Living Your Organization’s Vision, Mission, and Values

Published November 15, 2020

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Lewis Carroll

According to Bart & Baetz (1998), more than 500 firms surveyed have some forms of mission and vision statements. To echo the sage words from Lewis Carroll, knowing where you are going becomes critical for success. To help lead us in the right direction, organizations look toward their leaders to provide a vision of a path to achieve that is possible.

Many visible leaders who are effective are seen as charismatic. They are recognized as the drivers of organizational success. Salman (2013) tells us that this charisma and success contributes to the creativeness, innovation, and productivity in creating a reliable and competent workforce. This also means that leaders are seen as the engine of every business, driving the missions and vision to achieve what is possible or more.  

Organizations whose missions and visions are clearly communicated, widely understood, and collectively shared among all stakeholders have shown to perform far better than those without a well-understood mission/vision (Bart, et. al., 2001). Yet, it is not sufficient to just have well-articulated, well-communicated, and well-understood missions and visions. These must be clearly integrated and linked to the organization’s strategies, goals, and objectives. Visions and Missions are very different and often seen as the same, this is a common fallacy.

Vision

Your vision is a statement of your organization’s overarching aspirations of what it will be in the future. It should be a broad description that provides direction without a specific endpoint and demonstrates the value your organization provides. Your vision provides the “why” your organization exists and its ambitions. This can be seen in Sony Corporation’s vision statement: To be a company that inspires and fulfills your curiosity (O’Donovan, 2017).

Mission

Your mission is a statement of how your organization is different from other organizations in your industry. Your mission conveys to your stakeholders the “what” your organization provides and the “how” it creates value for the community you serve. For instance, the mission of The New York Times is to: Enhance society by creating, collecting, and distributing high-quality news and information (O’Donovan, 2017).

Values 

Your organization’s values are the code of ethics guiding those engaged in the organization. These are statements of what you believe in and how all your stakeholders are expected to behave themselves and with others. Values serve as a standard and a moral guide for the employees to direct their decision-making and establish the standard for assessing actions.

The more unique and clear your mission and vision are, the better you will be able to help to guide your organizational strategy and purpose.  With this level of clarity, achieving the organization’s strategies, goals, and objectives becomes more of a dance than a disjointed run. Creating a level of seamlessness becomes the role of the leader. Salman (2013) believed that it is only through this effective and seamless leadership that organizations can have their vision come to life, achieve their mission, and do so while living their values.

Action Items to Start Your Vision, Mission, and Values Journey

1. Write down your organization’s vision, mission, and values statements.

2. Determine how the vision, mission and values support your department’s goals and objectives.

3. Identify any misalignment or gaps from items 1 and 2, then resolve them with your management.

I hope you found this article valuable on “The importance of Your Organization’s Vision, Mission, and Values”. You can find more Management and Leadership knowledge on our website www.MagnaLeadership.com. We are trusted advisors for executives of small to mid-sized organizations who realize an investment in their emerging leaders solves their growth and engagement challenges.

Dr. Kevin Gazzara — is a senior partner and founder of Magna Leadership Solutions, based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is the author of “The Leader of OZ” www.leaderofoz.com. He is an international speaker and recognized as a Management & Leadership Expert and an Executive Coach. Kevin is a professor at 5 Universities developing and teaching programs to help others achieve their full potential. Please connect with Kevin and Magna Leadership Solutions through our website: www.magnaleadership.com, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/doctorkevin, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevingazzara, or our Facebook Fan Page at https://www.facebook.com/MagnaLeadership

I would be excited to speak with you about your current leadership and communication challenges. Please click here to book any open time on my calendar: https://Magnaleadershipkevin.youcanbook.me

If you have any comments, suggestions or ideas, I encourage you to share your thoughts with me and my readers in the comments below.

Thank you,
Dr. Kevin Gazzara
Magna Leadership Solutions LLC
Founder and Senior Partner

References

Bart, C. K., & Baetz, M. C. (1998). The relationship between mission statements and firm performance: An exploratory study. Journal of Management Studies, 35, 823–853.

Bart, C. K., Bontis, N., & Taggar, S. (2001). A model of the impact of mission statements on firm performance. Management Decision, 39(1), 19–35.

O’Donovan, K. (2017). 20 Inspiring Vision Statement Examples (2017 Updated). Retrieved September 12, 2018. http://www.lifehack.org/articles/work/20-sample-vision-statement-for-the-new-startup.html

Salman A. (2013) Benefits of Good Leadership In Business and Role of Good Leadership in Business Success https://rapidboostmarketing.com/benefits-of-good-leadership-in-business-and-role-of-good-leadership-in-business-success/