Mark G.
I will resist the temptation to regale you with my view and simply suggest
the article in HBR M-J '92, pg 52, Vision. It is a reflection by someone
who had experienced good vision followed by bad vision and was looking
forward to the effects of an improved vision. At the risk of deflecting
you from reading the whole article excerpts are:
======================================================
Vision at Mentor Graphics started out "Build things people will
buy." It clearly identified what RESULTS were wanted. It worked.
As MG grew and the industry developed the vision statement was
changed to "beat [competitor X]." This really focused everyone's energy
and MG beat [X]. But it also lead to tunnel vision. After MG beat [X},
there was nothing to do.
The vision was changed to "be the best." While challenging, it
focused on what MG is to be rather than what MG is to do (for our
customers). It did not provide enough meaning. Combined with the growth
pains it was an inadequate integrator.
MG has adopted the original vision -- "Build things that people
will buy." It is too early to confirm, but it seems to be working, again.
Lesson Learned:
There are explicit rules and tacit rules. Learning tacit rules is a
process of socialization. Also, it involves internalization of learned
explicit rules. Tacit rules lead to new explicit rules by metaphor,
analogy, or models. This is helped by common cognitive ground and by
competing (burnishing) teams who try to articulate the explicit rules.
Visions should be open ended -- permitting a variety of interpretations.
An effective vision statement answers, in the fewest possible words:
What are we trying to learn?
What do we need to know?
Where should we be going
Who are we?
======================================================
Conversely, mission statements are specific, crisp statements of your
reason for being and are best expressed from the beneficiary viewpoint.
On 1/18/00, Mark A Goodwin wrote:
>Hello all,
>
>Can anyone provide any advice on writing a Mission Statement. I am
>currently working on a project that requires me to advise on the writing
>of; unfortunately I need someone to advise me!
>
>Many thanks in advance
>Mark G
Jack Ring
Innovation Management
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