CattyWampus

Vision wins in marketing, but for vision to win, we need to have the right structure.

Cattywampus

Several years ago, we researched the definition and examples of vision, mission, core values, and brand promises.

And the information was all over the place. People were structuring and organizing these statements in tons of different ways. The word we like to use to describe what we found is cattywampus.

So after reading and researching, we compiled a structure for these statements that helps you win!

Get 2020 Vision
Vision is the north star, and the “why” guides every step. The purpose of a properly written vision statement is to create a mental picture of the future charged with inspiration that can serve to energize, clarify, and inspire you, your team, donors, clients, and the community around your organization.

Checklist

Here’s your vision statement checklist to ensure your vision isn’t cattywampus:

✓ Short
✓ Portable
✓ Easy to understand
✓ Memorable
✓ Inspiring

Compelling visions won’t have core values or mission statements. They are aspirational. Some of our favorite examples of powerful vision statements include:

• “Champions for Christ” – Fellowship of Christian Athletes
• “Make America Great Again” – President Donald Trump
• “Change; Yes We Can” – President Barack Obama

So, what is your “why”?

Your Mission

After you’ve determined your “why” in your vision statement, you can develop your mission statements.

Your mission statement answers the who, what, when, where, and how questions. Since mission statements are the steps to the vision, they can be much longer, and you can have multiple statements.

If you picture your organization as a home, your vision is the roof, and your mission statements are some of the pillars that support the roof.

At The Core

Mission statements are the “How” while vision is the “Why” and the core values are “What” is important to the organization.

But every company also has a unique set of core values, and they support the vision and decision-making processes within the organization.

You don’t want your core values in your vision statement.  Vision doesn’t win there. 

Instead, you want to identify them as core values. Core values are part of your company’s DNA. They define what your organization stands for, highlighting an expected and idealized set of behaviors and skills.

These values can come from the executive team or the original visionary. An easy place to start with the core values is to ask the question “What makes you mad?”

So you’ve got a few questions to ask yourself and your team: why, who, when, where, how, and what. These questions are the building blocks from which you can create your 2020 vision.

A properly written vision statement backed by mission statements and core values will unify your team and open up an entirely new set of avenues and possibilities, which by itself is a tremendous source of passion and energy.