Re: Mission Statements
From: Susan Hyne (susanhynegmail.com)
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:32:40 -0800 (PST)
Some observations from working on our community's long-range planning team
in 2010-2011 (we moved in the fall of 2007)....



We discovered a range of understandings of the terms "mission statement,"
"vision," "values," and "purpose statement."  I'd suggest starting by
getting clarity on terminology so you are working toward the same outcome.



We opted to leave our fairly long "Vision and Values" intact and to work
together as a community on a "Purpose Statement."  Our Vision and Values
was forward looking (because it was written well before move-in) and we
wanted a current focus on how we were applying our vision and values.  Then
we selected specific goals for the next year.



Our Purpose Statement process involved individual and small-group
contributions of ideas and actual statements.  Also having a small group of
"wordsmiths" to generate drafts plus the final version was helpful in
blending ideas (not a doable task in a large group).



I admit to a personal preference for working on your own mission statement
prior to looking at other groups' mission statements.  An example at the
far end of the spectrum...a few years ago, another cohousing community
"adapted" our Vision and Values Statement (giving us credit and basically
inserting their community name).   It is hard to imagine the words having
the same heart and meaning for both communities.



That said, feel free to look at our Vision and Values and Purpose Statement
on cohoecovillage.org (look at the pdf version to get the full graphic of
the Purpose Statement and read the text after the graphic that explains it
more).

-- 
Susan Hyne

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