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Losing Focus and Clarity of Vision

Written by: Rick Maurer

Article Overview: This article discusses the lack of focus and clarity in vision and mission statements an how to regain this clarity and focus.

Losing Focus and Clarity of Vision

Rick Maurer, President of Maurer and Associates and bestselling business book author loves the comic strip “Frank and Ernest.” On April 30, 2009, a man is pictured attaching an additional sign to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms that reads “…and TransFats.” Frank or Ernest (hard to tell who is who)says, “I worry that we’re losing our focus.”

Many vision and mission statements are just a hodge-podge of well-meaning phrases. They may start out fine and seem clearly focused, but soon barnacles begin to attach to the hull. Before long, it will be hard to tell where the ship was heading in the first place.

Keep in mind the basic structure – the outline – of the business mission while crafting a mission statement. Just like constructing a ship or a building, the framework is laid first. Then, information and additional thoughts that complete and fill out each portion of the mission statement are presented in more detail, without losing direction.

A clearly-stated, focused mission statement is a very important business tool and, oftentimes, gives a first impression of a company – whether the customer is internal (employees) or external in nature. Wandering from the basic, concise thoughts only creates confusion and, ultimately, results in the company’s vision losing focus and meeting objectives becomes nearly impossible.

The real work of conducting business cannot and will not happen unless there is buy-in from both employees and customers. A well written mission statement is a way to connect and resonate positively what the vision of the company is, and how it plans to reach the established objectives. Though sometimes overlooked, the clearly-stated vision of a business is extremely important and plays a vital role in the continued success and longevity of a company.

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Related Forum Posts
Re: Clarity Trumps Persuasion - Jeff, Thanks, great stuff !!! Clarity or "KEEP IT SIMPLE" is probably the best advice anyone can ever give or get when involved in any business or personal situation. Over 30 years of manufacturing ladies apparel has taught me two critical business lessons: 1-You will never get a 100% perfect outcome so In the BEGINNING,take your time, exhaust all your resources and energy and plan, plan, plan. . . If it STARTS off right it you'll get close to the desired outcome. 2-Keep it simple I now will add "Clarity" to my formula for success. CLARITY AND KEEPING IT SIMPLE BREEDS SUCCESS . . . . I know the advice above is simple but isn't that what it's all about. Thanks Ringo, This information not only was great for my website but it reminded me that "keeping it simple and clear" got me and my teams through some wicked situations Best wishes Barry
Re: Clarity Trumps Persuasion - Wow, I would really recommend everyone to go through the presentation. It's not so much that it's new information, but their presentation simply reaffirms in a concise way what we know about marketing and sales conversion. Clarity trumps persuasion indeed!
The Old Girl's Network - (2003) - Haven't read this one yet... Contents A business of one's own: setting the stage Passion: Turning what you love into a real business Vision: Bringing Your Idea Into the World Pioneering Spirit: Discovering new frontiers Tenacity: Passions Bulldog Raising Capital: Translating your vision into dollars and cents Focus, feedback and flexibility Leadership lessons Life after the survival stage: Managing onward There's a Took Kit in the back that has lots of good stuff, including: Outline for competitive analysis: the basic issues to address before starting your company Outline for executive summary and business plan, with sample summary Explanation of non-disclosure agreement Milestone setting "Do you have what it takes" quiz Sample financing term sheet Due Diligence checklist Sample advisory agreement Process and systems review Outsourcing overview
Re: Essential Leadership skills - Vision Values Mission Strategic Thinking Decision Making Communication Team Bonding People Development Coaching / Mentoring / Guiding / Grooming Presentation Thanks Robert
Re: Quote of the Day - ?"Where focus goes energy flows." - Tony - Focus on a single task, eliminate millions of disractions


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