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A Simple Analogy Explaining the Difference Between Vision and Mission
For many, the ideas behind a company vision and a company mission are confusing or misunderstood. Moreover, I engage in debates regularly about whether these concepts are the same (they are not) or if companies need them at all (they do).
To deal with this, a few years ago I developed an analogy to describe vision and mission in order to better explain the difference and emphasize the importance of each.
Road Trip
Imagine you are the owner of a large recreational vehicle (RV) that can hold up to 10 people comfortably. You decide that you want to drive your RV from Seattle, Washington to Key West, Florida, so you invite a few friends who might like to tag along. You tell your friends that if they decide to make the journey, they should know a few things before you leave.
First, this is an adult-only trip — no children allowed. The reason is simple — children. Second, you will not drive more than five hours per day, so the trip will require a minimum of 10 days to complete. And lastly, along the way, you plan on seeing Mt. Rushmore, visiting Nashville for BBQ sampling, and watching a baseball game at Turner Field in Atlanta.
