So you’re thinking of developing your vision and mission statements, or refining your existing ones? Good for you. But you need to think… is this something genuinely integral to your company’s business strategy, or just something that will look pretty in a plaque in your reception area?
Unfortunately, a large number of companies (and some we confess are our own clients) have nice sounding vision and mission statements that don’t really filter through their organization and have diddly squat to do with their “raison d’être” (reason for being). You probably know some yourself… their vision/ mission states ‘customer service’ and then you call them and get a dumb receptionist who puts you on hold for 10 minutes and then forwards you through three departments before you finally get a dead dial tone. That’s why you should ask yourself if your vision and mission statements are for real. If you’re not really sure, then grab yourself a couple of aesthetically pleasing mission and vision template statements off internet sites (some offer them free), but if you’re serious then read on…
Visions should be articulated at the top, and they should define why the company is in business. The vision should include broad intent and aspirations for the future. It should have an enduring quality and have the ability to inspire. Remember this will be the battle cry that will rally your entire company to fight for you, so take time to do it well. Where you get into more concrete purpose and direction is in the mission statement. It gives guidance to the company and motivates staff by defining priorities. If you want a kick-behind mission statement then get it as close to specific as you can, and make it relevant to your stakeholders, including customers, shareholders, employees, partners and vendors.
So what should you keep in mind when drafting your mission statement? In our client strategy workshops we emphasize the need for a key theme around which everything revolves. “Everything” includes four elements: value, realism, specificity and optimism.
The flavors of mission statements vary depending on the company. Yours will depend on the industry you’re in and the type of company you want to be. Some companies choose short term goals and then tweak their mission statement frequently, and some state longer-term objectives. In today’s climate, and especially in rapidly evolving industries (say technology), we recommend short-term goals that are adjusted at least quarterly to be able to address new business opportunities. (Some brash top end internet companies even do it monthly!)
Companies in more static environments also need to review and revise their vision and mission statements periodically. We see companies in the UAE who have developed their statements at the birth of the entity with no one going back to ensure they are aligned to the company’s current business goals. (So bottom line, there should at least be an annual review). Keep your mission statements short and focused. If they’re too long winded no one will remember them and if they’re complicated they will lose their effectiveness.
So invest enough time in developing your vision and mission statements, so that they may work for you and hopefully guide you onto the path of success and prosperity.
