Discussion 1: The Influence of Mission and Vision on Planning

As you read the following mission statements, think about what you might deduce about each organization:

• “Nurses advancing our profession to improve health for all,” American Nurses Association
• “The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors,” American Red Cross
• “The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit,” Southwest Airlines
• “To inspire hope and contribute to health and well-being by providing the best care to every patient through integrated clinical practice, education and research,” Mayo Clinic
• “Provide telehealth solutions and executive medical research management to enhance and support military healthcare and promote innovative medical technologies,” Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC)
• “Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” Google

An organization’s mission describes its core purpose. In partnership with the organization’s vision, which communicates a future-focused direction, the mission provides a basis for planning and decision making at all levels of the organization.

For this Discussion, you compare mission and vision statements from multiple organizations and consider how these statements relate to planning.

To prepare:

• Review the information related to the planning hierarchy and mission and vision statements in this week’s Learning Resources.
• Research the mission and vision statements of three different types of organizations: a for-profit health care organization, a not-for-profit health care organization, and an organization outside of health care. As you examine the organizations’ mission and vision statements, consider the following:
  • How effectively do the mission statements articulate the organization’s purpose?
  • How effectively do the vision statements reflect future aims?
  • Do the mission and vision statements convey who (which groups) the organizations serve? Do they indicate obligations to various stakeholders?
  • Are the statements an appropriate length?
  • What do you glean about how leaders in health care and in other industries envision and convey mission and vision?
  • What do you discern about the interdisciplinary nature of crafting mission and vision statements by looking across organizations, including those outside of health care?
• Identify key insights you have gained by comparing the mission and vision statements of these three organizations.
• Consider how an organization’s mission and vision relate to the planning hierarchy. For each organization you have selected, think about how the mission and vision could or should influence planning. What elements of each mission and vision stand out as especially significant?