Often these terms are used interchangeably in casual conversation, as both the vision and mission statements affect the type of business culture that your organization will have. But, in the correct business context they each have a unique purpose that help a business organize its purpose and how it will achieve meaningful outcomes. Let’s look at each separately.
The Basics
Vision Statement: Describes what a business would like to achieve in the future. It is the inspirational foundation for your business’ future aspirations. Please note that it is not particularly detail oriented. And, it is not a how-to or step-by-step guide.
Mission Statement: Explains the purpose of the company for everyone inside the company and the public. More precisely, it defines the present state of the business and briefly describes what the business does, how it does it, and for whom.
Goal: A business goal is a final outcome that the organization wants to achieve. This is a specific and measurable result of actions outlined by strategic, business or marketing plans. What the goals are depend on the vision and mission statements, but are decidedly smaller in scale than either.
Discover More
If you want a more thorough understanding about how to create compelling vision and missions, I encourage you to watch tutorials available through the Dallas Public Library’s subscription to Lynda.com. This Library Edition of Lynda.com has numerous online tutorial videos to train and guide you through the process of brainstorming and creating each statement for your small business.
With your Dallas Public Library card, you gain access to Lynda.com’s business skills training tutorials. Log in through the Dallas Public Library homepage, then click on the databases page. Next find the downloadable media and click on it. From there click on Lynda.com, and log in, again, with your library card and password. Don’t hesitate to contact us at one of the 28 library locations for help.
