Are clear and compelling mission and vision statements necessary for an organization (school, business, non-profit) to be highly successful? Why or why not?
First of all, I am so sorry I missed the first class. I have reviewed all of the documents and I am excited to meet you!
A clear and compelling mission and vision statement is essential for any organization to be highly successful. Without one, direction is unclear; however, we cannot be seduced by the concept that just because a mission/vision statement exists, the organization will function at peak performance. Better yet, if the leaders or members of the organization will even pay it any credence. Having a clear and compelling mission/vision statement is the foundation of an organization, but the follow through; walking the walk, is what propels the statement into practice.
So, just for fun, no. There are a lot of schools who dust off their mission and vision statements for AdvancEd visits, but are still highly successful. Some of these schools are fatally tied to a charismatic leader and are self-sustaining as long as that person is in place; some of them serve a high achieving population; some of them have a strong cadre of, believe it or not, certified teachers, that hold the school together in the face of poor leadership. But as I found out with my group from our last class, we sure were a lot more effective when we had everybody's input at the beginning about where we were going.
I agree with Phillip. I know there are a many teachers out there if you asked them what the mission and vision statement was of their school they probably wouldn’t have a clue. So I am going to say that it is not necessarily important in order for the school to be successful. A lot of schools are successful and the mission and vision statement has the least to do with that success. It is the “expectations” held by everyone, and people leading by example that has the greatest impact. I feel what is most important is getting everybody’s input and supporting these notions once they are agreed upon, so everyone feels like they have a real stake in the statement/school. I would think that you would never want the mission and vision statement just given from the top down like it is often done, because no one has a real stake in it. I also feel like because schools are so “test score” driven, that the mission and vision statements serve as a mask for what schools are really all about. To me, schools have a “hidden agenda” if you will, which is to always raise test scores no matter what. However, sometimes test scores are brought forth in many instances to serve as the motivating factor for stakeholders, not the mission and vision statement in itself. For instance, last year every teacher at my school had to make a poster and post up in their room: 60/60, 60 percent growth, 60 percent proficiency. Even though the message we were sending the students was absurd (meaning our teachers felt we were sending the message that if you do 60% of something in life, on a test, etc. you are doing great!), we had to communicate to the students that this is what we needed in order to be successful (Tier 3). We had to do this with my old principal. With my new principal, he said 60/60 was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard of, however, he is really driving it in to us as teachers that we are accountable for the kids performing. I can see the varying strategies from both principals, however, I mentioned all this to point out that the mission and vision statement had nothing to do with what is most important at our school at this point, which is test scores.
Of course, just for fun, I am going to disagree with Philip and Chris. Are the schools that you've described as fataly tied to a charasmatic leader, a strong and experienced teacher core leading and learning or are they just lucky? Can they explain which actions contribute to their continued success with students or is it just by happenstance? As you've said, groups are much more effective when everyone has input from the beginning. Remember another lesson from last semester...focus on the relationships and processes and not the content. Both of these statements reinforce our class discussion from last Wednesday that education is a human process...therefore organic and messy. To be succcessful in a nonlinear process do we not need guideposts to help us along the way. Given that many schools simply go through the motions of vision and mission, but do they have values that the entire school believes in? Even low-performing schools have shared values dont they? According to the major theme from all of our courses this semester, doesn't the school and teachers need to value individualization and humanity? Whether stated or not, don't the values of the school dominate the decision making process within the school? Schools do need shared mission, vision, and values in order to make sustained change.
A mission statement or vision is only as useful as its construct. In my experience, mission statements and visions are usually esoteric, at least in their fulfillment. Making them pragmatic is what matters. If the members of the organization don't have a voice in the mission or vision, there's little to no buy-in, other than what occurs naturally during day to day operations. For example, my school had the same mission statement for over twenty years. Three years ago, we hired an outside consulting firm to revamp it. The old statement still maintained and espoused a specific "to live by" statements none of which were relevant to the school in 2009. Most of the school's faculty and organization had changed significantly over the last six years. The school went through a rebranding and a physical facelift yet many in the school still quoted the old creeds. That mission/vision no longer fit the school. In spite of this, the school has maintained a high level of influence and relevance. But with the new mission/vision, the school sought full involvement from the faculty and staff, and it's clearly given us an authentic, organic identity.
I agree! I do believe it is important to have clear and compelling mission and vision statements that have been created by the group and reflect the values and goals of the group. If we are measuring our success in relation to our mission and vision... and it seems that we should be... they need to be clearly defined and championed by all. However, these statements need to be more than just words on paper. They need to be the criteria for which we make all decisions. Are we going to do "A"? Well, does "A" align with our vision and values as a group? If it does... let's talk. If not, let's take a pass this time. Let's focus our time and energy or reaching our vision!
I also agree. A mission/vision statement is only effective when it is implemented by a group of people who believe in it. Personally, I believe that they are important in focusing and guiding an organization. I just am sad to say that I have yet to be part of a school that seems to use the mission/vision to drive all of its decision-making. I think that every decision should be measured against the statement that the stakeholders have created. Schools should create valuable mission statements that reflect their vision and then get about the business of making it more than a banner for the walls or a part of their letterhead, but part of the culture of the school daily.
I agree as well with Jonathan's statement. In this ever changing climate of education, it is necessary to adapt the school's mission and vision statements to that evolution. As the faculty changes, as the students change, and as new initiatives are introduced, those statements need to be revisited each year. At my current school, there have been 3 different principals in the past 5 years. Have our mission and vision changed? No. Has the make-up of the staff and students changed? Yes. Does our school still have the same needs as it did 5 years ago? No. Has our student achievement in the past 3 years seen growth? Slightly. Do I even know our school mission and vision? No. Our staff has not been a part of revisiting the mission and vision at all in the past few years. I believe staff buy-in is essential in the school building. It should be tied to everything that the school does like the SIP plan. The school mission and vision needs to be clear for all stakeholders and mentioned in every day conversation. It should be repeated at staff meetings and parent meetings so that everyone is on the same page as to what direction the school is moving in.
Let me try this again....it didn't seem to work the first time.... Clear and compelling mission statements are few and far between. I believe that many schools and other organizations have mission statements because they "have" to have one. I believe many times mission statements become just another document that gets lost in the everyday operation of a business. Many workers don't know what them mission statement is and in order for it to be effective it needs to be something that the body as a whole believes in and works toward. There are many schools that are successful without having a compelling mission statement but I think it could be a very useful tool in a school's growth.....when used properly.
I don't think missions statements are necessary for an organization to thrive as long as the leaders of that organization foster an environment in which its beliefs and values are discussed often and used in decision making. The mission statement itself often serves a more symbolic function than anything else. If one uses the mission statement symbolically, posting it prominently throughout the organization and referring to it in speeches or presentations, then it can serve an important purpose because it affirms the values of the group. It is hard to make a mission statement functional, though. As long as the mission is clear, the organization can be flexible with the statement.
I agree with Al. I think that a vision statement is often limiting to the diverse people and perspectives that are working towards a goal. In an organization of 200 people, is it really possible to sum up their work and goals in 1 sentence? It is critical to have an environment where goals, visions, and outcomes are frequently discussed and "hashed-out." Additionally, as new people and elements join a team, it is critical that the direction shifts in order to meet the goals of individual people. I think that my perspective is incredibly shaded by the fact that I have never worked with an organization that effectively uses their mission statement, but rather it is distant from what is happening on the daily level. For those organizations that have referenced the mission statement often, it seems so basic, so obvious, and so elementary that it has not proved meaningful. For example, my current school has the mission of "preparing scholars for high school, college, and the competitive world beyond." What school does not have this mission? Though we reference this vision statement often, it is not unique to our work, our people, or our students.
I think that sometimes the act of writing a mission statement can be an extremely valuable experience, especially if it truly is a collaborative endeavor. The process of developing this kind of statement allows people the chance to express their values and find common goals with their coworkers. However, I believe that the actual existence of the statement can have limited success on a school or organization. I think most schools or businesses have very common mission statements, but many of them are not successful because the culture and vision that is actually carried out in the organization doesn't match the written statement.
I agree with what you are saying, in theory. We spent a lot of time last year as a leadership team in my school working on "updating" our vision and mission statement for the start of this school-year. We had a powerful discussion about our core beliefs and how we want our school to look in order for our the students to grow, develop, and achieve academically.
We presented the statements at a staff meeting and asked for additional input in order to get everyone a chance to have their voice heard and to promote unity in ideals for our school. So, yes I think vision/mission statements can help schools to be more successful when everyone buys into them. Furthermore, I think that when you create something that is supposed to have a lot of purposeful meaning and it is intended to provide direction for the school (and its processes/programs) it needs to be revisited and reflected upon often. We should be taking time to periodically check-in with parents, students, community members, and the school faculty to see if we are actually adhering to the language of our mission/vision statements and then determine what we need to do to continuously make further progress in making the rhetoric of these statements a reality.
I do think that it is good for an organization to have a clear vision/mission statement. However, I do not feel that it is necessary for an organization to be successful.I have been a part of an organization before where there wasn't a clear vision/mission statement ant it was still successful. With that being said though I do feel that a mission statement will allow all parties to be invested and on the same page. A vision/mission statement is only as good as the people that buy into it. If you have one that is just for show, then you are better off not having one at all. Or if you have one that only a few people agree with then it serves no purpose either. But if you have a statement that matches the views of the organization and it is one that the entire staff/group can support then it will be meaningful and aid in the success of the company.
I personally like the idea of organizations creating common vision/mission statements. I will go a step further and state that creating and agreeing on common values is just as important if not more so. Schools who empower staff, parents, students and community members to have a voice in the creation of mission, vision and values are in a position to use those tools as a beacon in their decision-making. A good leader will find a way to give as many stakeholders input as possible. A good leader will then refer to vision, mission and values when making instructional, climate, and cultural decisions. Vision, mission and values should be communicated and used to empower the school community to decide what is best for children. I would caution school improvement teams against making these statements too vague. I believe it would in turn make them less powerful.
Janika, I agree with you for the most part. I believe that it's necessary to have clear vision and mission statements for organizations to be successful. They provide direction for an organization and they are only good when the people actually buy into them. Without having the buy in from the entire group, reaching identified goals could be difficult. Clear mission and vision statements keep you focused and keep you from deviating from the your overall purpose.
The reality is that most schools are made up of teachers and staff who come to work with a certain set of background information, a certain skill set, and a certain view on life. Those basic things about a person rarely change without a desire to do so and clearly laid plans to aid in the process of that change. Similarly, schools function as they always have as a group of those individuals with varying backgrounds, skills sets, and perspectives. In order to be highly successful as a school I believe an obligatory mission statement is simply a portion of a document which is rarely read by the staff, students, and parents who supposedly share it. It becomes lost in the way of the school because it isn't simple, understandable, nor achievable. It is representative of the difference between the rhetoric and the reality of the system.
So, success doesn't come with a flowery statement but with a plan for action that is attached to an attainable, clearly stated goal. The goal can be called a mission statement if you like, but the current mission statement/vision/goal model is packed with ambiguity and severely lacking in measurable realistic actions that can be shared as successes by the students, staff, and community.
I do not believe the mission or vision statement in itself is what is important, but rather it is the true vision and leadership behind the statements and people within an organization that make an organization successful. Words are just words. I want to know what the actions and motives are behind those words. This is the difference between rhetoric and reality. A mission statement can help guide those within the organization and could help them keep perspective. However, how often do I think about (or even know for that matter) our school's mission statement? I know what my goals are for students, and that is what drives me, not a statement hanging on banners in the front office (which are there now by the way to appease the AdvancEd Accreditation people). Only if people think about, reflect upon, and believe in a mission statement will it be valuable. -Jamie Callicutt
To me, a vision or mission statement should be something that both unites and divides. It should unite ideas that meet its purpose and separate away ideas that distract from its goal. A strong statement can remind those around it of the desired outcome, of over-arching themes, and give a focus. However, a vision or mission statement without invested stakeholders serves little to no purpose. The stakeholders must believe in the statement and be driven by it. The school leader must also have a vision that aligns with the school’s mission or vision statement and he or she guide the staff in that direction. It seems obvious that one of these statements cannot stand along and must have people who buy into it, however there are numerous staff members at any given school or organization that would be unable to recall these statements. Can a school or organization be successful without one of these statements? I would say yes, but I would also hypothesize that a successful school could become even more successful if it was driven and united by a common and shared goal, much like one would find in a mission or vision statement.
Mission and vision statements can set the tone for the overall expectations for an organization. Both can help to provide a focus that guides the people within an organization to achieve the same goal.
Are having clear and compelling mission and vision statements necessary for an organization to be highly successful? No. Until last school year, my school did not have a vision statement. Previously, the mission statement was visible, but was not very clear. The new mission and vision statements (2010-2011) were created because of a district-wide mandate, not because the school leader thought it was necessary to create or update the statements. Overall, my school is successful and has been since 2004, but it is not because of those statements. Until recently, no one knew where to find or access them. What really drives my school and other organizations to be highly successful is the leadership: the leader’s ability to communicate his/her vision and goals to the stakeholders, that the leader make sure that his/her goals and vision are in line with those of the stakeholders, the leader’s ability to build appropriate relationships to get the majority of the stakeholders on board to support his/her goals, and the leader’s ability to hold the necessary parties accountable for making sure that they are doing their part to achieve the goals.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteFirst of all, I am so sorry I missed the first class. I have reviewed all of the documents and I am excited to meet you!
DeleteA clear and compelling mission and vision statement is essential for any organization to be highly successful. Without one, direction is unclear; however, we cannot be seduced by the concept that just because a mission/vision statement exists, the organization will function at peak performance. Better yet, if the leaders or members of the organization will even pay it any credence. Having a clear and compelling mission/vision statement is the foundation of an organization, but the follow through; walking the walk, is what propels the statement into practice.
-Nicole K.Cush
So, just for fun, no.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of schools who dust off their mission and vision statements for AdvancEd visits, but are still highly successful. Some of these schools are fatally tied to a charismatic leader and are self-sustaining as long as that person is in place; some of them serve a high achieving population; some of them have a strong cadre of, believe it or not, certified teachers, that hold the school together in the face of poor leadership. But as I found out with my group from our last class, we sure were a lot more effective when we had everybody's input at the beginning about where we were going.
- Phillip Little
I agree with Phillip. I know there are a many teachers out there if you asked them what the mission and vision statement was of their school they probably wouldn’t have a clue. So I am going to say that it is not necessarily important in order for the school to be successful. A lot of schools are successful and the mission and vision statement has the least to do with that success. It is the “expectations” held by everyone, and people leading by example that has the greatest impact. I feel what is most important is getting everybody’s input and supporting these notions once they are agreed upon, so everyone feels like they have a real stake in the statement/school. I would think that you would never want the mission and vision statement just given from the top down like it is often done, because no one has a real stake in it. I also feel like because schools are so “test score” driven, that the mission and vision statements serve as a mask for what schools are really all about. To me, schools have a “hidden agenda” if you will, which is to always raise test scores no matter what. However, sometimes test scores are brought forth in many instances to serve as the motivating factor for stakeholders, not the mission and vision statement in itself. For instance, last year every teacher at my school had to make a poster and post up in their room: 60/60, 60 percent growth, 60 percent proficiency. Even though the message we were sending the students was absurd (meaning our teachers felt we were sending the message that if you do 60% of something in life, on a test, etc. you are doing great!), we had to communicate to the students that this is what we needed in order to be successful (Tier 3). We had to do this with my old principal. With my new principal, he said 60/60 was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard of, however, he is really driving it in to us as teachers that we are accountable for the kids performing. I can see the varying strategies from both principals, however, I mentioned all this to point out that the mission and vision statement had nothing to do with what is most important at our school at this point, which is test scores.
Delete-Chris Kelly
Of course, just for fun, I am going to disagree with Philip and Chris. Are the schools that you've described as fataly tied to a charasmatic leader, a strong and experienced teacher core leading and learning or are they just lucky? Can they explain which actions contribute to their continued success with students or is it just by happenstance? As you've said, groups are much more effective when everyone has input from the beginning. Remember another lesson from last semester...focus on the relationships and processes and not the content. Both of these statements reinforce our class discussion from last Wednesday that education is a human process...therefore organic and messy. To be succcessful in a nonlinear process do we not need guideposts to help us along the way. Given that many schools simply go through the motions of vision and mission, but do they have values that the entire school believes in? Even low-performing schools have shared values dont they? According to the major theme from all of our courses this semester, doesn't the school and teachers need to value individualization and humanity? Whether stated or not, don't the values of the school dominate the decision making process within the school? Schools do need shared mission, vision, and values in order to make sustained change.
Delete- Bud Harrelson
A mission statement or vision is only as useful as its construct. In my experience, mission statements and visions are usually esoteric, at least in their fulfillment. Making them pragmatic is what matters. If the members of the organization don't have a voice in the mission or vision, there's little to no buy-in, other than what occurs naturally during day to day operations. For example, my school had the same mission statement for over twenty years. Three years ago, we hired an outside consulting firm to revamp it. The old statement still maintained and espoused a specific "to live by" statements none of which were relevant to the school in 2009. Most of the school's faculty and organization had changed significantly over the last six years. The school went through a rebranding and a physical facelift yet many in the school still quoted the old creeds. That mission/vision no longer fit the school. In spite of this, the school has maintained a high level of influence and relevance. But with the new mission/vision, the school sought full involvement from the faculty and staff, and it's clearly given us an authentic, organic identity.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I do believe it is important to have clear and compelling mission and vision statements that have been created by the group and reflect the values and goals of the group. If we are measuring our success in relation to our mission and vision... and it seems that we should be... they need to be clearly defined and championed by all. However, these statements need to be more than just words on paper. They need to be the criteria for which we make all decisions. Are we going to do "A"? Well, does "A" align with our vision and values as a group? If it does... let's talk. If not, let's take a pass this time. Let's focus our time and energy or reaching our vision!
DeletePosted by Jodi
I also agree. A mission/vision statement is only effective when it is implemented by a group of people who believe in it. Personally, I believe that they are important in focusing and guiding an organization. I just am sad to say that I have yet to be part of a school that seems to use the mission/vision to drive all of its decision-making. I think that every decision should be measured against the statement that the stakeholders have created. Schools should create valuable mission statements that reflect their vision and then get about the business of making it more than a banner for the walls or a part of their letterhead, but part of the culture of the school daily.
DeleteI agree as well with Jonathan's statement. In this ever changing climate of education, it is necessary to adapt the school's mission and vision statements to that evolution. As the faculty changes, as the students change, and as new initiatives are introduced, those statements need to be revisited each year. At my current school, there have been 3 different principals in the past 5 years. Have our mission and vision changed? No. Has the make-up of the staff and students changed? Yes. Does our school still have the same needs as it did 5 years ago? No. Has our student achievement in the past 3 years seen growth? Slightly. Do I even know our school mission and vision? No. Our staff has not been a part of revisiting the mission and vision at all in the past few years. I believe staff buy-in is essential in the school building. It should be tied to everything that the school does like the SIP plan. The school mission and vision needs to be clear for all stakeholders and mentioned in every day conversation. It should be repeated at staff meetings and parent meetings so that everyone is on the same page as to what direction the school is moving in.
Delete-Lauren Haynie
Let me try this again....it didn't seem to work the first time....
ReplyDeleteClear and compelling mission statements are few and far between. I believe that many schools and other organizations have mission statements because they "have" to have one. I believe many times mission statements become just another document that gets lost in the everyday operation of a business. Many workers don't know what them mission statement is and in order for it to be effective it needs to be something that the body as a whole believes in and works toward. There are many schools that are successful without having a compelling mission statement but I think it could be a very useful tool in a school's growth.....when used properly.
I don't think missions statements are necessary for an organization to thrive as long as the leaders of that organization foster an environment in which its beliefs and values are discussed often and used in decision making. The mission statement itself often serves a more symbolic function than anything else. If one uses the mission statement symbolically, posting it prominently throughout the organization and referring to it in speeches or presentations, then it can serve an important purpose because it affirms the values of the group. It is hard to make a mission statement functional, though. As long as the mission is clear, the organization can be flexible with the statement.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Al. I think that a vision statement is often limiting to the diverse people and perspectives that are working towards a goal. In an organization of 200 people, is it really possible to sum up their work and goals in 1 sentence? It is critical to have an environment where goals, visions, and outcomes are frequently discussed and "hashed-out." Additionally, as new people and elements join a team, it is critical that the direction shifts in order to meet the goals of individual people.
DeleteI think that my perspective is incredibly shaded by the fact that I have never worked with an organization that effectively uses their mission statement, but rather it is distant from what is happening on the daily level. For those organizations that have referenced the mission statement often, it seems so basic, so obvious, and so elementary that it has not proved meaningful. For example, my current school has the mission of "preparing scholars for high school, college, and the competitive world beyond." What school does not have this mission? Though we reference this vision statement often, it is not unique to our work, our people, or our students.
- Katie Hill
I think that sometimes the act of writing a mission statement can be an extremely valuable experience, especially if it truly is a collaborative endeavor. The process of developing this kind of statement allows people the chance to express their values and find common goals with their coworkers. However, I believe that the actual existence of the statement can have limited success on a school or organization. I think most schools or businesses have very common mission statements, but many of them are not successful because the culture and vision that is actually carried out in the organization doesn't match the written statement.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying, in theory. We spent a lot of time last year as a leadership team in my school working on "updating" our vision and mission statement for the start of this school-year. We had a powerful discussion about our core beliefs and how we want our school to look in order for our the students to grow, develop, and achieve academically.
DeleteWe presented the statements at a staff meeting and asked for additional input in order to get everyone a chance to have their voice heard and to promote unity in ideals for our school.
So, yes I think vision/mission statements can help schools to be more successful when everyone buys into them. Furthermore, I think that when you create something that is supposed to have a lot of purposeful meaning and it is intended to provide direction for the school (and its processes/programs) it needs to be revisited and reflected upon often. We should be taking time to periodically check-in with parents, students, community members, and the school faculty to see if we are actually adhering to the language of our mission/vision statements and then determine what we need to do to continuously make further progress in making the rhetoric of these statements a reality.
I do think that it is good for an organization to have a clear vision/mission statement. However, I do not feel that it is necessary for an organization to be successful.I have been a part of an organization before where there wasn't a clear vision/mission statement ant it was still successful. With that being said though I do feel that a mission statement will allow all parties to be invested and on the same page. A vision/mission statement is only as good as the people that buy into it. If you have one that is just for show, then you are better off not having one at all. Or if you have one that only a few people agree with then it serves no purpose either. But if you have a statement that matches the views of the organization and it is one that the entire staff/group can support then it will be meaningful and aid in the success of the company.
ReplyDeleteJanika Davis
I personally like the idea of organizations creating common vision/mission statements. I will go a step further and state that creating and agreeing on common values is just as important if not more so. Schools who empower staff, parents, students and community members to have a voice in the creation of mission, vision and values are in a position to use those tools as a beacon in their decision-making. A good leader will find a way to give as many stakeholders input as possible. A good leader will then refer to vision, mission and values when making instructional, climate, and cultural decisions. Vision, mission and values should be communicated and used to empower the school community to decide what is best for children. I would caution school improvement teams against making these statements too vague. I believe it would in turn make them less powerful.
ReplyDeleteJanika, I agree with you for the most part. I believe that it's necessary to have clear vision and mission statements for organizations to be successful. They provide direction for an organization and they are only good when the people actually buy into them. Without having the buy in from the entire group, reaching identified goals could be difficult. Clear mission and vision statements keep you focused and keep you from deviating from the your overall purpose.
ReplyDeleteJackie Milliken
The reality is that most schools are made up of teachers and staff who come to work with a certain set of background information, a certain skill set, and a certain view on life. Those basic things about a person rarely change without a desire to do so and clearly laid plans to aid in the process of that change. Similarly, schools function as they always have as a group of those individuals with varying backgrounds, skills sets, and perspectives. In order to be highly successful as a school I believe an obligatory mission statement is simply a portion of a document which is rarely read by the staff, students, and parents who supposedly share it. It becomes lost in the way of the school because it isn't simple, understandable, nor achievable. It is representative of the difference between the rhetoric and the reality of the system.
ReplyDeleteSo, success doesn't come with a flowery statement but with a plan for action that is attached to an attainable, clearly stated goal. The goal can be called a mission statement if you like, but the current mission statement/vision/goal model is packed with ambiguity and severely lacking in measurable realistic actions that can be shared as successes by the students, staff, and community.
I do not believe the mission or vision statement in itself is what is important, but rather it is the true vision and leadership behind the statements and people within an organization that make an organization successful. Words are just words. I want to know what the actions and motives are behind those words. This is the difference between rhetoric and reality. A mission statement can help guide those within the organization and could help them keep perspective. However, how often do I think about (or even know for that matter) our school's mission statement? I know what my goals are for students, and that is what drives me, not a statement hanging on banners in the front office (which are there now by the way to appease the AdvancEd Accreditation people). Only if people think about, reflect upon, and believe in a mission statement will it be valuable.
ReplyDelete-Jamie Callicutt
To me, a vision or mission statement should be something that both unites and divides. It should unite ideas that meet its purpose and separate away ideas that distract from its goal. A strong statement can remind those around it of the desired outcome, of over-arching themes, and give a focus. However, a vision or mission statement without invested stakeholders serves little to no purpose. The stakeholders must believe in the statement and be driven by it. The school leader must also have a vision that aligns with the school’s mission or vision statement and he or she guide the staff in that direction. It seems obvious that one of these statements cannot stand along and must have people who buy into it, however there are numerous staff members at any given school or organization that would be unable to recall these statements. Can a school or organization be successful without one of these statements? I would say yes, but I would also hypothesize that a successful school could become even more successful if it was driven and united by a common and shared goal, much like one would find in a mission or vision statement.
ReplyDeleteEllen Hadley
Mission and vision statements can set the tone for the overall expectations for an organization. Both can help to provide a focus that guides the people within an organization to achieve the same goal.
ReplyDeleteAre having clear and compelling mission and vision statements necessary for an organization to be highly successful? No. Until last school year, my school did not have a vision statement. Previously, the mission statement was visible, but was not very clear. The new mission and vision statements (2010-2011) were created because of a district-wide mandate, not because the school leader thought it was necessary to create or update the statements. Overall, my school is successful and has been since 2004, but it is not because of those statements. Until recently, no one knew where to find or access them. What really drives my school and other organizations to be highly successful is the leadership: the leader’s ability to communicate his/her vision and goals to the stakeholders, that the leader make sure that his/her goals and vision are in line with those of the stakeholders, the leader’s ability to build appropriate relationships to get the majority of the stakeholders on board to support his/her goals, and the leader’s ability to hold the necessary parties accountable for making sure that they are doing their part to achieve the goals.
Phylisha Sanders