Vision, Mission and Values

By Jesse Stoner

Many of us are familiar with Louis Gertsner, Jr.'s famous quote when he took over as CEO of IBM - "the last thing IBM needs is a vision." And we also know that in July of 1995, he conceded the desktop OS war with Microsoft, admitting it was due in part to poor planning. Shortly after that the feature title of October 1995 Business Week was "Yes, Louis Gertsner does have a vision."

And we know, George Bush never could never quite grasp the "vision thing." What does all this mean for us ordinary people? If great leaders struggle with how to create a vision, how can regular people create a compelling vision?

For many of us, the idea of vision seems elusive or unnecessary. However, vision does not have to be something magical or intangible - bestowed only by great leaders. Each of us is capable of creating a compelling vision and bringing it to reality. And when a group of people within a company share a common vision, amazing things happen.

Vision

Vision is "a picture of a highly desirable future state. It is a picture of the end-result; not the process for getting there."

It is more specific and tangible than just a vague sense or "positive thinking." At Ford Motor Company, "Job One" is the prototype that comes off the assembly line. It has to be perfect because it is the model that all others are built against. At Ford, "Quality is Job One" creates a clear vision of what quality looks like.

When people share a common vision, they share the same picture of success. For example, the shared vision at CNN is for the network "to be viewed in every country in the world in English as well as the language of that region." It will be easy for all members of CNN to identify how close they are to achieving their desired future state.

Having a picture of the end-result creates tremendous energy. Consider the vision of the Apollo Moon project: "to place a man on the moon by 1969." This clear picture generated and focused an incredible amount of energy. When they began the project, the technology to achieve it was not even in place. However, they overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles and their performance was outstanding and spectacular.

Mission

However, vision alone is not enough to guide people in organizations toward the future. They must also understand the purpose or mission. Why did we want to place a man on the moon by 1969? Was it to win the space race? to begin the Star Wars initiative? or in the spirit of Star Trek, to boldly go where no one has gone before? Lacking a clear statement of purpose, (to answer "What next?") NASA has shown neither clear direction nor outstanding performance since 1970.

Mission is "a clear statement of purpose that explains your reason for existence." It answers the question "why." It is most powerful when it comes from your customer's perspective; not from the perspective of the services and products you offer.

Cable Network News (CNN) says they are in the business of providing hard-breaking news as it unfolds-not the entertainment business. All of these companies have defined their business in terms of customer needs. According to CNN, the typical family today is too busy to sit in front of the television at 7:00 PM. "Dad has a second job, mom is working late, and the kids are involved in activities." Therefore, they provide news on demand.

Mary Parker Follett, a pioneering business consultant, was asked to help a troubled window shade company. The company's thinking was narrow and limited. When asked to define their business they said, "We produce window shades." When pressed to define what business they were really in, they discovered, "We are actually in the light control business." When considering their business from the viewpoint of their customers, they realized people who buy window shades really want to control the amount of light coming through their windows. This opened up new opportunities for producing and selling because there are many ways to control light.

Stanley Magic Door could have decided they were in the business of making automatic doors. Instead, they defined themselves as in the business of "facilitating and controlling the access of people and things through buildings." What a difference in implications for future directions! And, their people have a greater understanding and excitement for the products they produce and sell.

According to Disney, their purpose is to "use our imagination to bring happiness to millions." Merck researches and produces drugs; however, their purpose is to "preserve and improve human life."

Values

However, clear purpose alone will not create the future you desire. Clear purpose tells what you do, but it does not give any guidelines for how this purpose is to be accomplished. Clearly stating and living your values fuels the passion that keeps you focused in the face of obstacles, adversity, and change. Values tap into people's feelings. They evoke standards people care deeply about.

"A value is a deeply held and enduring view of what we believe is worthwhile."

Values specify in broad general ways how we will achieve our vision. They describe how we intend to operate, on a day-by-day basis, as we pursue our vision. Consider the vision of Chemlawn "making America green one lawn at a time." How much stronger would it be if it included operating values like "in an environmentally safe manner."

YOU NEED IT ALL - One Statement

Neither mission, values, or vision alone can guide people. You need a statement that includes all three.

When you can make one statement that encompasses all, a tremendous amount of energy is suddenly unleashed. There is a higher level of commitment because employees are able to see the relationship between the direction of their company and what they personally believe in and care deeply about. It ensures that all employees are quite clear about what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how their work relates.

Henry Ford envisioned the common people driving around in automobiles. He saw access for everyone, not just the elite. The mission for his company was to build and make available affordable transportation (automobiles). The underlying values were to create access for everyone, not just the rich. The vision of the end result was of a multitude of cars on the road, driven by all kinds of people. As his vision became clear, the means to achieve it also became clear; and eventually he developed a way to achieve it - mass production.

BENCHMARKS

Compelling visions are about more than just survival. They are about being great, going for the gold, and stretching beyond what is easily achievable. It is hard to inspire enthusiasm in a company that has a vision that "dares to be mediocre." Test your company's statement against these benchmarks.

Is it:

Clear, understandable

Believable

Proactive, not reactive

Challenging and demanding

Enduring

About being "great" - not solely about beating the competition

Inspiring and not expressed solely in numbers

Does it:

Help you understand what business you're in

Demonstrate a clear business direction and the priorities

Provide guidelines that help you make daily business decisions

Help you understand others' business decisions

Touch the hearts and spirits of everyone in your organization

Can:

Each person in the company find him/herself in it; see where he or she fits

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