Having a defined business identity is important to reflect what you do and why you do it. That's why in Hispanic Entrepreneurs we guide you through the steps to make the mission and vision of a company.
What is mission and vision?
The vision, mission and values are the essential elements of the corporate identity because they give it coherence, originality and authenticity as a brand. These are concepts forgotten by many entrepreneurs. Forbes reported that 70% of people don't know or understand their company's vision. So if you are starting a business keep this in mind.
First we must be clear about what mission is the commitment of the company and its reason for existing. This defines what their role will be in society, it must be sustainable over time. It usually includes a general description of the organization, its function and objectives.
Its main objective is to inspire all those who participate in the company, from those who lead it to consumers and collaborators. A well defined and written mission will make potential clients recognize the brand and associate it with a specific product or service. This process is called brand awareness and should be updated at least every two years.
The idea is that the company gain notoriety, be well remembered and make it different for the market.. For example, Google's mission is: "Organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." Meanwhile, Ikea's is: "Improving the daily lives of many people."
Another good example is that of McDonald's: "We focus on delivering great tasting, high quality food to our customers and providing a world class experience that makes them feel welcome and valued."
The vision of the company
While, the vision has to do with the future, how far you want to go and what are the objectives. That is, the ideal expectation of what the business wants to achieve, also indicating how it will achieve the goals. What do we want to be and where do we want to go?
Set the criteria that the company will follow to meet these objectives. Even when the vision includes a desired situation, it should not be an illusion, but a realistic project.
For this reason, technological, economic, social elements, resources and available capacities must be taken into account. Its design will depend on the type of business and the claim with which you want to formulate it. It is useful when making strategic decisions and is changed when necessary.
For the Colombian company, Juan Valdez defines its vision as: "To be the most recognized Colombian brand in the world, for its healthy growth and sustainable impact."
Microsoft, for its part, put it this way: “Our vision is to create innovative technology that is accessible to everyone and that adapts to the needs of each person. Accessible technology removes barriers for people with disabilities and enables people to make the most of their capabilities.”
Importance of mission and business vision
These identity elements of your business are crucial because it allows its positioning in the market. It makes you focus on the strengths to attract the attention of the ideal client.
Making the why clear will help differentiate you from the competition with a transcendent value proposition. Sharing the motivation behind the effort will make your brand inspire.
In addition, you establish the tone of voice of the organization and lead everyone who participates in it to speak in the same language. Aligned communication is what is needed to successfully implement strategies.
On the other hand, they serve as a guide to produce marketing strategies or commercials. Let's remember that consumers buy more because of why you do it, instead of what you do.
It also makes its workers feel passionate about what they do and contribute everything to achieve the goals, staying loyal. Through the mission and vision they will understand how their activities help achieve a larger goal.
Studies indicate that 71% of employees continue to work in a business with which they feel connected. Remember that the mission statement inspires employees to keep in mind the values that define the brand, as well as its objectives.
Steps to make the mission and vision of a company
Generally, those in charge of creating the mission and vision are its founders. They are the ones who envisioned a course and know where they want to go with the brand. But before writing them, it is key to take into account the financial, social, human, environmental, cultural, etc. aspects.
To carry out the mission, you must go back to the origins and define the values that the company. These are nothing more than the ethical and professional principles with which it is committed during its operation. Ask yourself what is the reason for being of the company beyond profitability. It also analyzes why the brand has such punctual work.
Answer these questions: What does the company do? To what target audience is it directed? And what is its competitive advantage? In addition, what is its geographical scope of action, the competitive advantage. Then identify who you want to help and why.
Highlight how you are different, what you offer that the competition does not have or what social value you contribute. This way you will know what problem the company is willing to change or improve. It may be something related to lowering pollution by using environmentally friendly materials.
Write clearly and simply, the extension is decided by you. The essential thing is that it is understandable and that whoever reads it identifies the company's reason for being. It must be easy to remember. Start with a verb that indicates a change in the status quo such as: we seek, we help, we fight, we persevere, etc., followed by an explanation of the problem you want to change. It culminates giving the identification of the clients that you want to reach.
Incorporate keywords, expressions, terms or phrases that reflect the philosophy and values of the company. Take an example of what large companies do, they define their business mission with a slogan.
They use a small phrase in which they concentrate their idiosyncrasies. Although it is a challenge to condense all the ideas in a few words, it is possible to turn them into sentences if you get the right inspiration. If you do not have that talent, the ideal is to have the support of an expert in corporate branding.
Another factor to consider is that you have to use the present tense, make an active statement of what you are doing. Review what is written very well and correct what is necessary to immediately polish or redefine the approach. Pay special attention to the syntax so that everything is consistent with what you want to say.
Tips for writing the vision
When it comes to creating the vision, you need to think long term. Reflect on what you want the business to be in the future. It shows its importance for the community, society in general and collaborators. What do you offer as a result?
Mention how you will achieve it, to do this establish how you see the company in a few years and how it would adapt to the challenges. Likewise, how do you want it to be perceived and what do you want to contribute to society. It is essential to be sincere and realistic so that your intentions and wishes are truly reflected.
Subsequently, choose the principles that are identified with the brand, from 3 to 10 is enough. They must be specific to your business, highlighting the unique result that only your business can achieve.
A helpful tip for determining values is to think of the business as a person or customer. Give him a personality and imagine how he would act in different circumstances.
The presentation of the vision can be done in a single sentence or as long as necessary. The key is to understand and highlight the important points. However, it is recommended that you have a paragraph of five or six lines.
Additionally, the mission is the starting point to improve the formulation of objectives and strategies. Ensures its continuity, manages to allocate and guide organizational resources logically. Likewise, it formulates detailed missions for each unit and helps maintain a work environment that motivates.
Lean on the technique of SMART goals: that is, that it be measurable, achievable, realistic and defined in time.
Other steps to make the mission and vision of a company
Additionally, it is necessary to verify that the vision is compatible with the mission, that it truly contributes to achieving it. Try to have a specific duration and quantifiable objectives that will be the reference for the work team.
Look for it to be abstract, that is, a general description to give it a broad strategic direction. Don't waste time giving too many details.
It can help us to point out the mission by brainstorming. The fact of collecting ideas with your collaborators will make it possible to reflect from different areas and perspectives.
What to avoid when formulating the mission and vision
The worst thing to do is be generic or incomprehensible with your mission and vision. If this happens, customers will not understand the offer and employees will not be clear about how to execute the processes.
Do not generalize, or write without thinking. Don't use clichéd or overused words like "lead supplier" either. As well as, complicate the message using technical, complex or sophisticated terms that do not say anything to those who read it.
Avoid setting unattainable goals and boring with philosophical statements, which will scare away instead of attracting.
Clearly communicate what your brand does, because if you present something ambiguous you will confuse consumers. Another mistake is that the vision is not compatible, nor does it align with the mission. Likewise, do not define it without first carrying out the feedback process and analyzing the internal and external information. But the most serious is not applying the mission and vision in the business on a daily basis.
How to communicate the mission and vision?
Once the mission and vision have been polished and edited, share them with everyone. The first step is to publish it in the company, so it will serve as a guide and inspiration for the team. Find a popular place to paste, paint or hang them.
It is essential that it appears in all marketing and promotional materials. It should be included in brochures, site, stickers, social networks (biographical line), etc. Even on the screen savers of company computers.
It is essential to repeat the message through the channels that you have, it is not about indoctrinating, but about showing with stories how they are applied.
Do not forget that the vision is the place where we want to be and the mission is the means that will lead us to achieve it.
