I talk a lot about goal setting in these leadership lessons. I think it is very important to keep sight of the big picture. It’s easy to get hyper focused on what you are doing and lose sight of what you want out of life. Goal setting is a good way to keep your eye on the prize, but if you don’t have a vision of what you want, how can you set productive goals?
In business, companies generally have a mission statement that is publicly posted on their website. A smaller portion of companies also have a vision statement. The mission statement defines what companies do. It is intended to educate the public on the company's objectives and core values. It should be motivational and easy to relate to. It can also help employees remember why they are doing what they do.
A vision statement on the other hand looks at where we want to be. The statement is primarily for employees and internal stakeholders. It showcases where the company would like to be in the future and highlights specific goals. It’s important for growing companies to have vision statements because it gives everyone in the company a collective, overarching goal to work towards. While a mission statement might say, “Lawton Academy provides differentiated education for gifted and talented students,” a vision statement might say, “Lawton Academy is changing the way in which we educate children. It strives to make a difference in the world and provide the best education to children across the country.”
The above is not our official vision statement. But it could be. We are focused on providing the children we have in our school with the best possible education. Furthermore, we all have goals to change the way in which children are educated. So, our day-to-day consists of meeting and achieving our mission, but we see this practice as also working towards something bigger. While we are not actively pursuing franchising or other growth options, it’s always in the back of our heads that we are working towards something bigger, and we make decisions that are correct for the moment but could also positively impact that vision. Without that vision, we would still meet our vision, but we wouldn’t have any long-term goals to work on.
Another thing vision can do is give you a reason to go on when things get tough. This is an incredibly hard time to be in education. With the ongoing pandemic, it feels like the rules are constantly changing, everyone is in danger, and we are always in trouble with someone. Teaching is a hard job aside from the fact that we now have the pressure and responsibility to keep kids safe while not making the parents so upset that they leave. It is very hard to navigate this school year (and the previous year and half before it).
Many educators across the nation are giving up and making a career change. New research states that 1 in 4 educators are seriously considering not returning to their job next year. That is significant and very scary. But I also can’t blame them. Without the vision we have to hold on to, I might have considered the same thing. This is a big reason that students should have vision as well. From their vantage point, they have been working hard all throughout their schooling, and they are being rewarded with losing all of their fun activities (sports, trips, dances) to COVID. Additionally, they have been told their life that they need good test scores to make it into college, and now colleges don’t even look at test scores for admission. If adults are struggling so much with this concept, think about how hard it is for a child to stay motivated.
We are in desperate times, it seemingly gets better, and then we are right back in the trenches with this virus. If you are a parent reading this, think about the range of emotions you have felt over the past two (almost three) years. Now imagine that you are a child and the parts of your brain that are intended to process that information are not yet fully developed. Even if your child is not showing outward signs of struggling with the pandemic, there are things that they are processing consciously and subconsciously. Help give them some hope in this trying time and work out a vision that they can cling to when times are hard. For little ones, vision boards with pictures are easy ways to help visualize the future. For older students, discuss with them what they would like in their future. Once you have that conversation, you are better equipped to help them keep their eye on the prize. We have a week-long break coming up; use that time to get refocused and to understand your vision.
- Bria