There’s been a trend for some years now for organisations to create their corporate vision and mission statements.  But are they so important?  Simply put, they aim to make organisations more attractive to their employees and customers!

First, let’s be clear what a vision statement is versus a mission statement.  A vision statement is future-based, describing a succinct and inspirational long-term picture of the organisation’s future.  It’s aspirational.

A mission statement, on the other-hand, is present-based, articulating why the organisation exists and how it’s going to achieve its vision.  It’s actionable.

To show the difference, here’s an example from The Hunger Project (an organisation near and dear to us at Beyond Performance):

Their vision: “A world where every woman, man and child leads a healthy, fulfilling life of self-reliance and dignity."

Their mission: “To end hunger and poverty by pioneering sustainable, grassroots, women-centered strategies and advocating for their widespread adoption in countries throughout the world.”

Many of us do wonder though why leaders spend so much time, money and effort on them.  But it is important: when it’s not done right, it’s just meaningless platitudes that sound hollow and unauthentic.  For example, Caterpillar’s vision statement is “Be the global leader in customer value.”  Vague, bland, too broad – unforgettable!

But when organisations do get it right, it can be extremely powerful.  It can stimulate us in such a way that we want to get on board with that organisation.  It helps customers to emotionally connect with that organisation and helps give employees direction and focus on what the organisation wants to achieve.   Don’t believe me?  Read some of these great examples of vision statements that demonstrate what I mean:

Facebook - “To give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.”

Microsoft - “To enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential.”

Oxfam – “A just world without poverty.”

Ikea – “To create a better everyday life for the many people.”

See?  They are all simple, but give immediate impact.  So if you’re looking to create your own vision statement, here are some pointers:

• Have a big idea that people can get excited about, yet feasible enough to achieve
• Keep it succinct, punchy and easy to understand
• It’s unique
• Has emotional appeal

Of course, it’s not that simple in creating a vision or mission statement that hits the mark, but there are techniques available that can help in crafting them.  But if you can get it right, it can be a powerful tool that lays part of your cultural foundation, which can attract people to work for you and customers to buy from you!