Filed in Strategy

I have often found myself in conversations with clients about the meaning and purpose of some of the most fundamental business terms — words like Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Values. It surprises me how often people on the same team have differing ideas about what these words mean, and how often I hear fuzzy thinking about these terms. The result can be significant mis-communication and mis-understandings about the direction of the organization. It is very hard to focus on what you cannot define.

I find that many leaders use mission and vision interchangeably, or think that the difference between them doesn’t matter much. Another related problem is mission and vision statements that are vague, lofty, or have little connection with the real work of the organization.

Let me suggest some definitions that have worked well and solve these problems. They are based on decades of strategy work with clients, as well as authors such as Collins & Porras (Built to Last), Steven Covey (Principle Centered Leadership), Peter Senge (The Fifth Discipline), and Kaplan & Norton (Strategy Maps). Even a dictionary can be amazingly helpful.

Mission: Enduring purpose. The fundamental reason for the organization’s existence beyond just making money. It is a direction, a general heading, a perpetual guiding star on the horizon. It does not change over time. It is generally abstract and can never be achieved, only pursued. For example, for NASA: “advancing man’s capability to explore the heavens”.

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It’s common knowledge that for a team or organization to be effective it must be aligned around its Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Values. But how many of us actually take the time to inquire into how aligned we really are?

Our first Practice of the Month is all about looking at the state of alignment in your team or organization with a curious and open mind. As you talk to people you work with this month, engage them in conversation on these topics:

• How would you define Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Values?
• How confident do you feel that you understand and can articulate the Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Values of your team or organization?
• What do you think the Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Values of your team or organization are?

Take notes as you discuss these question with people. When you get to the end of the month, look through your notes and see what themes you can identify. Are there basic differences in how people define these terms? How much variation is there in what people describe as the plans of the team or organization? How confident do people feel in their understanding?

You might consider sending out an email or memo summarizing your findings. It could be a valuable contribution to your organization to reflect the level of alignment that honestly exists today.

I’d love to hear your stories of what you learn!