Problem Framing

Mission Vision Tool | Worksheet

| Worksheet
2) Highlight or circle your favorite words or phrases from the
previous answers!
Vision Statement Defining the Right Problem
A vision statement describes future conditions in aspirational terms. 3) Draft your vision statement:
What is the problem? Who has the problem? What is the scope?

OUR VISION
1) Answer these questions about your team/project/organization: When and Where do they experience it? Small Big
Trivial Serious
Static Dynamic
A. Who and/or where do you want to see a C. What would success look like?
change?

Who else has it? What are the elements of the problem? Who does not
Physical, social, emotional, professional, primary, secondary have it?
Colleagues, competitors,
other domains, etc. Colleagues, competitors,
Why? other domains, etc.
Why haven’t we solved it?
It’s New Why not?
Provide examples.
It’s Hard Avoided
How do they deal It’s Low Priority Mitigated
with it? Other Solved
Other

Stated another way, the problem is:

It should sound something like this…
B. How do you want it to change? D. What are your ambitions? We envision a _____(A)_____
where _____(B, C, D)______.

How might we create ways to __________________________________________________________________________________________

4) Quality Check
ACT ON PAIN/GAIN
q Unique – does it differentiate your organization from others?
for ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
q Understood and shared by members of the community
PERSONA
q Broad enough to include a diverse variety of perspectives
q Emotional. Inspiring to everyone involved in your effort
while considering ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
OTHER STKEHOLDERS
q Clear. Short enough to fit on a T-shirt
q Timeless. Still valid if organization changes strategy.
as we aim to _______________________________________________________________________________________________________?
JOB TO BE DONE
q Plain English – remove buzzwords and jargon

TEST: How would we feel if the opposite condition occurs?

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Problem Framing
Mission Vision Tool | Worksheet
| Worksheet
C. How do we do what we do?
2) Highlight or circle your favorite words or phrases from the
Mission Statement previous answers!
Defining the Right Problem
A mission statement describes present
What is the problem? Who has the problem? What mission
3) Draft your is the scope?
statement:
activities in concrete terms..
OUR MISSION
When and Where do they experience it? Small Big
1) Answer these questions about your
team/project/organization : Trivial Serious
Static Dynamic
A. What do we do?
D. Who are our customers/users?
If unsure, use the Persona tool
Who else has it? What are the elements of the problem? Who does not
Physical, social, emotional, professional, primary, secondary have it?
Colleagues, competitors,
What do we not do? other domains, etc. Colleagues, competitors,
other domains, etc.
Why haven’t we solved it?
It’s New Why not?
It’s Hard Avoided
How do they deal It’s Low Priority Mitigated
with it? Other Solved
Other
How do these actions support the vision? E. What value do we bring?
If unsure, use the Value Prop tool

Stated another way, the problem is:

It should sound something like this…
Our mission is to _____(A)_____ by/through _____(C)_____.
B. Why do we exist?
We ___(E)___ so that ______(D)______ can ______(B)_____.

4) Quality Check
How might we create ways to __________________________________________________________________________________________
q Verb-based - what your organization does and why it does it
ACT ON PAIN/GAIN

q Concise and specific – one sentence

for ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bonus! Top 3 adjectives to describe your org
PERSONA q Outcome-oriented – what you’re working to achieve
What is unique about us?
q Inclusive – broad statements about groups goals, not too limiting
while considering ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. OTHER STKEHOLDERS q Meaningful– does it convey the why?
q Plain English – remove buzz words and jargon
as we aim to _______________________________________________________________________________________________________?
2. JOB TO BE DONE

TEST: If we stopped doing these things, could we still achieve the vision?
3.

ITK@mitre.org © 2018 The MITRE Corporation. All rights reserved. Approved for public release. Distribution unlimited 18-1663-5 7/30/18
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Problem Framing
Mission Vision Tool | Worksheet
| Worksheet

Vision / Mission Tool

Defining the Right Problem
Begin with a VISION statement if you are starting
What from scratch.
is the problem? Who has the problem? What is the scope?
Begin with a MISSION statement if the organization has already started or has a general vision established
When and Where do they experience it? Small Big
A VISION STATEMENT describes future conditions in aspirational terms. Trivial Serious
It focuses on: Static Dynamic
• The benefit you aim to provide
• The change you aim to make
• The desired end-state
Vision statements should be evergreen.
Who else has it? What are the elements of the problem? Who does not
Physical, social, emotional, professional, primary, secondary have it?
A MISSION STATEMENTColleagues, competitors,
describes present activities in concrete terms.
It focuses on: other domains, etc. The Colleagues,
MISSION supports the VISION
competitors,
other domains, etc.
• What you do. Why haven’t we solved it?
• How you do it. It’s New Why not?
• Why you do it (supports the vision). It’s Hard Avoided
How do they deal It’s Low Priority Mitigated
Mission statements should be
withrevisited
it? regularly.
Other Solved
Other
Sample mission/vision statements:

Feeding America:
• Vision: A hunger-free America.
Stated
• Mission: To feed America’s anotherthrough
hungry way, theaproblem is:
nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end
hunger.
Nike:
• Vision: Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.
• Mission: Create groundbreaking sports innovations, make our products sustainable, build a creative and diverse global team, and
How might we create ways to __________________________________________________________________________________________
make a positive impact in communities where we live and work. ACT ON PAIN/GAIN
Tesla:
for ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Vision: To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. PERSONA
• Mission: To create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.
while considering ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Goodwill OTHER STKEHOLDERS
• Vision: Every person has the opportunity to achieve his/her fullest potential and participate in and contribute to all aspects of life.
• Mission: Goodwill works as to
weenhance
aim to _______________________________________________________________________________________________________?
the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities,
JOB TO BE DONE
eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work.

ITK@mitre.org © 2018 The MITRE Corporation. All rights reserved. Approved for public release. Distribution unlimited 18-1663-5 7/30/18
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