Your Vision, Mission and Values are Worthless
Save space on your website. You don’t need a vision statement, a mission statement or a list of values. They are worthless!
Most companies and a lot of individuals have a vision, a mission and a list of values. When we design them, we have high expectations that the impact of these philosophical platitudes will be huge.
THE TRUTH:
If your Vision, Mission and Values don’t impact your behaviors, they are worthless!
Simplify and Communicate!
Why should I take the time to develop a vision statement, a mission statement and a list of values if they do not influence behaviors? If I design something that has no impact, why should I continue to claim it?
3 Reasons Vision, Mission and Values Lack Impact
Vision, Mission, and Values statements lack impact because for three reasons:
1. Too Long
When a vision is a paragraph long, a mission is a paragraph long, and there is a list of values that rivals God’s commandments to the Israelites, why are we surprised people don’t remember them?
2. Too Complicated
When a vision, a mission, and a list of values read like something an aspiring PhD candidate would write to impress his faculty advisors, why are we shocked people don’t refer to them more often?
3. Not Communicated
When I claim to believe in something yet I never share those beliefs with others, why should I think my beliefs would influence the actions of those around me?
The Solution
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify –
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!
Vision statements, mission statements and values should not be academic exercises. They should be short, uncomplicated, and easy to communicate.
3 Rules of Thumb for Vision and Mission Statements
- It should be one sentence long.
- A 12 year old should be able to understand it.
- I should be able to recite it at gunpoint.
To download a FREE PDF on Vision and Mission Development click on the following title: The Overwhelmed Manager’s Power Pack
3 Rules of Thumb for Core Values
- Three to five core values are enough.
- Define them as behaviors – “What does good look like?”
- I should be able to recite the 3-5 core values at gun point
To download a FREE PDF – Values Defined Examples click on the following title: The Overwhelmed Manager’s Power Pack
The Bottom Line:
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify –
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!
If the vision, mission and values of team have no influence on the behaviors of that team, they are worthless! It does not matter how comprehensive or well written they are. They are worthless if they don’t have influence.
If the vision, mission and values are on a website yet never communicated or reinforced by the leadership, they are worthless! Just because the leader claims that something is important doesn’t make it important. The leader must communicate and reinforce what is important on a frequent and consistent basis.
It is the leaders’ (plural – all leaders) jobs to develop and communicate these foundational elements for the teams they lead. If they are not having impact, it is time to reevaluate them, and how they are communicated.
Beginning February 18th, 2015 at 1PM CST, listen to my interview with Stephan Moore as we discuss The Impact of a Leader’s Vision.
Stephan had a vision cast for him years ago and has spent the last 20 years developing young leaders in the inner cities. He is a great motivational speaker, former basketball star at University of Arkansas, a CEO, and a father of …10 kids!
Listen to our interview by clicking on the following title: IMPACT Talk Radio.
You can also access our interview on iTunes.
Question:
What do you need to do to be sure your vision, mission, and values have IMPACT?
Good points. I think the greatest challenge is convincing staff that they need to be as deeply invested in the vision and values as the leader. I can believe and breathe the values every day but if I do not have folks who believe on the front line; we will not move forward.
Agreed! Once they are established the leader must intentionally and consistently communicate the values and how they relate to the day to day business.