THE POWER OF

VISION,
PURPOSE AND
MISSION
STATEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

Martin Luther Kings

I HAVE A DREAM

-Which talk bout rights, equality

and freedom.

PURPOSE OF A VISION
STATEMENT
(ACCORDING TO ANTHONY DSOUZA)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Pictures of the promised land to give the

journey a destination
Sounds a clarion call to rally the troops to
mission ahead
Lights the flame to inspire and excite them in
action
Providers visible evidence of the organizations
commitment and priorities
Stands as visible reminder to focus peoples
minds and efforts
Declares the standard by which the
organization would like to be judged

VISION

DIRECTS

AND FOCUSES US TOWARDS THE

FUTURE, BUT IT IS EXPERIENCED AND
ROOTED IN THE PRESENT (FUTURISTIC).

IT CREATES THE TENSION THAATT IS

AROUSED FROM COMPARING THE IMAGE OF
THE DESIRED FUTURE WITH THE PRESENT
STATEOF THINGS.

IT BECOMES THE FRAMEWORK FOR WHAT WE

WANT TO CREATE AND THUS GUIDES US IN
MAKING CHOICES AND COMMITMENTS.

SIMPLE. COMPREHENSIBLE AND MOTIVATING

JAMES M. KOUZES AND BARRY Z.

POSNER (1999)
There

is no freeway to the future. No paved

highway from here to tomorrow. There is only
wilderness. Only uncertain terrain. There are
no road-maps. No-signposts. So pioneering
leaders rely upon compass and dream.

ACCORDING TO R.K GREENLEAF (1997), A

POWERFUL VISION IS:
A

mental picture
An answer to the question, What do we
really want?
An image
A compass
A Vision statement must be:
1. Clear, simple and easy to communicate
2. Challenging and compelling

MOTIVATIONAL POWER OF
VISION STATEMENT

Warren Bennis (1993)

If there is a spark of genius in the leadership
function at all, it must lie in this transcending
ability, a kind of magic, to assemble-out of all the
variety of images, signals, forecasts and alternatives
a clearly articulated vision of the future that is at
once simple, easily understood, clearly desirable,
and energizing.

President F.W de Klerk of South Africa opened a

prison door and gave all south Africans hope.
Pope John Paul II gave captivating vision of
forgiveness.
Mother Teresa, through the simple power of love,
compassion and service.
Mahatma Gandhi of India, was the embodiment of
peace and non-violence. He taught the world the
meaning of civil disobedience, which he taught
Satyagraha.
Their practices were adopted by:
1. Lech Walesa, who changed the course of polish and
international history with the weapon of courage and
integrity.

2. Mikhail Gorbachev, who made

Perestroika(restructuring) and Glasnost(openness)
words that most non-Russian-speaking people now
understand.
3. Nelson Mandela, who was highly focused on the basic
issue of his demand for one person, one vote .
TWO CRITERIA FOR POWERFUL VISION
(R.K GREENLEAF)

1)
2)

The target or goal should be within sight, but just out

of reach
It should be brief and summarized, if possible, in one
line or sentence.

VISION EMPOWERS PEOPLE AND MAKES

THEM BELIEVE THEY CAN DO IT.

FOR GODS GREATER GLORY

WE WILL OVERCOME

LIBERTY! EQUALITY! FRATERNITY!

WORKERS OF THE WORLD. UNITE

I SHALL RETURN

DEVELOPING THE VISION

VISION AND THE ORGANIZATION

HISTORY

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Warren Bennis (1993). Spent several years interviewing

leaders, remarks that while leaders come in every size, shape,
and disposition, there at least one ingredient that every leader
shares: concerns with the guiding purpose and overarching
vision.

Effective CEO should effectively do the following:

Develop a compelling vision of the firms future

Translates the vision into a reality by concentrating on the
keys to success.
Remains deeply involved at the very heart of things, and
spurring the action necessary to carry out the vision.
Motivates employees to embrace the vision.
Constantly articulates the vision so that it permeates all
organizational levels and function, and taking the
organization where its never been before

IN FORMULATING A VISION STATEMENT

WARREN BENNIS SUGGEST THIS CRITERIA:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

A vision engages the heart and the spirit.

A vision taps into embedded concerns and needs
A vision asserts what you and colleagues want to
create
A vision is something worth going for.
A vision provides meaning to do work that you and
your colleagues do
A vision is, by definition, a little cloudy and grand-if it
were, it wouldnt be a vision
A vision is simple
A vision is living document that can always be
expanded

8.
9.
10.

A vision is a living document that can always be

expanded
A vision provides a starting place on which to build
more and more level of specificity
A vision is based in two deep human needs-quality
and dedication.

IMPORTANCE OF THE PURPOSE

AND MISSION STATEMENT
It helps everyone focus on why they exist as an
organization
It creates an energizing feeling that their work makes a
difference
It provides the foundation for the organizations policies,
methods, procedures and decisions.
It is the starting point for both strategic planning and
related operational planning

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER,

ACCORDING TO A.DSOUZA (1993)

1) Clarity of the mission

2) Uniqueness of the mission
3) Communication of the mission

CRITERIA OF AN EFFECTIVE MISSION STATEMENT

(ANTHONY D, SOUZA)

1)
2)
3)
4)

Brief
Concrete
Uplifting
Specific
Mission statement must clarify the focus
and direction of the organization. It should
be inspiring but much more concrete, more
practical, more in the here-and now that
the vision.

DEVELOPING THE MISSION

STATEMENT
Steps
1.
2.
3.

to determine a mission statement

Top management team
Middle management
Front liners

Communicating the mission

4.
5.
6.

Be obviously sincere
Contain emotion
Be mentioned frequently

SUPPLEMENTARY WAYS OF
COMMUNICATING/HIGHLIGHTING THE MISSION
OF THE ORGANIZATION
Publishing

it on your brochures and perhaps

your letterhead and your business card
Making it clearly visible at the entrance of your
building
Posting it on the bulletin board in conference
rooms and other areas
Placing it as the lead page for strategic planning
documents and operational planning documents
Encouraging division or department heads to
develop their own mission statement that
support the overall mission of the organization

 Reviewing

the mission periodically and

updating it when necessary.

SETTING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

GOALS broad long term strategic plains of
what you want too accomplish.
Must be realistic and challenging.
Objectives more technical and spell out
specific time-bound activities that must be
undertaken and met in order to achieve
your goals.

Corporate strategic plan with

measurable goals and objectives for
the entire organization specific
action plans for each unit and each
individual where applicable must be
developed.

In why employees dont do what they're supposed to

do. (Ferdinand F. Fournies)
as amazing as this may sound. The most common reason
managers give as to why people at work dont do what they
are supposed to do is,-they dont know what they are
supposed to do

Teamwork: what can go wrong , what must go right

(Carl Larson and Frank Lafasto)

Charity implies that there is a specific performance

objective, phrased in such concrete language that if is
possible to tell, unequivocally whether or not that
performance objective has been attained

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE

MISSION AND GOALS/OBJECTIVE.
Mission

FIN