A recent visit to Museum L-A in Maine, a local history museum serving the communities of Lewiston and Auburn, revealed a clever way to keep the mission and vision visible and prominent. They were posted on large boards in the conference room above the refreshments–whenever a group met, they couldn’t miss these reminders of the organization’s purpose and direction.
Their mission and vision were developed through a community-wide facilitated process led by E. Verner Johnson and they came up with statements that go far beyond the typical “collect, preserve, and educate”:
Mission
Museum L-A strengthens community and connections between generations by documenting and celebrating the economic, social, and technological legacy of L-A and its people.
Vision
Museum L-A chronicles the history of work, industry and community in Lewiston and Auburn; serves as a community gathering place; creates engaging learning experiences; and contributes to the civic, cultural, and economic revitalization of L-A.
For more details, see their strategic plan highlights on their website. I was pretty impressed with this local history museum, so you’ll find a post or two about it in the future.
I have always (always) loved this idea. An extension I’ve seen is to post it in public places at the institution, so that members/visitors know not only the mission but also how seriously the staff/board takes that mission.
Great idea, Bob! I’ve also seen mission statements printed on the back of business cards (but it’s got to be short and sweet to be legible!).