A Mission Statement defines the company's business, its objectives and its approach to reach those objectives. A Vision Statement describes the desired future position of the company. Elements of Mission and Vision Statements are often combined to provide a statement of the company's purposes, goals and values.

Following are the major differences between vision and mission:

1. The vision describes a future identity while the Mission serves as an ongoing and time-independent guide.
2. The vision statement can galvanize the people to achieve defined objectives, even if they are stretch objectives, provided the vision is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound. A mission statement provides a path to realize the vision in line with its values. These statements have a direct bearing on the bottom line and success of the organization.
3. A mission statement defines the purpose or broader goal for being in existence or in the business and can remain the same for decades if crafted well while a vision statement is more specific in terms of both the future state and the time frame. Vision describes what will be achieved if the organization is successful.