The Difference Between Business Mission and Vision

I am frequently asked the question “What is the difference between business mission and vision?”

In a nutshell, a business Vision Statement describes WHERE you are going;

while the Mission Statement tells WHY.

The Vision Statement is about how you’ll know when you are THERE. As in “we are taking the business to new heights”. OK, where exactly are those new heights and what does that mean? Some business experts advocate that an effective Vision Statement answers the question: “What Business Are You In?” I would like to add that it should be exciting and inspiring. When you write a Vision Statement that works, you know it instantly. It sends a clear message to the universe of exactly what you would like to achieve, and you are able to look at it and think “now that’s a worthy challenge, yes, I/we want to do that.”

In my first business, I didn’t have a plan or write out a vision, I just wanted to set up a successful practice and I couldn’t understand why I seemed to be locked into one operating level. This time I vowed it would be different. So I sat down and thought through how I wanted to live, how big the business would have to be to support that, and as I planned and visualized, I realized that this was big, a whole new level, and that there were many reasons that went far, far beyond self interest why I should do it. When I’m feeling lethargic or low for some reason, thinking about my vision helps me refocus my energies and get back into motion. If your Vision Statement is very wordy, or has become part of the furniture, it’s time to re-energize it. My Mastermind workshops operate on the principle that the Vision and the rest of the plan need to be worked and re-worked regularly, and that doing this in community with others is exceptionally powerful.

One note to the world weary: if you get discouraged thinking about your vision because there’s so much to do and so little time to do it in, you may need some help getting organized. I have learned a great deal from David Allen and his “Getting Things Done” approach. The upshot is that if you don’t have your daily life and systems organized it’s really difficult to reach for teh stars.

While this article would be too long if I included the exercises and questions to help guide you towards articulating a Vision Statement, one tip I would like to include is the use of Vision Boards or some kind of visual representation. Include your team while you are creating this graphic. You might try employing the services of a graphic recorder/facilitator. When a vision is shared by many people and they are all holding clear images of their roles and perhaps how things might be different, real magic starts to happen. Representing your vision graphically helps most people create the kind of emotional state which moves them towards their goal.

The Mission Statement communicates to your stakeholders (employees, partners, shareholders, customers, raving fans . . .) WHY you are going THERE. It helps people who may (or may not) wish to join you in achieving your Vision, decide if their values are in alignment. When a potential partner of mine read my Mission statement and realized I was all about helping self employed professionals set up their own small business profitably and in alignment with their core self, she realized she wasn’t interested in joining the business; it just wasn’t close enough to her personal sense of purpose which was more around corporate culture change. It was disappointing, but much better to know before we made any contractual arrangements.

Most of us address the question “What is my purpose?” at some time in our lives. Aligning your company with your personal sense of purpose and communicating that alignment, respects everyone’s sense of purpose. A well written Mission Statement is something that speaks to people, customers included, of who you really are, and can provide a sense of meaning for you and others if the going gets rough.

Sitting down to write a Mission Statement, or communicating one out loud for the first time, can be anxiety producing for people. Many people think that if they right something down they will be bound forever. The truth is that most people’s sense of personal mission is dynamic. Soul contracts can be completed, lessons learned, or priorities shifted within ourselves. In our society (even in California) it is still a bit unconventional to say these things out loud. My business training using NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) workshops help people access information they may be holding at an “other than conscious” level, while the support and witnessing of the group makes it possible to create a meaningful business Mission Statement. The best tip I can give small business owners and creative entrepreneurs for creating a useful Mission Statement is to work with some sort of group or facilitator.