Chapter 2

The Business vision & Mission.

What is Vision

Vision can be defined as a short term plans or goals which person or an

organizations has to accomplish .Or we can say Vision is nothing but, the big
picture about a company,Institute,project and why to leave an individual with his
dreams…..the vision is nothing but the DREAM that helps one to see the future
prospects. Most of the organisation fails if they do not have a shared Vision. The
people fail to be successful if they do not set a Vision for their lives. The BIG
PICTURE helps you through the process to move to towards a particular
direction and achieve what is been predecided.

Example of vision General motors vision is to be the world leader in

transportation products & related services.

Mission

A clear mission statement is essential for effectively establishing objectives and

formulating strategies. Sometimes mission called a creed statement ,a statement
of purpose, a statement of beliefs, a statement of philosophy, a statement of
business principles or a statement “defining our business”-a mission statement
reveals what an organization wants to be and whom it wants to serve.
The idea of mission today encompasses various activities, which fall into different
categories as like as:
▬The traditional view is of missionaries, Clerics, Religious and sometimes even
Lay persons who are dedicated to spreading the Gospel by word and deed,
either for life or for a fixed period of time, either at home or abroad. Missionary
endeavors are their sole purpose in life during this period and their home
communities generally support them.
▬Another view of mission is The People of God bringing material aid such as
food or medicine to those in dire need, offering their time and resources in the .
Another view of mission is The People of God bringing material aid such as food
or medicine to those in dire need, offering their time and resources in the
corporal works of mercy.
Vision versus Mission

Many organization develop both a vision & mission statement .some of vision &
mission category discuss as below :

 Vision provides for developing a comprehensive mission statement.

 Mission statement provides essential for effectively establishing
objectives and formulating strategies.
 Vision statement answers “what do we want to become?”
 Mission statement answer “what is our business? “Or “what is our
mission?”
 Vision statement should be short & preferable one sentence.
It should be a statement of purpose, beliefs & etc

Difference between vision and mission

As simply as I can say it, your mission is what you do best every day, and your
vision is what the future looks like because you do that mission so exceedingly
well. In fact, I like to compare them to another old debate: management versus
leadership.

For MISSION —– think: managing with greatness and untamed strength,

improving everything daily.

For VISION —– think: leading with inspiration and courage, obsessed with future
possibility, in a love affair with change.

MISSION will feed into the confidence of your organization by feeding this ever-
present self-talk: “We can do this, and we are the ones ordained to do this, for
we are the best at it.” Mission will churn out revolutionary ideas about the
mundane, banishing mediocrity.

VISION creates that momentum of growing anticipation about the future, where
change is embraced as a step closer to that very compelling picture of what’s
coming next. The excitement about the future trumps any apprehension about
the uncertain — change is recognized as the catalytic converter it is.
The process of developing Vision & Mission statement

Mission statement are needed before alternative strategies can be formulated

and implemented. It is important to involve as many managers as possible in the
process of developing this statement. So the presses regard to

Developing a Vision Statement

1. The vision statement includes vivid description of the organization as it

effectively carries out its operations.
2. Developing a vision statement can be quick culture-specific, i.e., participants
may use methods ranging from highly analytical and rational to highly creative
and divergent, e.g., focused discussions, divergent experiences around
daydreams, sharing stories, etc. Therefore, visit with the participants how they
might like to arrive at description of their organizational vision.
3. Developing the vision can be the most enjoyable part of planning, but the part
where time easily gets away from you.
4. Note that originally, the vision was a compelling description of the state and
function of the organization once it had implemented the strategic plan, i.e., a
very attractive image toward which the organization was attracted and guided by
the strategic plan. Recently, the vision has become more of a motivational tool,
too often including highly idealistic phrasing and activities which the organization
cannot realistically aspire

Developing a Mission Statement

1. Basically, the mission statement describes the overall purpose of the

organization.
2. If the organization elects to develop a vision statement before developing the
mission statement, ask “Why does the image, the vision exist -- what is it’s
purpose?” This purpose is often the same as the mission.
3. Developing a mission statement can be quick culture-specific, i.e., participants
may use methods ranging from highly analytical and rational to highly creative
and divergent, e.g., focused discussions, divergent experiences around
daydreams, sharing stories, etc. Therefore, visit with the participants how they
might like to arrive at description of their organizational mission.
4. When wording the mission statement, consider the organization's products,
services, markets, values, and concern for public image, and maybe priorities of
activities for survival.
5. Consider any changes that may be needed in wording of the mission
statement because of any new suggested strategies during a recent strategic
planning process.
6. Ensure that wording of the mission is to the extent that management and
employees can infer some order of priorities in how products and services are
delivered.
7. When refining the mission, a useful exercise is to add or delete a word from
the mission to realize the change in scope of the mission statement and assess
how concise is its wording.
8. Does the mission statement include sufficient description that the statement
clearly separates the mission of the organization from other organizations?

Importance or benefits of Vision & Mission statement

Seeing the benefits of vision & mission can be a powerful motivation for
individuals to reprioritize their activities and resources. A vision is beneficial for
some of the following reasons:

• It empowers people and focuses their efforts

• It focuses energy for greater effectiveness
• It raises the standard of excellence
• It establishes meaning for today
• It gives hope for the future
• It brings unity to community
• It provides a sense of continuity
• It raises commitment level
• It brings positive change

Characteristics of a Mission Statement

A Mission Statement has the following characteristics:

1. It defines who am I.

My Mission Statement reflects your own personality, and should be uniquely

identifiable with you. My mission is not what you do, it is who am I. If anyone of
my peers can say the same statement in the same way as mien, then I need to
inject more of me in it. Stay away from the generic ("I help people lead better
lives"). My personality can be projected in how you phrase own statement, in the
words are use, my tone of voice, etc.

2. It is independent of time, space, people, form or situation.

My Mission Statement describes the gift you bring to the world. My Mission
Statement is not a job or role description. The real test of my mission is if I can
fulfill it alone on a desert island, on a crowded bus, at a party, at work, with your
spouse, i.e. fulfilling it is independent of location, time or situation. Think of Tom
Hanks in the movie "Castaway". If you were in his situation, how could I live my
mission and feel success?

3. It is short and simple.

I can state my Mission Statement from memory, without looking it up, even when
you are under stress. A mission statement should be no more than about ten
words in length, and simple enough so that a child can understand and say it.

4. It anchors the central principles in my life.

The focus of the Mission Statement expresses the central theme of my life in a
positive way, that which I would defend to be true at almost any cost. It also
describes how people are touched or influenced by your presence.

5. It is action oriented.

My Mission Statement is built around action verbs that describe your passions. A
successful Mission Statement inspires you to act.

6. Hearing it makes people go "WOW"!

Mission Statement should cause people to be inspired and engaged when you
say it. Your listener should also be able to connect what you say with who you
are, clearly and immediately. The ultimate success of a Mission Statement is how
well it creates "word of mouth". The best response is when your listener says
"Tell me more!"

7. It is simple to live, yet is a life-long journey that is never finished.

My Mission Statement does not have to be grand or difficult. Living it every

moment of every day, in all that you do, should be easy and simple, yet powerful
and impactful. My mission describes your journey, so it can never be
"completed". If it can be completed, then it is more of a "vision" or "task".

8. It projects confidence and gives you energy.

The Mission Statement should roll off your tongue easily, without tripping. I must
be able to project it in such a way that when you say it, you feel empowered,
clear and successful.
COMPONENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE MISSION STATEMENT
Mission statements can and do vary in length, content, format and specificity.
Most practitioners and academicians of strategic management consider an
effectively written mission statement to exhibit nine characteristics or mission
statement components. Since a mission statement is often the most visible and
public part of the strategic management process, it is important that it include
most, if not all, of these essential components. Components and corresponding
questions that a mission statement should answer are given here.

1. Customers: Who are the enterprise's customers?

2. Products or services: What are the firm's major products or services?
3. Markets: Where does the firm compete?
4. Technology: What is the firm's basic technology?
5. Concern for survival, growth, and profitability: What is the firm's commitment
towards economic objectives?
6. Philosophy: What are the basic beliefs, core values, aspirations and
philosophical priorities of the firm?
7. Self-concept: What are the firm's major strengths and competitive
advantages?
8. Concern for public image: What is the firm's public image?
9. Concern for employees: What is the firm's attitude/orientation towards
employees?

A mission statement is a company's articulation to its customers, employees and

the entire world of the purpose of its existence. Obviously, businesses exist to
make money, maximize profits and shareholder value, but the mission statement
is more about the front line than the bottom line.
Mission statements generally include a statement of purpose, a business
statement, and an indication of the company's values. The statement of purpose
explicitly states the purpose of the company.
An ideal mission statement should be inspiring to employees. The statement
brings a certain focus to the staff as the purpose of their work crystallizes and
they are able to see the value of their contribution. Few things in life are as
fulfilling as the knowledge that you are contributing something greater than
yourself. The mission statement should allow each employee to see their own
personal role in the firm's success.
Customers will be reassured when they are exposed to the statement as they will
be able to see that the company is committed to their purpose. Customers can
also sometimes form a connection with the firm if the values outlined are ones
they share. People like to work with others that they like and agree with, it's a
natural human instinct.

A mission statement is best written in collaboration. The decision makers in the

company should sit down and talk about their thoughts and how they want to
represent the company to the public. Ideas should be bandied about, considered
and then voted on. Once they thoroughly discuss, write and re-write the
statement, they should make sure that it's something that employees can buy
into and customers can appreciate

Writing A Mission statement

When creating a mission statement there are a few simple guidelines that can be
followed. It is important to remember the basics so the mission statement stays
simple and straight to the point. Some researchers agree that it should be kept to
between 30 and 60 words, while others believe it does not necessarily have to be
that brief. Some organizations have mission statements that are only one
sentence, while others are a paragraph. An example of a mission statement that
is limited to one sentence is "Our business is selling houses and our mission is
total customer satisfaction." At a minimum, each mission statement should
answer the following three questions: (1) What are the opportunities or needs the
organization addresses? (2) What does the organization do to address those
needs? and (3) What principles and values guide the organization? In other
words, defining the organization's purpose, business and values.

Avoiding jargon and buzzwords will keep the mission statement clear and easy to
understand. It should be universal and simple to comprehend for all employees in
the organization. It should be unique and identify the organization. A mission
statement is often what sets one company apart from the competition. It should
outline the organization's competitive advantages and differentiate it from
everyone else. Specific products/services offered as well as markets or
customers should be included. Also a general business definition, behavioral
standards, and desired competitive position can be added to a strong mission
statement.

When creating a mission statement there are a few simple guidelines that can be
followed. It is important to remember the basics so the mission statement stays
simple and straight to the point. Some researchers agree that it should be kept to
between 30 and 60 words, while others believe it does not necessarily have to be
that brief. Some organizations have mission statements that are only one
sentence, while others are a paragraph. An example of a mission statement that
is limited to one sentence is "Our business is selling houses and our mission is
total customer satisfaction." At a minimum, each mission statement should
answer the following three questions: (1) What are the opportunities or needs the
organization addresses? (2) What does the organization do to address those
needs? and (3) What principles and values guide the organization? In other
words, defining the organization's purpose, business and values.
Avoiding jargon and buzzwords will keep the mission statement clear and easy to
understand. It should be universal and simple to comprehend for all employees in
the organization. It should be unique and identify the organization. A mission
statement is often what sets one company apart from the competition. It should
outline the organization's competitive advantages and differentiate it from
everyone else. Specific products/services offered as well as markets or
customers should be included. Also a general business definition, behavioral
standards, and desired competitive position can be added to a strong mission
statement.

Conclusion
Every organization has a unique purpose and reason for being. This uniqueness
should be reflected in vision & mission statements. The nature of business vision
& mission can represent either a competitive advantage or disadvantage for the
the firm. Well designed vision & mission statements are essential for formulating,
implementing, evaluating and analyzing strategy.