Friday, December 04, 2009

Vision and Mission - Do I need it?

Fresh graduates from good management institutes have good understanding about concepts. I had one management trainee in my team. She was good in concept and was vocal about the issues. Once she met one senior person of the management team and asked him the question, “What is our vision and mission?” He replied, “I don’t know the vision and mission of the company, but I am working with this company for last 20 years, and we are making good profit. Company is running for last 75 years and doing well without so called vision and mission. So making profit can be our mission. Your concepts are just jargons. Do we need it?” The person de-motivated my girl by such unprofessional answer.

She came to me and briefed me about the incident, “How the company can run for 75 years without any concrete vision and mission statement?” She asked me, “The Company is running, but then what’s about the growth? We should know our destination and the way to destination” She asked.

This is a unique example. There are lot many people in Industries who do not work on vision and mission statement. They say that this is a new fashion came from the consultants. I am not a consultant and still believe on Vision and Mission statement. Especially a leader has to be very careful while discussing the growth of an organization. Vision is the art of seeing things invisible. It shows where we want to be. Every organization and thereby the people working in the organization has the right to know what is the destination of the organization and their career. By giving the vision to the people you motivate them to be more energized. People don’t dislike work; help them to understand mutual objectives and they will drive themselves to unbelievable excellence. You will do this by giving the vision. You show them the larger picture.

Our parents expected from us to be a successful person by being doctor, engineer, or manager. Our expectations from our kids are same. They have shown us the vision. We show the vision to our kids. The same is applicable in the organization. Mission is the purpose. It is what you will be in the competition. If you clearly communicate the vision i.e. “destination” and mission i.e. “being what you will achieve the vision.”

Both are derived from values. In personal life we have values. Values shape and give significance to our lives. They are reflected in the priorities that we choose, the decisions we make and the actions we take. Values describe what the organization is about and give meaning to stake holders.

Just imagine this all in your personal life. You have your vision of becoming Vice President by 2012. You have your mission statement in place. And you have your values in place. Here you know you have to be Vice-President by 2010. Vision is log term goal and you will decide your short term goals. The same thing is applicable in the organizations. People who decided this all are successful.

One senior person in management team once told me, “Vinod, I never planned my career, still I am on this position.” I replied, “If you had planned your career, you would have different person.” He did not like my statement. But life is not simple. You can not be lucky always. If you are an employee, ask management what is their vision and mission. Asked them what are the values they would like to place before employees. Ask them, what they expect from the employees.

If you would like to make change in your life, make & work on your vision and mission. Work on your values for that. ‘Success is yours'’.

11 comments:

प्रमोद said...

Vinod !

I 100 % agree what u hv shared . Ppl don't think that they hv required such type of concpets for personal devp as well as orgz devl.
eventhough there is also a confusion in many ppl abt what is diff betn Vision & Mission ? is it a same side of the coins ?
Lets add few more stuff on this TOPIC.

congrets for chosen the sp topic.

Raje..........

प्रमोद said...

Vinod !

I 100 % agree what u hv shared . Ppl don't think that they hv required such type of concpets for personal devp as well as orgz devl.
eventhough there is also a confusion in many ppl abt what is diff betn Vision & Mission ? is it a same side of the coins ?
Lets add few more stuff on this TOPIC.

congrets for chosen the sp topic.

Raje..........

Shirish said...

hello sir,

I totally agree with your write up,one has to know the vision & mission to get clear idea about where he is leading to...

agar manzil hi nahi pata to rasta kaise milega....

well years back with ref to your senior mentioned it was not that competitive world as compared to the condition now,today we have to face very versatile and specific roles to play,where one has to be aware of the persons or company's vision ,mission and goal.

today we need to plan our career and work on it accordingly.you just cannot rely on your luck to carry you nowhere at the end of the
tenure.

(remember those hourly discussions on vision....mission........goal.)

Raj Gawade said...

Very true I agree with you. Indeed without deciding ones destination how someone can say i acheived my destination. Mission is the destination and vision is blue print based on values.

I strongly believe that if one decides his mission and vision well in advance he is sure about both and it will work within stipulated parameters and time.

Good topic.

Raj Gawade

Anonymous said...

Very true I agree with you. Indeed without deciding ones destination how someone can say he acheived his destination. Mission is the destination and vision is blue print based on values.

I strongly believe that if one decides his mission and vision well in advance he is sure about both and it will work within stipulated parameters and time.

Good topic.

Raj Gawade

sanjayrakecha said...

Dear Vinodji

How can vision is completed without mission. If you have vision than you must have mission. so this thing is applicable to every one. My one friend in tourisum sector & he have that vision . when he start the business he had only 1 bus due to vision & mission today he having 40+buses. His next vision is own helicopter & his mission is going on......

Sanjay.

Sundeep said...

Hey Vinod !

This article was published in the HR Newsletter and discussed during the recent HR Forum too.

Anyway, it is having its impact on the followers now. Great going !!

Unknown said...

well job done.

Anonymous said...

good job done

Unknown said...

Dear Sir, Excellent Article..V. Nice..please do keep the same knowledge sharing always going...

Regards,
Anuj

Vrushali said...

Dear Sir,
Very deep analysis of the Vision & Mission you have stated here. It was nice to read on intellectual level too. What I feel, Mission & vision are fundamental to strategic planning and good management.
I do agree with you on your comments !!!

You may also like these.. please read