Many organizations have attempted to redefine the business they are in, or even streamline their growth in a specific direction. The merger of Brooke Bond with Lipton India, the Glaxo Health Food Division being sold off to Heinz, the takeover of Timesbank by HDFC or the take over of Kelvinator by Whirlpool are some recent examples of organizations which have perhaps done some serious "soul-searching" and taken bold strategic decisions. An interesting trend in recent times is that companies have begun to define their "Vision/Mission Statement". A mission statement articulates the philosophy of the company with respect to the business in specific and society in general. Once the mission statement of the company is finalized and adapted, it provides a readymade guideline to employees of the organization about its principles, policies and practices.
It is important here to distinguish between "vision" and "mission" for the organisation. Vision is often referred to as "skyhooks for the soul". In fact, vision is that igniting spark that can inspire and energise people to do better. The focus of vision is to reach out hungrily for the future and drag it into the present. To quote Tom Peters, "Developing a vision and living it vigorously are essential elements of leadership". The latest trend in many organisations is to apply the "VIP" approach i.e. "Vision Integrated Performance."
Reason for Being This is the soul-searching activity, where the organisation tries to answer the critical questions like `why are we here' and 'where are we today'? This analysis of the present is essential, because it provides the true picture of today from where we begin the journey towards the future.
The vision is a compelling but not controlling force that shows us where we want to be. To quote KWAN 'JZU (3RD CENTURY BC), "When planning for a year, sow corn; when planning for a decade, plant trees; when planning for life, train and educate men". Once the vision statement has been conceptualised and indicates the direction the organisation is heading for, and then we work towards the mission which basically includes the performance parameter. This also encompasses quality, service orientation, cost-effectiveness and such specific variables.
Picture of preferred future All major achievements through out history are attributable to people with powerful dreams about the future. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" or NASA's "Man on the moon by the end of the decade" are excellent examples of vision. Thus, here we are trying to project what we wish our company to be in the future. The vision promotes trust and trust is the foundation of any successful human enterprise. It is this trust that can build very successful teams. In fact, we compare the vision to a magnetic force that draws people to it and aligns them in the same direction. Further individuals who do not espouse the vision would be repelled by it, the same way that mismatched poles of a magnet repel each other. Needless to say, everyone in the organisation wants the organisation to grow and develop, but there could be often conflict between personal and organisational priorities. It is in this context that perfect synchronisation is required. The "Mission Statement" thus indicates and specifics what the organisation is striving to adhere. It expresses the objective of the organisation and the various activities that need to be carried out to achieve the objective. In general any mission statement comprises of two core components of the values and strategies.
Values There are fundamental beliefs that are inculcated and practiced in the organisation. In fact, the organisation culture is often dependent on its value systems. The seven principles of Matsushita are an excellent example of values of an organization. Similarly, the Johnson and Johnson credo says, "We believe our primary responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, mothers and all others who use our products and services". It must be remembered that unless these values are internalised by one and all in the organisation, they become fancy advertisements matter or beautiful wall hangings. Another good example is of British Airways' "putting people first" or JET AIRWAYS "the joy of flying "and BPL's "believe in the best".
Strategy The component of the Mission Statement is more important and focuses on the organisation plans and objectives in its business. The strategy of Ford Motors is "Quality comes first. Customers are the focus of everything we do". "Konsuke Matsushita even elaborates that the purpose of his company is to serve society and profits are only a by-product. Hence, their strategy is "Fairness in all its business and individual dealings". Some good examples in India include Wipro `close to the customer". Or ITCs " New horizons, New hopes " or Procter and Gamble's "statement of purpose". It is of critical importance to realise that even if the values and strategies are well designed and enunciated, the success would depend upon their implementation by individuals in the organisation. Hence, it is always desirable that the mission statement be finalised with the involvement of the employees. We are seeing a specific trend where many organizations are trying to finalise their vision and mission statements. There are strategic management consultants who conduct workshops for 2-3 days, where the top management team brainstorms as a group. Kindly what they perceive is their vision of the future of the company, what are the impediments to achieving that vision and how to overcome them. This process if done in a systematic manner can prove to be an ideal trigger for the organization to focus on its future. It is also important to realize that organizations have to review their mission statements on a regular basis. By the process they could reconceptualize their current businesses and forces on what it would be worth being in the future. Some recent examples include Brooke Bond and Lipton entering the field of foods such as jams, squashes and ice creams and Bata extending its range from shoes to accessories like belts, T-shirts and such items. Thus in defining their vision and mission statements, organisations are beginning to look into the future more seriously. Actually companies that create the future are 'rebels" of a kind. To quote Akio Marita, Sony's visionary leader "our plans is to lead the public with new products, rather than ask them what kind of products they want; hence we create a products and then create a market by educating and communicating to the public about the product".
The "Walkman", music system is the best example of the mission of Sony, as seen of reality in action.
Stated below are the Vision statements of some highly focused and successful organisations-
SIEMENS: Where technology touches lives
DU PONT: Better things for better living through Chemistry
HYUNDAI: Building a better world through innovative technology
NOKIA: Connecting people
XEROX: The document company
IBM: Solutions for a small planet
PHILIPS: Let's make things better
BPL: Believe in the best
