10 July 2007
When Determining Your Mission - Don’t Forget Your Vision
Posted by Darrell under: Blogging About The Outdoors .
Today, as I was browsing posts in the outdoor blog sector and compiling some for my Posts of Note section, I came across one that was especially interesting and important. It is so important, that I actually dedicated a seperate post for it.
Steve, at Skinny Moose Media, put up another great post to help bloggers get the most from their blogs, entitled “Have A Mission Statement For People To Read“. I agree with Steve that a mission statement is very important and am glad that he put up the article. I highly encourage everyone with an outdoor blog to read it.
However, a Vision is equally important. Your vision is where you are going (what is your ultimate goal) and your mission is how you achieve that goal. For example, a company that I’m intimately familiar with, has the following Vision and Mission:
Our Vision: Is to build lifetime customers that recommend us to their family and friends (where they are going - the ultimate goal)
Our Mission: Is to treat every customer like family (how they get there)
The important thing to remember about Vision and Mission statements, though, is that they are much more than a written re-assurance to your customers (or readers). They are your guide, and once you committ to them, you need to let those statements (or promises) guide your decisions and actions (and in the case of a blog - your content, your advertising, etc). This blog is only a few months old and I, as yet, have not determined my Vision. Do I want to “Help people understand the outdoors” or “Share My Love of the Outdoors With As Many People As Possible” or “Exemplify that Outdoorsmen Lead Fun and Exciting Lives” or “To Be The Source For Outdoor News”, etc, etc? You get the idea. I need a Vision. Without a Vision, I can’t have an effective Mission. One thing is for certain, Once I determine what my Vision is and how I can achieve that Vision (my Mission), I’ll let everyone know. And then, you can bet your wife’s saddle, I’ll stay focused on that Vision!
4 Comments so far...
Kristine Shreve Says:
10 July 2007 at 3:38 pm.
I think in the end having a vision is more important than having a mission statement, at least for me. In my case, having a vision allows me to avoid doing a lot of things that won’t get me where I want to go. If you don’t have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish, it is very easy to get sidetracked.
By the way, I like the new comment buttons. It makes it much easier to know where and how to comment. I wonder if you’re comments per post will go up now? It will be interesting to see if they do.
Hunting Sense » Blog Archive » Hunting Sense Blog Hunt #4: Outdoor Blogging Says:
11 July 2007 at 6:40 am.
[…] Read More […]
Darrell Says:
12 July 2007 at 9:58 am.
Kristine, Your Right - Vision is very IMPORTANT. You have to know where you are going or at least where you want to go. Once you determine where - it is easier to determine what is the best route for getting there. The interesting thing is that two people could have the same vision and then find two different routes for achieving that vision. Both routes can be right (and lead to achieving the vision) - even though they are completely different.
I like the comments buttons too. Can’t believe I never noticed it myself. Classic case of Tunnel vision.
My Vision: Inspire People To Enjoy The Outdoors » AlphaTrilogy.com Says:
24 September 2007 at 7:00 am.
[…] on the 10th of July, I did a post about the importance of having Vision. In that same article, I readily admitted that I did not have a clear vision for my blog. And, […]
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