Explain the vision and mission, give an example (from organization development strategies perspective)

 

Vision

A vision is a picture of what your organization's future makeup will be and where you are headed. Vision provides a clear mental picture of what your organization will look like in 5 to 10 years from now. Forming a strategic vision should provide long-term direction, delineate the organizational activities to be pursued and the capabilities the organization plans to develop, and infuse the organization with a sense of purposeful action.

It serves as a unifying focal point for everyone in the organization like a North Star. It delineates the future focus and where the organization is going.

Examples of Vision Statement

• A computer on every desk and in every home using great software as an empowering tool. (Microsoft)
• To be the world's best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile. (McDonald's)

Mission Statement

A mission statement is a declaration of your organization's purpose and spotlights the business you are presently in and the customer/constituent needs you are presently endeavoring to meet. To build a solid foundation for a successful organization, it is essential to have a written, clear, concise and consistent mission statement that simply explains who you are and why you exist.

Mission statement should serve as a guide for day-to-day operations and as the foundation for future decision-making.

Few guidelines to keep in mind when writing or evaluating mission statement from organization development strategies perspective point of view-

• Focuses on satisfying customer/constituent needs:- A mission statement should focus the organization on satisfying customer/constituent needs rather than on a program or service. It tells "who" your customer/constituents are, "what" needs your organization wishes to satisfy and "how" these needs are satisfied.
• Motivates and inspires stakeholder commitment: Mission statement should be motivating. Stakeholders need to feel that their work is significant and that it contributes to people's lives.
• Clear and easily understood: Develop and write Mission statement on a "party level" (i.e. simple and clearly) so that you can quickly and briefly tell people you meet at a party or on airplanes why your organization exists.
• Based on your core competencies: Organization should base its mission on a competitively superior internal strength, unique capability or resource that the organization performs well in comparison to similar organizations.

Examples of Mission statement

• International Red Cross: To provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.
• Google: To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.
• Starbucks: To inspire and nurture the human spirit — one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.