What's the best way to create a strategic vision and mission for your culinary program?

1 Assess your current situation

Before you can envision your future, you need to understand your present. Conduct a SWOT analysis to identify your program's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This will help you determine what makes your program unique, what challenges you face, what opportunities you can leverage, and what threats you need to mitigate. A SWOT analysis will also help you identify your program's core values, which are the guiding principles that shape your culture and behavior.

2 Define your vision statement

A vision statement is a concise and inspiring statement that describes your program's desired future state. It answers the question: What do you want to achieve in the long run? A vision statement should be aspirational, realistic, and specific. It should reflect your program's values, identity, and purpose. A vision statement should also be memorable, easy to understand, and motivating. It should capture your program's passion, ambition, and direction.

3 Define your mission statement

A mission statement is a brief and clear statement that explains your program's reason for being. It answers the question: What do you do, how do you do it, and why do you do it? A mission statement should be focused, relevant, and actionable. It should define your program's scope, approach, and impact. A mission statement should also be aligned with your vision statement, and support your program's goals and objectives.

4 Communicate and implement your vision and mission

Once you have created your vision and mission statements, you need to share them with your program's stakeholders, such as your students, staff, partners, and funders. You can use various channels and methods to communicate your vision and mission, such as newsletters, social media, websites, brochures, posters, events, and meetings. You also need to ensure that your vision and mission are integrated into your program's operations, policies, curriculum, and culture. You can do this by setting SMART goals, developing action plans, monitoring progress, evaluating outcomes, and celebrating achievements.

5 Review and revise your vision and mission

Your vision and mission are not set in stone. They are dynamic and flexible, and should evolve with your program's changing needs, circumstances, and opportunities. You should review and revise your vision and mission regularly, at least once a year, to ensure that they are still relevant, accurate, and effective. You should also solicit feedback from your program's stakeholders, and involve them in the revision process. This will help you maintain alignment, engagement, and commitment to your vision and mission.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?