Does having a clear mission statement, vision and values add value to your company? In order to find out, let’s play a game…How many of the following corporations (and one charity) can you identify from their mission/vision statements? Answers below.
1. Mission – To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.
If you have a body, you are an athlete.
2. Vision – Save people money so they can live better.
3. Mission – To provide access to the world’s information in one click.
4. Mission – To create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.
5. Vision – To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.
6. Vision – To build the Web’s most convenient, secure, cost-effective payment solution.
7. Vision – Provide a global trading platform where practically anyone can trade practically anything.
8. Mission – To inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.
1.Nike
2. Wal-Mart
3. Google
4. Tesla Motors
5. LinkedIn
6. PayPal
7. eBay
8. Save the Children
How did you score?
If you managed to guess any of them correctly it shows that organisation (a) has spent time working out exactly what its aims are and (b) is achieving them. A lot of value is being added in that trust is being built. People can see evidence of these organisations working according to their aims.
How about values? Do an organisation’s values identify it in a similar way? Try to identify the following six well-known corporations according to their values, it’s a bit trickier… Answers below again.
1. Leadership: The courage to shape a better future
Collaboration: Leverage collective genius
Integrity: Be real
Accountability: If it is to be, it’s up to me
Passion: Committed in heart and mind
Diversity: As inclusive as our brands
Quality: What we do, we do well
2. Focus on impact
Move fast
Be bold
Be open
Build social value
3. Humbleness and willpower.
Leadership by example.
Daring to be different.
Togetherness and enthusiasm.
Cost-consciousness.
Constant desire for renewal.
Accept and delegate responsibility.
4. Integrity
Accountability
Passion
Humility
Simplicity
A focus on success
5. Grow our business in a way that makes us proud.
Recognise that passion and personality matter.
Communicate fearlessly to build trust.
Defend and respect the user’s voice.
Reach every person on the planet.
Innovate through experimentation.
Seek diverse perspectives.
Be rigorous. Get it right.
Simplify.
Ship it.
6. We think customer
We lead the way
We do the right thing
We are determined to deliver
Together we make the difference
1. Coca-Cola
2. Facebook
3. Ikea
4. Kellogg’s
5. Twitter.
6. Virgin Airlines
Did you get any of them right? If you did, well done. I think it would be great if it were easier to recognise a company through its values.
Having the right mission, vision and values in place and communicating them well should be integral to all your messaging, both internally and externally. It doesn’t just add value, it communicates the unique value of your offering and makes customers and staff want to join you.
If you need to take a rain check after lockdown and get some help honing your USP by working on your mission, vision and values, why not sign up to the 2nd free MVV challenge, starting 6th July 2020?