Is There a Difference Between a Mission and a Vision?
What Does Your Law Firm Want to Be?
I recently participated in an online listserv discussion prompted by a question about the organizational distinction between mission and vision. Some respondents proposed that a mission is what you're doing now, and a vision is what you want to do in the future. My position was simpler, namely that getting hung up on such semantic distinction is irrelevant. Instead, the real question on this distinction when posed for law firms, is "What does your firm want to be when it 'grows up?'" And what tactics do you need to achieve that future? Worrying about the semantics of it keeps people from creating what needs to be done
What Business Are We In?
To answer these questions, a firm must answer one more: "What business are we in?" In other words, you should decide if you and your firm are in the business of providing general legal services across a wide range of disciplines, or specialized services to answer specific client needs. That in itself raises a full range of other questions:
Set Goals and Objectives
Surprisingly few firms, large or small, go through this exercise. Deciding what you want the firm to be requires a forward-looking set of goals and objectives, with the proper tactics to implement and achieve them. Identify the most important and desired business outcomes within a given time period, define what is necessary to achieve those outcomes, and work toward them consistently. This can only be effective within the context of the firm's decision about what it wants to be - a decision that all members of the firm must commit to and be accountable for.
Get Buy-In from Everyone
It's clear that all of the key players must agree on the direction of the firm. If the partners are not clear about the overall goals as well as specific objectives and strategies, then the firm will never get to where it wants to be. Partners should "buy in" to the idea, although all members of the firm - including associates, paralegals and staff - need to have input into the decision. For solo practitioners the buy-in requirement can encompass a spouse, "significant other" or entire family. No matter how and from whom the relevant information is gathered, don't worry about whether it supports a mission or a vision. The objective is to set professional and personal objectives and stick to them.
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