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The term vision connotes grandness. It suggests something macro that is conceived at the highest echelons of an organization. But we can also think of vision on a micro level. That is, a vision statement should be articulated at the corporate level -- but also at the business unit and department level and, importantly, at the individual employee level as well.
Vision is an important issue for service providers, who must align their professional offerings with clients' vision-driven strategic requirements. The broader implications of vision, however, are even more significant when you consider them from a managerial and personal developmental standpoint.
Vision, Mission, Planning
Devising corporate strategy begins with articulating the corporate vision. Vision then leads to the formation of a mission, which is defined as a company's fundamental "reason for being" (e.g., its chosen lines of business and target markets) and the basic beliefs and values that drive its operations and influence its cultural character. From vision and mission come planning and, ultimately, action. Companies must move along the vision-mission-planning continuum to advance their strategic objectives. People who are intent on advancing in their careers and personal lives must do so as well.
The connection between vision, mission and planning can best be understood by looking at three issues: the concepts' inter-relationship; their permanence; and their respective levels of specificity.
What does all this mean from a practical standpoint? It is that it's important to acknowledge the value of vision and to, periodically, ask these key questions:
Vision. Mission. Planning. Companies must move along this continuum to attain success. Everybody who works to power those enterprises must do the same. We must all have an image of our own desirable future. We must all live by a mission. We must all work actively toward stated goals that are sturdy, yet flexible enough to bend with the inevitable winds of change.
To paraphrase, unless we know where we are going, we will never get there. Living true to a vision is the only sure road to professional and personal success. In short, the key to vision is never losing sight of it.
Send your thoughts to the author at mark@clementeonline.com or write to SmartPros Letters to the Editor at editor@smartpros.com
MARK N. CLEMENTE consults with companies and professionals in the areas of sales and marketing, organization development, and leadership. A former director of communications for Coopers & Lybrand, he is the author of four books and dozens of journal articles on management development and corporate growth. His clients have included professionals from Big Five and middle-market accounting and management consultancies, as well as Fortune 500 companies. Mark speaks worldwide before professional and academic groups, and holds a master's degree in strategic communication and leadership. Visit his website at www.clementeonline.com or contact him at mark@clementeonline.com
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