Why “vision and mission” are often paper tigers

All management guides preach it: a strong “vision”, a clear “mission” and a convincing “purpose” are crucial for success. The values must also be clearly understood by everyone. But what often happens? Strategy workshops are held in which well-formulated texts are created. From “We are the market leader” to “We make the world a better place”, everything is included.

What often gets lost in the process is the actual core: creating a common, attractive target image. An image that focuses everyone’s energy, provides orientation in difficult situations and helps to persevere in the face of setbacks.

Why we need the power of imagination

Are you building your future on formal words, or are you creating a living image that touches and inspires everyone in the company emotionally?

In our private lives, we rarely ask about a person’s “vision” or “mission”. Instead, we ask: “How do you envision your future?” The answers are usually emotional and vivid. People describe how they want to feel, what they want to achieve and what they want their life to look like. This imagination has enormous power because it appeals not only to the mind but also to the heart, thereby generating lasting motivation.

How to create an attractive target image

A strong vision must be more than just words from the management. It should appeal to all relevant interest groups – customers, employees, partners, suppliers, society and key decision-makers. It must be desirable and vivid. If people can imagine what this future looks like in concrete terms and what contribution they can make to it, this creates real motivation. A target image must be tangible and emotional so that it has the power to be truly lived.