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Mission/Vision Workshop
Definitions and Examples

Mission Statement

Mission Overview

What is a Mission Statement?

An organizations mission statement is typically focused on its present
business scope "who we are and what we do.
In other words, it succinctly states why the organization has been
created, and defines the organizations reason for being its purpose
for existence.

Mission Overview

A Mission Statement answers three key questions:

1.

What are the opportunities or needs that we exist to address?

(the purpose of the organization)

2.

What are we doing to address these needs?

(the business of the organization)

3.

What principles or beliefs guide our work?

(the values of the organization)

Mission Overview

A mission statement is not

A tagline
A positioning statement
A company overview
The first paragraph in your brochure
Your environmental policy or statement

Mission examples

Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America

The mission of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America is to make a positive
difference in the lives of children and youth, primarily through a
professionally-supported, one-to-one relationship with a caring adult, and
to assist them in achieving their highest potential as they grow to become
confident, competent, and caring individuals, by providing committed
volunteers, national leadership and standards of excellence.
The purpose: To make a positive difference in the lives of children and youth so that they'll achieve their
highest potential
The business: Providing and supporting committed volunteers who have one-to-one relationships with
children and youth
The values: Individuals who are confident, competent, and caring; leadership and standards of excellence

Mission examples

101st Airborne

Death from above.

The purpose (reason we exist): Killing people

The business: Flying to kill people
The values: Determination, resolute, no compromise

Mission examples

Southwest Airlines
The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of
Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness,
individual pride, and Company Spirit.
The purpose: The highest quality of customer service
The business: (Implied) Air travel
The values: Warmth, Friendliness, Pride, Spirit

Mission examples

Harley-Davidson
We fulfill dreams through the experience of motorcycling, by providing to
motorcyclists and to the general public an expanding line of motorcycles
and branded products and services in selected market segments.
The purpose: Fulfilling dreams
The business: Motorcycles and branded products and services
The values: Unstated

Mission examples

Apple Computer Original

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the
Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the
Macintosh. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing
experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers
around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet
offerings.
The purpose: To bring the best personal computing experience to students, educators and
creative professionals
The business: Innovative hardware, software and internet offerings
The values: (Implied) inventive, innovative, embracing risk, energetic

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Mission examples

Apple Computer New

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the
Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the
Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with
its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and
professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media
revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes
online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its
revolutionary iPhone.

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Mission examples

Corporate Design Foundation

Corporate Design Foundation, a non-profit education and research
organization, was founded on the belief that design can make a major
contribution both to an individual's quality of life and to a corporation's
success, and that both individual and organizational interests can be
served through the effective use of the design disciplines: product design,
architecture and communication design. Accordingly, our mission is to
improve the quality of life and the effectiveness of organizations through
design.
The purpose: To improve the quality of life and the effectiveness of organizations through
design
The business: A non-profit education and research organization
The values: (Implicit) Supporting, serving

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Mission examples

SC Johnson
In 1976, we formally stated our guiding philosophy in "This We Believe" our
statement of expectations for operations around the world. But its more than
simply a written document. This We Believe is part of the DNA of the people of SC
Johnson. It is the essence of who we are and how we operate.
In it, we express our beliefs in relation to five groups of people to whom we are
responsible and whose trust we must continue to earn:
Employees: We believe our fundamental strength lies in our people.
Consumers: We believe in earning the enduring goodwill of the people who use and sell our products and
services.
General Public: We believe in being a responsible leader in the free market economy.
Neighbors and Hosts: We believe in contributing to the well-being of the countries and communities where
we conduct business.
World Community: We believe in improving international understanding.

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Mission examples

Waste Management
The Companys primary objective is to maximize stockholder value, while
adhering to the laws of the jurisdictions within which it operates and
observing the highest ethical standards.
The purpose: Maximize stockholder value
The business: Unclear
The values: Ethically responsible, law abiding

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Mission examples

Interface
"Interface will become the first name in commercial and institutional interiors worldwide
through its commitment to people, process, product, place and profits. We will strive to create
an organization wherein all people are accorded unconditional respect and dignity; one that
allows each person to continuously learn and develop. We will focus on product (which
includes service) through constant emphasis on process quality and engineering, which we
will combine with careful attention to our customers' needs so as always to deliver superior
value to our customers, thereby maximizing all stakeholders' satisfaction. We will honor the
places where we do business by endeavoring to become the first name in industrial ecology, a
corporation that cherishes nature and restores the environment. Interface will lead by example
and validate by results, including profits, leaving the world a better place than when we began,
and we will be restorative through the power of our influence in the world."
The purpose: Stakeholde value and profit, leaving the world a better place
The business: Commercial and Institutional interiors
The values: Unconditional respect and dignity, learning and development

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Mission examples

Odwalla
Our mission today is the same as its been for more than 25 years:
nourish people everywhere, respect our planet, protect the soil with
sustainable practices, and create products good for the soul.
The purpose: Nourish people everywhere
The business: Creating healthy products
The values: (Implicit) responsible, principled

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Mission examples

Patagonia
Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business
to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.

The purpose: Build the best product

The business: Unstated
The values: Inspiration, respectful

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Mission examples

Aveda
Our mission at Aveda is to care for the world we live in, from the products
we make to the ways in which we give back to society. At Aveda, we strive
to set an example for environmental leadership and responsibility not
just in the world of beauty, but around the world.

The purpose: Care for the world

The business: Creating responsible products
The values: (Implicit) responsible, principled

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Vision Statement

Vision Overview

What is a Vision Statement?

Focused on Tomorrow the future
A Vision Statement is a brief statement that clarifies what a company is
trying to accomplish or achieve growth, renewal, etc.
It focuses on tomorrow; it is inspirational; it provides clear decisionmaking criteria; and it is timeless.
The Vision Statement is primarily communicated internally to
communicate the big picture goal. It is important in helping motivate and
align the actions of different people. and purpose to internal groups such
as manufacturing, customer service, sales, etc.

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Vision Overview

A Vision Statement clearly answers one key question:

What goal (aspirational or measurable) are we trying to accomplish?
Many believe that the Vision Statement should have a grand scale, be socially
meaningful, or based on a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)

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Vision examples

Arm & Hammer

Arm & Hammer will achieve number one or two positions in all categories
where the natural power of baking soda is a meaningful benefit and can
be easily differentiated.
The clearly stated goal: The number one or two position in all categories

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Vision examples

Wal-Mart (1990)
Become a $125 Billion company by the year 2000.

Boeing (1950)
Become the dominant player in commercial aircraft and bring the world into
the jet age.

Sony (early 1950s)

Become the company most known for changing the worldwide poor-quality
image of Japanese products.

Ford Motor Company (early 1900s)

Ford will democratize the automobile.

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Mission & Vision examples

Mission & Vision example

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Sun Microsystems
Mission:

Vision :

To create the technologies and fuel

Everyone and everything

the communities that power the

participating on the network.

Participation Age.

Note: Sun's tagline of more than 20 years is "The Network is the Computer.

Mission & Vision example Avenue client work

HLB
Mission:

Vision:

HLB is a multidisciplinary product

development firm focused in the Consumer
and Medical markets.

By 2010 HLB will be recognized by

companies in the Fortune 500 as the leading
TM
experts in Meaningful Design and they will
call upon us for our expertise.

Our mission is to create products that make

life more enjoyable, more convenient, and
more fulfilling for those who use them.
TM
We call this Meaningful Design.
We are committed to providing an intimate
level of service to the companies we serve,
while delivering innovative solutions that
advance their business goals and deliver
distinct benefit to their customers.

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Mission & Vision example Avenue client work

Clarke
Mission:

Vision:

We help make communities around the world

more livable, safe and comfortable by:

Create an organization with the reach to

help make the lives of over 660M people
around the world more livable, safe and
comfortable every year.

Pioneering, using and championing the most

eco-responsible and advanced products,
services and business practices possible.
Providing support to as many communities as
we can through The Clarke Cares Foundation.
Living our mission through our daily words and
action.
Supporting our customers, partners and each
other in this endeavor, and inspiring others to
join us.

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Strategy Statement

Vision Overview

What is a Strategy Statement?

A Strategy Statement is used to align the efforts of an organization
by identifying three critical components:
1)Objective
2)Scope
3)Advantage/means
A strategy statement should begin with a definition of the end(s) that
the strategy is designed to achieve.

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Strategy Statement example

Edward Jones strategy statement

Edward Jones aims to grow to 17,000 financial advisors by 2012 by
offering trusted and convenient face-to-face financial advice to
conservative individual investors who delegate their financial decisions,
through a national network of one-financial-advisor offices.

The clearly stated goal: 17,000 financial advisors by 201

The scope: Financial advice to conservative individual investors who delegate their financial decisions
The advantage/means: Trusted and convenient face-to-face advice through a national network of onefinancial-advisor offices

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