Strategy 101 - Mission Examples
A strategic vision is a desired end result with a decade-long time horizon. The strategic mission describes how the organization intends to move toward that goal with a three to five year time horizon. Just as there are many different ways to get from San Jose to New York City, organizations with identical visions can have very different missions.
Consider this example from the Vision post: Our vision is a world without hunger.
Recall that a mission statement communicates three essential ideas:
A Multinational Agricultural Supplier
"We provide farmers worldwide with seed, fertilizer, pesticides and related products to increase their productivity. We are the largest and most geographically diverse manufacturer and distributor of these products. We use our volume, distribution network and research capability to assure that our products are the most cost effective a farmer can buy."
An International Non-Profit Program Developer
"We develop localized, culturally relevant model programs for feeding poor and hungry people all over the world. We help local groups implement these programs by providing information, training, hands-on start-up management assistance, monitoring and networking."
A Global Grocery Superstore Chain
"We operate a global chain of grocery superstores. We use our vast distribution network and purchasing power to drive down the cost of groceries and assure fresh, high quality and wholesome products to all our customers. We strive to be the low price leader in all our markets."
Each of these organizations has a very different idea about how to eliminate hunger in the world.
(The examples used above are made up by the author unless explicitly attributed. Any similarity of these fictional examples to those used by actual organizations is coincidental and unintentional.)
Copyright © 2007 Philip Bookman
Technorati: Business Strategy, Strategic Planning.
Consider this example from the Vision post: Our vision is a world without hunger.
Recall that a mission statement communicates three essential ideas:
- What the organization does
- Who it does it for
- How it does it differently from others
A Multinational Agricultural Supplier
"We provide farmers worldwide with seed, fertilizer, pesticides and related products to increase their productivity. We are the largest and most geographically diverse manufacturer and distributor of these products. We use our volume, distribution network and research capability to assure that our products are the most cost effective a farmer can buy."
An International Non-Profit Program Developer
"We develop localized, culturally relevant model programs for feeding poor and hungry people all over the world. We help local groups implement these programs by providing information, training, hands-on start-up management assistance, monitoring and networking."
A Global Grocery Superstore Chain
"We operate a global chain of grocery superstores. We use our vast distribution network and purchasing power to drive down the cost of groceries and assure fresh, high quality and wholesome products to all our customers. We strive to be the low price leader in all our markets."
Each of these organizations has a very different idea about how to eliminate hunger in the world.
(The examples used above are made up by the author unless explicitly attributed. Any similarity of these fictional examples to those used by actual organizations is coincidental and unintentional.)
Copyright © 2007 Philip Bookman
Technorati: Business Strategy, Strategic Planning.
Labels: Business Strategy, Strategic Planning
posted by Phil Bookman at 11:11 AM
<< Home