Topic:Vision and Mission

From SharedExperienceProject

Contents 1 Topic Highlights 2 Introduction and Motivation 3 Teaching and Learning Activities 4 Learning Objectives 5 Assessment Activities 6 References

Topic Highlights

(What you will learn)

• The value of a good concise vision
  
• How to discover and articulate vision and mission, and how to help others do the same
  
• The role vision and mission play in setting the stage for a company's strategies, and perspectives on the usefulness of vision in strategic entrepreneurship
• The role they play in guiding the company's external and (especially) internal messaging
• Various perspectives, including that of the new entrepreneurial start-up and that of the larger established firm

Introduction and Motivation

(Why learn it)

Guy Kawasaki urges entrepreneurs to "forget mission statements" because "they're long, boring and irrelevant^[1]." And he should know what he's talking about; he lists senior positions at Apple Computer Inc. on his resume, he's been a columnist for Forbes Magazine, and he's well known today in Silicon Valley and around the world as an author and as the managing director of his own early-stage venture capital firm called Garage Technology Ventures^[2].

Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, on the other hand, speak about the critical role a well-articulated vision plays for companies that achieve superior long-term performance^[3]. They should know what they're talking about too; they are well-known business professors who have consulted to hundreds of companies and carried out large-scale research projects to develop fundamental insights for executive leaders^[4].

At first glance, these perspectives appear to lie at opposing ends of a spectrum. In this topic, we will examine each in detail and explore the conditions where each might be correct, whether both are correct, and why it is so important that they are understood by the entrepreneur.

Teaching and Learning Activities

(How the levels of understanding will be gained)

Learning activities for this topic

Type	Name	Direction
Reading	Read before class: Building Your Company's Vision	Self-directed
Reading	Read before class: Pages 1-9 of Chapter 1 of The Art of the Start	Self-directed
In-class discussion and lecture	Visioning - Look Inside, Find Your Purpose, Follow It Other activities TBD: Bring a vision statement from a company of your choice	Instructor and peer-directed
Personal activities	e.g. Reflection, review and studying	Self-directed

Learning Objectives

(Levels of understanding to be gained)

Learning objectives for this topic

Level of Understanding	Objectives (presented as self-assessment questions)
Very best	Am I able to coach someone else to help them create or improve their vision and mission? Do I think a good vision should be changed in response to a change in the environment? Upon reflection, can I identify any shortcomings in how the authors arrived at their conclusions? Will these impact how I will apply the concepts?
Highly satisfactory	Can I discuss the differences and similarities between the concepts and advice given in the two readings? Now that I've completed the readings, what is my own definition of vision and mission? Could I apply the concepts to create a vision and mission for my own company? If Kawasaki advised me to "forget mission statements," how would I respond? Do I understand the importance of alignment, as we discussed it in class?
Satisfactory	Can I recognize a "bad" vision, or cases where the terms vision and mission are misused? Can I find examples of "good" vision and mission statements? In the view of Collins and Porras, how does a vision ground a company in its past and guide it in its future? Do I understand who the vision statement should be written for, e.g. customers, employees, shareholders?
Maybe just enough to pass	Can I name and define the two main components of a vision, according to Collins and Porras? The subcomponents of these components? Kawasaki also identifies two components. Can I name and define those?

Assessment Activities

(How you will be assessedon your level of understanding)

Learning activities for this topic

Type	Name	Direction
Self-assessment	Review and reflection using the self-assessment questions above under Learning Objectives	Self-assessed
Quiz	Quiz 1: In class, open book	Teacher-assessed

References

(These references may not all be required reading for your course. See above for the reading assignments.)

1. ↑ Kawasaki, G. (2004) The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything, Portfolio Hardcover, 240 p.
2. ↑ http://www.guykawasaki.com/about/index.shtml
3. ↑ Collins, J. and J. Porras (1996) Building Your Company's Vision, Harvard Business Review, Sep-Oct, 1996, pp. 65-77.
4. ↑ http://www.jimcollins.com/bio/index.html