Brand Hacking Blog Series: Mission Possible

Welcome back to the Brand Hacking Blog Series! This marks the 2nd blog in our series as we educate our students via the Brand Hacking Project. The project itself is built around 5 modules, not including a welcome and final assignment. Each month, we’ll blog about the major topics covered in the course. For now, we’ll discuss creating and incorporating a mission and vision statement into your business.

The Necessity Of A Mission Statement

Yes, your mission statement is very important. For many companies, a mission statement appears as a simple wall plaque in the main lobby. We personally believe it’s critical for every company, even small businesses and solopreneurs, to have a clear, written mission statement. Like a GPS system, it sets up the company’s direction and guides them along their path. Mission statements are designed to remind the staff why they’re in business in the first place. The mission tells them what they’re doing today that will take them to where they want to be in the future.

The Right Vision Encompasses You And Your Staff

What’s your vision for your business? An inspiring vision statement is a rich description of a desired outcome that motivates and empowers. The vision is a clear mental picture of what the organization should look like in the future. Where will you be in a couple of years? 

Vision should give meaning and paint a picture that anyone would want to help create. It should urge you and all the people touched by your organization to reach for their full potential. Be sure to write yours in clear, concise and plain language everyone can understand.

Your vision statement should showcase your best possible outcome. It should scare you—at least slightly. The quality of your vision determines the creativity, quality and originality of the ideas. The vision also determines solutions you and your teams can generate. Big visions generate big and powerful ideas. Therefore, make your goals and objectives pragmatic. As it stands, your vision needs to remain idealistic.

Key Differences

Vision statements are often mistaken with mission statements, but they are different. A mission statement is a direction—something not likely to ever be fully actualized. It rarely changes, if ever, while the vision continually evolves.

A vision statement is not a strategic plan like a mission. It doesn’t describe the “how” to get where you’re going. After your company’s mission statement, your vision is the next step in the strategic planning process. Your goals, projects, policies, procedures and action steps should all be aligned with your mission and your vision. They both guide the management and shape the context of your organization. Your vision statement is still meant for you as the leader. The people in your organization and the people your organization serves are also positively affected by it.

If you’re interested in reserving a seat in our Brand Hacking Project class, click the RESERVE link below!