To sort a statement, ask three questions: does it look to the future, does it describe what we do now, and does it have a number and a deadline? The answers point to vision, mission or objective.
This lesson belongs to vision, mission and objectives. Next you will learn to write measurable objectives.
What are the three clue questions?
| Clue question | If the answer is yes |
|---|---|
| Does it describe a far future, with no figure? | Vision |
| Does it say what the business does, for whom, and how, now? | Mission |
| Does it contain a figure and a time limit? | Objective |
Apply the questions in this order. A statement with a figure and a deadline is an objective, whatever words surround it.
Worked example: Bengkel Motor Jaya
Six invented statements from a motorcycle workshop. Sort them.
- “To be the workshop every rider in the district trusts.”
- “We repair and service motorcycles quickly and honestly for riders in Kampung Baru.”
- “To service 120 motorcycles each month by December.”
- “To become the leading motorcycle workshop in the state.”
- “We provide affordable spare parts and clear repair quotes to local riders.”
- “To reduce average repair waiting time from 3 days to 2 days within 4 months.”
Statements 1 and 4 are visions. They describe a desired future and contain no figure or date.
Statements 2 and 5 are missions. They say what the workshop does (repair, service, supply parts), for whom (riders in Kampung Baru) and how (quickly, honestly, affordably).
Statements 3 and 6 are objectives. Each has a figure and a deadline. In statement 6 the waiting time falls by 1 day, which is one third (1 ÷ 3) of the original.
The mistake that costs marks
The common slip is to call a vision an objective because it sounds ambitious.
| Student answer | Problem |
|---|---|
| “The workshop’s objective is to become the leading workshop.” | “Leading” has no figure or deadline, so it is a vision. |
| “The workshop’s objective is to service 120 motorcycles each month by December.” | Correct: a number and a deadline. |
A second slip is to say the mission is “to earn more profit”. Profit may be a goal, but a mission should say what the business does for its customers.
Check yourself
Invented case: Kedai Runcit Siti. Sort each sentence and give a reason: (a) “To be the first shop people in Taman Indah think of for daily needs.” (b) “To open until 10 p.m. by March, from 8 p.m. now.” (c) “We sell groceries and household items to families near the shop at fair prices.”
Answer
(a) Vision: a wish for the future, with no figure or deadline.
(b) Objective: it has a change (from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., two more hours) and a deadline (March).
(c) Mission: it states what the shop sells, to whom and in what way, in the present.
Name the clue in each reason, for example “a figure and a deadline” for (b).
What to study next
Once you can sort statements, continue with writing measurable objectives for a fictional business. The business case-answer planner helps you quote the clue words in your answers.
If you want a teacher to go through more cases with you, see online one-to-one Business tuition.