I am often asked to better define the concepts of Vision, Mission, Goal, and Target as they relate to campus operations.   For terms that are thrown about so casually, there really is a lot of confusion and just wrong thinking about what these are.  In an attempt to clarify these terms and critical understandings instead of a 6,000 word essay, I present to the LYS Nation, “Vision – Mission – Goal – Target: A Travelogue”

Consider the following picture. For something seemingly so innocent and benign, there is a lot going on.

In this picture of a seemingly random journey, the RV represents your school.

The mountains on the horizon represent a vision. This vision, though somewhat abstract, represents where we aspire to eventually arrive. 

The road represents our mission. This is what drives us forward and over time positions us to fulfill our vision.  The mission can and should slowly adapt and evolve.

On we progress on our mission path, there are goals.  These goals ensure that we stay focused on accomplishing our mission.

Finally, there are targets that we use to gauge progress and determine what adjustments we need to make to ensure that we meet our goals.

Think. Work. Achieve. Your turn…

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