By Maria Leali, Principal, Synchronous Solutions
First of all, great job on creating your vision and mission statement! It can be a challenging process, but well worth the effort. A powerful vision and mission statement can jumpstart the progress of an organization and the people in it.
Since you’ve put substantial time and energy into creating these, don’t just let them die! Leverage them at every opportunity!
The next steps are crucial for making sure the vision and mission you’ve written down help drive your organization forward. Here’s what you can do with them:
- Align the Team: Ensure that all employees, partners, and stakeholders understand the vision and mission. This alignment is key for a shared sense of purpose. When people feel included and involved in the vision and mission, they are motivated to make it a reality.
- Internal Communication: Organize meetings or workshops to discuss the newly-crafted vision and mission. Include them in internal email communications on a regular basis. Consider getting them professionally printed and framed, then hang in key locations.
- Onboarding & Hiring: Include the vision and mission in your onboarding materials for new hires. Also, consider during the interview process if a potential hire aligns with what you’ve set out to achieve. Will they be a part of driving the organization forward?
- Use Them as a Guide for Decision-Making: Your vision and mission should guide day-to-day operations and long-term strategic decisions.
- Regularly ask, “Does this decision align with our vision and mission?” when making important decisions.
- Ensure all teams, departments, or leaders are measuring their activities against the vision and mission to stay focused.
- Incorporate Them into Your Brand: Make your vision and mission central to how your brand communicates to the world.
- Add them to your website, marketing materials, and social media bios to show potential clients or customers what you stand for.
- Communicating your vision and mission to the world helps attract your ideal customers and potential hires. People are attracted to organizations whose vision and mission align with their own.
- Use Them in Goal-Setting and KPIs: Break down your vision and mission into specific, actionable goals.
- Set strategic intents that are aligned with your mission, and then break them down into measurable key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Use the vision as a north star and the mission as a guide for tactical action in the day-to-day.
- Revisit and Evolve Over Time: Your vision and mission aren’t set in stone; they should evolve as your organization grows and the world around you changes.
- Periodically check if your mission and vision still reflect your organization’s trajectory and adjust as needed.
- Collect feedback from employees, customers, and stakeholders to ensure they’re still relevant.
- Celebrate and Reinforce: Highlight your vision and mission in everything you do, from team celebrations to external marketing.
- Make it a part of your culture by incorporating it into team activities, recognition programs, or company events.
- Celebrate with the team when milestones are achieved that align with your vision and mission to keep the energy around them alive.
In short, treat your vision and mission as dynamic tools that drive your culture, strategy, and success. They should guide decision-making and be a constant reminder of what you are working toward.
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