The great vision and mission debate

Vision statement

A vision statement is the big picture of what we want to achieve. It provides an organising mechanism for turning our visionary thoughts into an enduring commitment which drives our mission and strategy. It is an anticipatory statement of how we want the future to emerge. A vision statement is not a mission statement since a mission generally describes how the vision is to be achieved. A vision statement is about exploring what is possible in an abstract way. It often contains metaphors and imagery which demand interpretation and engagement from the reader. It is not a goal, but a way of doing.

A case in point is iconic German car manufacturer Porsche with a vision statement that reads: ‘the brand for those who follow their dreams’. The statement is not trapped by the car manufacturing industry since it can be utilised across industries and brands. It opens the future to any interpretation without a set goal to achieve. Following dreams is a universal metaphor for freedom, achievement and a lack of barriers which conjures up a vision of liberation from the unwanted present. We have found a way out.

Mission statement

The mission has the same meaning as the vision but rephrases it in more practical terms by defining overall objectives. Both create meaning, consistency and direction but the vision is future-focussed while the mission statement states an organisation or individual’s reason for being and how they aim to serve their stakeholders. A typical mission statement is therefore longer than a vision statement and may include guiding principles (or values). If well created and implemented, a mission statement could have an impact on behaviour, values, ethics, performance and stakeholder relationships.

An example is the interplay between the vision and mission statements of Swedish home furnishing manufacturer IKEA. Its vision statement simply reads: ‘to create a better everyday life for the many people’. As with Porsche, the statement has universal appeal across industries and brands. IKEA grounds its vision with a goal-defining mission statement: ‘to offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them’. In a nutshell IKEA wants to create a better life for their customers through the provision of functional and affordable products.

The formulation of vision and mission statements are not set in stone and are often combined to form single statements describing individual or organisational goals. However, of importance is for combined statements to contain vision and mission essentials which include to inspire a compelling vision of the future and broadly describe how it is to be achieved. The finer details of realising the mission fall beyond the scope of the mission statement and in the domain of strategy formulation.