After Creating Mission and Vision Statements: Strategic Planning

You have drawn the line in the sand. You have established your purpose (mission) and direction (vision) for your business.  Now it is time to use these mission and vision statements to focus on the direction, leadership, goal-setting and basis for your strategic plans for your business or organization, employees and marketplace.

Doug Campbell, Fire Behavior Analyst and President of Campbell Prediction Systems recognized the importance of building a mission statement for firefighters. He began with a well defined mission statement for a firefighter team.

 “We meet the fire at its weak points, knocking it out, not giving it a chance. We know the fire and use the knowledge of its behavior patterns to snuff it out. We are tough and do not waste our strength. We plan our tactics and anticipate the fire’s moves. We use proven tactics and avoid bad ones. We engage the fire when we know we will prevail over the fire. We do not repeat the mistakes of other encounters.”

His vision statement for creating future –wise firefighters:

“We will become wise fire fighters. We will find out what the fire is about to do and plan for dealing with its potential. We will become known for our wild fire wisdom and be able to avoid its traps and find its weakness. We will learn to communicate the whole fire situation and thereby save others from poorly devised tactical actions. We will minimize all negative impacts on the fire fighters we supervise, keeping them strong and well throughout the siege.”

These statements became his foundational tools for strategic planning. Here are just two examples in the use of his newly created mission and vision statements:

First, time management - “I have many offers to consult in projects related to fire protection. I want to manage my time and project selection, and mission and vision statements help me do that.”

Secondly, employee recognition - Campbell also assigns his trainees to write personal mission and vision statements. “The mission and vision opens a window on what their values are…they expose the ethics of the person. We know by their replies who is ready for a supervisory position.”

Visionary businesses, whether large or small, excel because they set goals that relate directly to their vision. They come up with strategies and actions to reach their goals and achieve their vision. It is in this way that a business can control its own destiny, rather than let outside forces determine a business direction.

The next step is converting your business mission and vision statements into specific actions. The objective is to work out specific strategic approaches and required daily actions that help your business reach its vision. Your strategic plan should include the necessary structure to apply your strategy by helping you communicate your vision in a way that covers all areas of your business. Those elements that make up your strategic plan begin with the mission statement then the vision statement, followed by goals, objectives, strategies and specific actions.

Curtis W. Page, Ph.D. in “Asking ‘Just Right’ Business Questions” describes a process of “seeing, aiming and doing.”  The “seeing” part of the process is completed with your business mission and vision statements. Your “aiming” is your goals, objectives and strategic approaches. The “doing” is the defined actions that will be accomplished by whom and by when.  To help you “see,” learn more, and find materials and information on mission and vision statements, go to www.missionvisionstatement.com.