What are some tips for shaping my Mission, Vision and Values?
First, create a mission statement. It is extremely important to define your company’s purpose for existing through a brief mission statement. To do this, elicit words, phrases and ideas from everyone within the ranks, then condense it into a simple paragraph, free of jargon. As you write your statement, make sure it answers these three questions:
1. What are the needs we exist to address?
2. What are we doing to address those needs?
3. What principles guide our work?
Second, define your vision. This includes setting goals of where you want to go and objectives for how to get there. Well-chosen goals will keep you pointed in the right direction for as long as your company exists. They are your road map for the future and should be carefully defined.
Finally, create a values statement. What principles are behind the scenes of your company guiding you and the way you operate? Announce these to the world through your values statement. You will find it to be invaluable, especially when you face a crisis. It is then that your true set of beliefs will be tested. Adhering to your values can both boost your image and the bottom line.
Finally, make sure everyone in the company knows your mission, your vision and your values enough to be able to explain it to a person on the street. Then put them into action.