The vision mission exercise

Words matter only if they flow from the depths of intentions, when they have consequences

We’re away on a mission-vision exercise,” said the client’s voice on the phone, speaking Hindi.  ‘Vision’ sounded like what philologists call an echo word: a handy utterance meant both to downplay the echoed word —mission, in this instance. Like we say “tax-vax” or “college-shollege”. Mission-vission.
 
That was two decades ago. These days, Deep Design often deals with the corporate brand, and must uncover what makes it tick in its own special way. This inevitably begets close encounters with the company’s Vision and Mission statements, hanging lifelessly in the conference room (or above the photocopier in the utilities room).  A