Where there is no vision, people perish –  Proverbs 29:18

What is your business vision?

What does your business stand for? What is its vision?   Its mission?

Values, vision and mission are the foundations of a business,  and a  reference  for alignment of business activity with  the desired organizational direction.  Avoiding activities which are  not in accord with the agreed direction of the business results in a focused business and cost effective marketing strategy.

Values underpin everything an organisation does and can guide a business through difficult situations and tough decisions. From a marketing strategy perspective, it is also important that brand values are aligned with those of the parent business.

The vision statement for an organisation announces to customers and staff where it is  heading and what it wishes  to become.  It’s  future focused and motivational.  An organisation’s mission statement reflects more of what the business wishes to achieve on a daily basis.

The large and successful corporate businesses with whom I have worked, as well as those smaller businesses just starting out, have benefited significantly from investing time early  in the business  planning phase  to articulate these statements.

Like any aspect of planning however, the values, vision and mission need to be firmly embedded into the culture of the business and  enacted  in its daily operations.  The statements mean little if they remain  just words within a document or on a business card.

Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers wrote the following about Vision in Seth Godin’s ‘What Matters Now’. He talks of how a vision connects employees to a larger story and how leadership is critical to both:

Vision is the lifeblood of any organization. It is what keeps it moving forward. It provides meaning to the day-to-day challenges and setback that make up the rumble and tumble of real life.

In a down economy – particularly one that has taken most of us by surprise – things get very tactical. We are just trying to survive. What worked yesterday does not necessarily work today. What works today may not necessarily work tomorrow. Decisions become pragmatic.

But after a while this wears on people. They don’t know why their efforts matter. They cannot connect their actions to a larger story. Their work becomes a matter of just going through the motions, living from weekend to weekend, paycheck to paycheck.

This is where great leadership makes all the difference. Leadership is more than influence.  It is about reminding people of what it is we are trying to build – and why it matters. It is about painting a picture of a better future. It comes down to pointing the way and saying,  “C’mon. We can do this!’.  When times are tough, vision is the first casualty. Before conditons can improve, it is the first thing we must recover.’

If you’d like assistance in revisiting your values, vision or mission as a first step – please Contact Us.

Image: djcodrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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