If every effective strategy starts with a compelling vision, why do so few schools and colleges spend time creating one? Where is their vision? Interestingly enough, in all of our work with independent schools and colleges, fewer than 20% of them possess a vision statement when we initially work with them. Sure, all of them have a mission statement but very few actually possess a vision statement. What's the difference?
There is an enormous difference between a mission and a vision. Try these definitions on for size.
Mission Statement = What you do or the reason for your organizational existence. Mission is about your organization and the past and present.
Vision Statement = Why you do it or the successful completion of your mission rendered in terms of contributions to society. Vision is always about something larger than the organization itself and it is future looking.
From my experience, very few organizations actually change their mission over time. Sure, they might change the current language describing their purpose, editing the actual statement, but they really don't alter their general purpose or reason for existence. But, since a mission is actually a "rear-view window" sort of glance, does it really help move an institution forward? Not really. It actually helps most organizations stay grounded in the past. And, that can be a real problem toward embracing change.
Most strategists would agree that vision is far more important than mission or core values to formulating strategy and empowering an organization to work together. Imagine if Martin Luther King, Jr. would not have have shared his vision for equality ("I have a dream") or if John F. Kennedy, Jr. would not have shared his vision for NASA ("by the end of the decade we will place a man on the moon")? It turns out that a compelling vision is about something bigger than us and, ultimately, what really drives people to work together and energizes a movement. Why is it, then, that independent schools and colleges fail to articulate a vision if they are so important? Probably because it is hard work and requires imagination and thinking beyond the organization.
But, here is another practical reason why a vision is so important. It informs communications. Want to know an easy way to spot an organization that does not possess a compelling vision? They focus on branding and messaging first. Vision really should inspire the way we articulate our school or college culture and programs. Rather than focus first on “messaging” or “branding”, we need to remember that it all starts with vision. All great communication programs start with an excellent vision. This is the best order in which to start a communication process:
Visioning is the most important aspect of any organizational exercise. It all starts with vision, and great visions are long-term, ambitious, and bigger than the organization.
Great positioning is the result of a strong vision. Positioning is finding that which is singular and differentiating about your organization. And, keep in mind that positioning is competitor-centric.
Strategic planning is the work of setting priorities and then creating a three or five year plan that helps operationalize the vision and positioning platform for the current short term chapter of an organization.
Marketing is the art of creating value for the client by turning that vision, position, and plan into a short-term strategic marketing focus. And, keep in mind that value is in the eyes of the beholder, so marketing is a client-centric process.
Branding is the cultural expression of organizational values.
dentity is the visual expression of those values.
Messaging is simply getting the talk points down.
The problem is that most organizations jump right in at #4 through #7 in this process, failing to get the larger picture in focus, rather than doing the important work of creating a vision. I believe that setting long-term vision is just as important in creating empowering communications as it is defining organizational objectives.
Vision is bigger than mission, because it is bigger than the organization and it answers the question of "why you do what you do", not just "what you do". It is the why that is so important in not just developing strategy, but in creating compelling communications.
Does your organization have a vision? And, how is it informing your communications program?