How to revive a mission and vision statement

Many organizations exhaust tremendous energy in crafting mission, vision and value statements. These efforts are important and necessary to define who you are, where you are going, and what you want to be. Unfortunately, many of these statements are rendered practically worthless given that they are “word-smithed” to death and are basically inaccessible to an organization.

Consider a simpler approach: create a narrative story that ties all these pieces together and is easier to understand. The story of a vision, culture and values is much more interesting and should resonate immediately. What’s more, a story that simply explains what an organization is trying to accomplish, using anecdotes and analogies whenever needed, has greater appeal than something stuck in a frame or frozen in laminate. You’ll find that sharing such a strategic narrative will give employees a much easier way to wrap their minds around important ideas, rather than stumbling over obtuse concepts, catch-phrases and corporate jargon that at first glance seem boring and meaningless.

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