Why Vision and Mission Statements Matter

Many organizations have vision and mission statements that sound admirable but fail to do their particular jobs.

A vision statement should not include activities or explain why the aspiration matters. It is not an elevator speech. It names a desired future condition: what will be different if the work succeeds, even when that future seems astonishing from where we stand today.

A mission statement is not promotional language or a sales pitch. It explains what the organization actually does to move its vision forward: the work it undertakes, who it serves, and the value it is trying to create.

For example, in Microsoft’s early years, the vision statement might have been: A personal computer in every home. The mission statement would have been: To create software that brings the power of computing within reach of ordinary users.

In 1975, “a personal computer in every home” would have been an astonishing vision statement. Many people associated computing with institutional mainframes housed in specialized rooms with raised floors. But the mission statement explains the work — creating software — that could help make the future condition possible.

Strong vision and mission statements help leaders make decisions, explain priorities, evaluate progress, and communicate with people whose support matters. Mid-year is a useful time to ask whether your statements are still guiding real decisions — or simply sitting on the website.