A nautical chart on a dark blue table, with a pair of dividers and a plotted course leading to an orange block, among notebooks and coffee cups

StrategyVision, mission and ambition

A vision, mission and ambition to give direction

Does everyone in your organisation know where you want to be in five years? The Next Organization helps boards and owners put the direction into clear words, so you can test every decision against it.

Sound familiar?

The direction used to come from the owner, but the business has grown
After a merger or demerger, there is no shared direction
You know what you want to improve, but not where you want to go
The management team has a long list of themes, but no shared direction
Your mission is on the website, but nobody acts on it
Your ambition is a wish, with no number or deadline attached

What are vision, mission and ambition?

Together, vision, mission and ambition answer the question of where your organisation is heading. Each has its own role, and together they form the starting point of your strategy.

Vision, mission and ambition side by side

Visionthe world around you

The question

How do we see the world, and what future do we want to help create?

How to recognise it

It is about the world around you, not about your organisation
Missionyour contribution to it

The question

What do we contribute, for whom, and what makes us different?

How to recognise it

It starts with "We" and is about the here and now
Ambitionyour measurable goal

The question

What will we achieve in three to five years?

How to recognise it

Measurable, with a number, a deadline and a clear shift from one position to another

Vision, mission and ambition often stay undefined, especially after a merger or rapid growth. That is why you set them together, with the board, the executive team and management.

Who you are is described by Why, How, What and your core values. Those last longer; your vision, mission and ambition move with the market.

What you get

You get your vision, mission and a measurable ambition on a single page, each with a core statement and a short explanation. You set out the ambition in phases, on a growth path you can actually deliver. That gives you a basis for judging investments and priorities, and for knowing when to say no.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a vision and a mission?

Your vision is about the world around you and the future you want to help create. Your mission is about your contribution to it: what you do, for whom and what makes you different. Write the vision first, then the mission.

How do you write a good ambition?

Frame the ambition as a shift, for example from regional player to national specialist in your niche. Add a number and a timeframe of three to five years. Without a number and a timeframe, it remains a wish.

Who should be involved in your vision, mission and ambition?

The executive team and the owners, and in a foundation or group, the board as well. Conversations with the board and management give you a starting point. You then set the direction together in working sessions, so that the direction is broadly supported.

How often should you update your vision, mission and ambition?

Review them every time you go through a new strategy cycle. The vision changes least, because it is about the long term. The ambition is adjusted sooner, for example when you have already reached your goal or it moves out of reach.