Read the Mission, Vision, and Value Statements . Required: Write two (2) Forum posts

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A vision statement is a declaration of an organization's objectives, intended to guide its internal  decision-making .

A vision statement is not limited to business organizations and may also be used by non-profit or governmental entities.

Definition and structure

A vision statement is a company's road map, indicating what the company wants to become by setting a defined direction for the company's growth.

Vision statements undergo minimal revisions during the life of a business, unlike operational goals which may be updated from year-to-year.

Vision statements can range in length from short sentences to multiple pages.

Vision statements are also:

· formally written;

· referenced in company documents.

The vision is first of all important for:

· the company itself;

· its internal decision-making;

· …..and then for customers.

Commonly cited traits include:

· concise: able to be easily remembered and repeated

· clear: defines a prime goal

· Time horizon: defines a time horizon

· future-oriented: describes where the company is going rather than the current state

· stable: offers a long-term perspective and is unlikely to be impacted by market or technology changes

· challenging: not something that can be easily met and discarded

· abstract: general enough to encompass all of the organization's interests and strategic direction

· inspiring: motivates employees and is something that employees view as desirable

Purpose

Vision statements fill the following functions for a company:

· Serve as foundations for a broader strategic plan

· Motivate existing employees and attract potential employees by clearly categorizing the company's goals and attracting like-minded individuals

· Focus company efforts and facilitate the creation of core competencies

Core competencies fulfill three criteria:

· Provides potential access to a wide variety of markets;

· Should make a significant contribution to the perceived customer benefits of the end product;

· Difficult to imitate by competitors.

by directing the company to only focus on strategic opportunities that advance the company's vision.

· Help companies differentiate from competitors. For example, profit is a common business goal, and vision statements typically describe how a company will become profitable rather than list profit directly as the long-term vision.

Relevance

While a consensus does not exist on the value of mission and vision statements, literature supporting the relevance of these documents to companies outweighs those opposed to them.

This may be due to, among other reasons, the positive value of the tools in communicating to internal and external stakeholders or retrospective attempts to legitimize the use of these tools.

Challenges

Creating and implementing vision statements presents challenges to organizations.

They can be challenging to write because:

· they must balance being forward-looking;

· describe an ideal state without becoming so idealistic that the vision is unattainable.

Vision statements can be an employee dissatisfier when

· staff feel the company's vision is filled with business jargon unrelated to the company's services;

· when the vision does not match day-to-day company policy

…..for example, a vision statement that includes problem solving while managers are rewarded for fixing problems quickly rather than resolving systemic issues.

A vision statement may need to be paired with company initiatives to communicate and reinforce the vision, ensure processes align with the vision, and empower and incentivize employees to take actions that support the company vision.

Examples:

Make-A-Wish: That people everywhere will share the power of a wish.

Habitat for Humanity: A world where everyone has a decent place to live.

San Diego Zoo: To become a world leader at connecting people to wildlife and conservation.

NPR, with its network of independent member stations, is America’s pre-eminent news institution.

Ducks Unlimited is wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.

Oceana seeks to make our oceans as rich, healthy and abundant as they once were.

In Touch Ministries: proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people in every country of the world.

Cleveland Clinic: Striving to be the world’s leader in patient experience, clinical outcomes, research and education.

Save the Children: A world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development, and participation.

Teach for America: One day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.

Smithsonian: Shaping the future by preserving our heritage, discovering new knowledge, and sharing our resources with the world.

ASPCA: That the United States is a humane community in which all animals are treated with respect and kindness.

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.