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Vision, Mission, Goals
In
the personal and professional sense, a vision is a view for the
future. Of course, that
is what the prophets provided us in the bible- but, in today’s day
and age, none of us are prophets, and no one (who does not want to
be committed) will certify that Hashem/The Lord/G-d has provided
them such information.
Preparing a vision is not something done
overnight- nor will it always be static.
But, it must be a clear picture of where one wants to be
(personally, professionally, in business) in the medium term future
(three to seven years hence).
If it is your personal vision, then it is easy to follow
through. If your vision
involves others, then you must be able to communicate this vision to
insure others buying into and adopting this vision, as well.
Your vision should inspire- yourself and/or
others to provide the absolute best.
Visions are never quantitative, but qualitative, in nature,
and are expressed in terms of values and mission [as opposed to
dollars and numbers].
So, that now begs the next question- values and
mission. Your mission
statement is basically a constitution- a document by which you
evaluate decisions and behaviors.
It not only describes what you (or your company) want to be
and what you want to do, but must focus on the principles upon which
you base your actions to achieve your “ to do’s”
or “to be’s” (see vision above).
Some people call this a credo- but whatever you call it-
you should have one- in writing- to examine at least weekly or
daily- and share with your staff.
If we are talking about your personal mission
statement, then you need to answer some questions…
1.
What provides me
the most happiness in my life?
2.
What are my
natural gifts, strengths, and abilities?
3.
What do I do to
contribute to my community, my family, my position?
4.
What activities
provide me the best return on my time?
Once you have answered these questions, you can
develop your mission statement.
If this is for your company, then the questions
are similar.
1.
What
are the assets and strengths of my company?
2.
What does my
company have to provide to its employees, its customers, and its
community?
3.
Which activities
provide the best return on investment in light of these?
The values are the guiding principles that govern
your life or your company.
These are subjective in nature; they can be classified as
moral, ideological, social, or aesthetic in nature.
One is considered to have integrity if one is true to ones
values; notice that an amoral person can indeed have integrity –
which may be why we sometimes idolize criminals in our society,
because their actions are integral with their values- even if we
detest their values (or are expected to do so).
Values are also related to the norms or standards of one’s
community.
Once these have been determined and codified,
then it is easy to set goals, because goal setting is clearly
related to achieving your mission, based upon the values you
stipulate, and afford you to reach your vision.
All of our companies and most of our client’s
companies have mission statements.
To be honest, we can’t share them with you.
But if you want an example, contact us. We are willing
to share our vision and mission statement with our clients.
(They are long, but do cover our mission and values.
)
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