organization.
 Be positive and inspiring.
 Do not assume that the system will have the same framework as it does today.
 Be open to dramatic modifications to current organization, methodology,
teaching techniques, facilities, etc.

Key Components for Your Vision

Incorporate Your Beliefs

Your vision must be encompassed by your beliefs.

 Your beliefs must meet your organizational goals as well as community goals.
 Your beliefs are a statement of your values.
 Your beliefs are a public/visible declaration of your expected outcomes.
 Your beliefs must be precise and practical.
 Your beliefs will guide the actions of all involved.
 Your beliefs reflect the knowledge, philosophy, and actions of all.
 Your beliefs are a key component of strategic planning.

Create a Mission Statement

Once you have clarified your beliefs, build on them to define your mission statement
which is a statement of purpose and function.

 Your mission statement draws on your belief statements.

 Your mission statement must be future oriented and portray your organization
as it will be, as if it already exists.
 Your mission statement must focus on one common purpose.
 Your mission statement must be specific to the organization, not generic.
 Your mission statement must be a short statement, not more than one or two
sentences.

Here is an example mission statement: "By providing quality education, we empower

individuals to become caring, competent, responsible citizens who value education as
a lifelong process."

Benefits of Visioning
The process and outcomes of visioning may seem vague and superfluous. The long-
term benefits are substantial, however. Visioning:

 Breaks you out of boundary thinking.

 Provides continuity and avoids the stutter effect of planning fits and starts.
 Identifies direction and purpose.
 Alerts stakeholders to needed change.
 Promotes interest and commitment.
 Promotes laser-like focus.
 Encourages openness to unique and creative solutions.
 Encourages and builds confidence.
 Builds loyalty through involvement (ownership).
 Results in efficiency and productivity.

Vision Killers

As you engage in the visioning process, be alert to the following vision killers:

 Tradition
 Fear of ridicule
 Stereotypes of people, conditions, roles and governing councils
 Complacency of some stakeholders
 Fatigued leaders
 Short-term thinking
 "Naysayers"