Mission and philosophy of an organization
The “mission statement describes an organization’s basic purpose, while the vision is a short, succinct, and inspiring statement of what the organization intends to become and to achieve at some point in the future, often stated in competitive terms” (Hannagan, 1998, pp. 125-26). Our organizational mission echoed a commitment of somewhat a wholisitic health care service as it includes the healing not of the body only but of the mind and spirit. It transcends beyond the usual kind of service provided by other healthcare professionals and organizations. The commitment of healing the spirit is beyond the realm of professional knowledge and experience of health care professionals and providers. Health care providers may be of help in healing the spirit of the patient but cannot directly provide the service and the process.
The vision statement on the other hand does not support this purpose of the organization evident by its emphasis on compassionate and excellent service – skills which can be learned and developed by most health care professionals through proper professional training and schooling. The vision statement anchored its commitment on the core competencies and professional capabilities of the people in the organization.
On the aspect of the similarities of the mission and vision statements, both echoed a commitment to serve the community. Both echoed a quality of healthcare service that is anchored on commitment and cooperation. The mission and vision statement also reflected the unity of the people in the organization to serve the community and its patients. Also, both the mission and vision statement further showed the failure to recognize the contribution and importance of the people in the organization in relation to the attainment of the mission and vision of the company.
The organizational mission statement is just merely descriptive of what the community can expect from the health care service of the organization, thus it does not function to inspire or guide the people in the organization. The vision statement too does not reflect something that would inspire and make people look forward to their future in the organization. Both failed to really articulate a statement according to its intended purpose.
The mission and vision statement has influenced my practice as a nurse as it raised my awareness of the goal of the organization to deliver compassionate and excellent health care service to help improve the health of the community. The mission statement made me realized that our responsibility of healing is not just on the physical aspect of the patient but including the mental and spiritual aspects of the patient in order that we can help improve our community’s health. Guided by these goals, I was able to view responsibilities to my patient beyond their physical aspect, however, it also made me concerned if I could be of help in restoring the soundness of the spirit of the person.
I may have all the professional training and knowledge in my job but this does not guarantee that if applied it can also help heal the spirit of the patient. This goal put me into quandary on the ethical considerations if faced with a situation where my own personal beliefs might interfere in the healing process of the spirit of the person. The process of helping heal the spirit of the patient might make me subjective rather than objective in my job. Also, as an employee both the mission and vision statement negatively impacted on my view of my future in the organization because both do not reflect organizational aspirations for the people which I considered very important.
I am aware of my responsibility to the community and to the organization I am serving, but the organization should also be aware of the needs and aspirations of the people who will make the organization mission and vision possible. The content of the mission and vision statements of the organization must inspire and guide people.
Our organization’s vision (philosophy) statement falls short on some important aspect of its function. Accordingly, the vision of the organization refers to the category of intentions that are broad, all-intrusive and forward-thinking. The organizational vision statement describes aspirations for the future, without specifying the means that will be used to achieve those desired ends. Our organization’s vision does not clearly reflect and define the future to stimulate.
Our organizational vision defined the character and identity of the people in the organization however, the way the organizational vision is stated does not reflect on what the organization aspires to become, to achieve, to create – something that will require significant change that will challenge people to attain progress and professional advancement. It does not provide encouragement to grow with the organization. The organizational vision only state the present being and identity but it does not so much reflect where it is going to be in the next years to come.
A dynamic organization should reflect aspirations to improve and change according to the demands of the ever-changing environment. Above all, the organizational vision should also be consistent with the organizational mission as the latter dictates the courses of action in the organization while the former identifies the strategies to take to attain the organization’s purpose (mission).
My suggestion is to state the mission and vision statement in a manner consistent with each other and should reflect on the core competencies of the organization and the people in the organization. On this manner the people in the organization will be able to really deliver a quality of service that shows highest degree of professionalism, compassion, and excellence.
The organization can also strengthen its competitive edge by capitalizing on the professional skills and competencies of its people. Through this approach a brand of service that is second to none in professionalism, integrity, dignity and excellence will be achieved and people are likewise provided the opportunity to apply their skills and fullest potential to the organization and the community.
Reference List
- Hannagan, T. (2000). Management: Concepts and practices (2nd ed). Great Britain: Pearson Education Limited.
