The Cabreras are fierce about the importance of a sleek and powerful mission (arrow) vision. Like an expensive Tesla, sleek. They make a good point: hardly any mission or vision statements are interesting, compelling, or even readable.1
- Hopefully you know by now that I work for Community Cycles, Boulder's bicycle advocacy organization.
- Recently, I attended a workshop on mission statements with my Executive Director and Board President. Each of us separately came up with this mission statement: We Love Bicycles.
- Much more interesting, clear, and engaging than our current mission. See for yourself: Our current multi-paragraph mission statement.
I'm curious what it is about a mission statement that seems to call forth quantities of hyperbole from the human psyche. Perhaps we all have a primal instinct to deliver the Gettysburg address (someone please tell 45 why we had a civil war and what the Gettysburg address was about. Or not.)
Among many quotes attributed to Mark Twain is my favorites: If I'd had more time, I would have written a shorter letter. Perhaps it is indeed a primal instinct, to explain, to explicate, to elucidate. Survival driven, for sure. Exactly where was that blueberry patch? Where did you find the path that deer follow to the stream? It's all about dinner.
But when we want engage our creative imagination, achieve inspiration, open new mental horizons, it's clear that way less is way more effective.
Sadly, I do notice that I glaze when I try to read the MENV mission and vision.
MENV Mission: We educate our students to advance sustainability solutions across a wide-range of environmental careers and sectors by promoting a community of learning through engaged and inter-disciplinary classes and real-world professional experience.
MENV Vision: MENV provides environmental leaders with the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary to understand a changing world and build a more just, sustainable, and productive planet.
Oh dear. It's snore-ish.
The Cabreras say: We have worked with many schools and school districts that use the very same mission (engage, educate, empower) and vision (X number of systems thinkers).2
Can we tailor the MENV mish/vish to be Cabrera-sleek? Let's try:
- We see a just, sustainable, productive world of skilled systems thinkers.
- Our vision: Skilled leaders and systems thinkers growing a just, sustainable, and productive world.
The mission, per les Cabreras, is the thing you do over and over to get your vision. Educate, engage, empower. That's good, and works for an educational institution.
How's this for the mission: Educate, engage, empower, and GET EMPLOYED!
In conclusion, here's a question for your next level of thought exploration:
What's your personal vision-mission? What should be inscribed on your gravestone?
A friendlier way to ask the question: What's your ideal professional situation?
I am deeply interested and want to help in any way I can.
1. Cabrera, Derek; Cabrera, Laura . Systems Thinking Made Simple: New Hope for Solving Wicked Problems (Page 210). . Kindle Edition.
2. Op. cit., page 220.
When I think about my ideal professional situation, I envision myself using my hands a lot more than I have in graduate school. I miss working on my house, my garden, and cooking for other people. But I think what has emerged from this program is a way to harmonize all of those things I want to do. Rather than working on my own home, maybe I could start flipping houses into energy efficient, environmentally-friendly, net-zero energy masterpieces. Instead of gardening, maybe I could have a small farm where I grow the food for my own restaurant. I really like cooking breakfast, so I wouldn't be surprised if I had a solar-powered breakfast food truck that sold organic eggs and toast.
What I think I need is to spend some time on my mission and vision, because I'm not quite sure what it is. So I thank you for making me realize that. I see what I want to do with my life, but maybe getting to there is a little fuzzy. Having something to do every day driving me closer to that will manifest it quicker than just day-dreaming about solar-powered food trucks.
Posted by: Cody Janousek | 05/02/2017 at 09:11 AM