Friday, 14 February 2020

Mission, Vision, Values – Who’s the orphan?




Working with organisations to define their EVP or culture, or helping them communicate better, I need to understand their essence.

That’s often defined in mission, vision, values. Some replace, or add to, them with purpose, behaviours, principles etc

I think that’s too much.

My observation is that – done well – two can gain traction: can capture attention, stay in the minds of employees, affect decision-making, are felt by customers, (Equally, if they don’t capture the spirit, or describe meaningful goals, all fall flat)

In any event, three is too much, there’s always one or more orphans. One that gets neglected, that falls by the wayside.

Because it says less. It’s less distinctive, less precise. And so, people are less arsed about it.
My hunch is that companies feel they need to have all three. It’s in the textbook. 

A scout of the literature shows few good reasons. There are, however, a LOT of articles explaining the difference. To me, that underlines the problem.

My solution? Ditch one.

If it doesn’t speak to you, your people or the people you serve, get rid. If you can’t tell me why it’s there in 10 seconds, bin it. Focus only on what really matters, that excites, connects and inspires your audience.