Everyone agrees that having a clearly articulated Vision, Mission and Values Statements make good business sense, right? But how do they relate to each other and what is the purpose they serve?
In order to make better sense of the role that each plays, let’s look at a few simple guidelines that will help put them into context:
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Your Vision Statement should answer the questions “Why are we here? What are we hoping to achieve?”
It talks about your future and outlines WHERE you want to be and what you aspire to. It defines where you see yourself some years from now and it inspires you to give your best. Your vision shapes your understanding of why you are doing what you do and should clearly communicate your purpose and relate to the values of your business.
If we were to use a golfing analogy here, the Vision Statement would relate to the hole you are aiming for. And just as tomorrow never comes because there is always another tomorrow, you never actually arrive at your vision as it keeps driving you forward – there is always another hole to play in golf.
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The Mission Statement answers the question “What do we do?” and helps you to see how you will get to where you want to be in your business.
Your Mission Statement helps to describe the journey that you will undertake in the attainment of your vision, and lists the broad goals for which the organization is formed.
For golfers, it would be the journey down the fairway as part of the effective achievement of the hole – it is how you will perform in order to best realise success.
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Your values answer the question “Who are we?” and assist in defining who you want to be. These values should inspire the behaviours that you would like to see within your business.
Values provide a common guide to desired performance for all members of the team; they should underline your decisions and guide your actions.
Once again in a golf environment, the values would relate to the outline of the fairway. In the journey towards the hole, a golfer’s intention is to stay away from the “rough”, and in the same way values provide the parameters within which we work in the business.
Identifying or updating the Mission, Vision and Values statements is usually done during strategic planning, but constant reinforcement of these important leadership tools is what will bring them to life.
Through a good understanding of the role our Vision, Mission and Values play, we can ensure that they are utilised in a way that will positively influence the success of the business.
About the author
Timothy Millett’s training roles have seen him deliver programs across Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa and America ensuring cultural sensitivity as well as a broad base of experience in lecturing, teaching and training.
A graduate of the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland, his hospitality career spans management and director positions in Front Office, Guest Relations, Public Relations, Food & Beverage and Training with organisations including the Regent of Melbourne, The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Mövenpick Gastronomy. He was also a founding staff member of the internationally renowned Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School in Australia.
Tim is currently the Director of Training and Development at iperform, an organisation that specialises in Sales and Service, Leadership and Effective Personal Organisation programs.
