How can we describe authentic, thoughtful values that truly align to positive behaviors?
They stick together like peanut butter and jelly and there is nothing like that combination of thoughtful values and positive behaviors to build an organization’s culture, brand and reputation.
A company’s mission sets the direction.
Its vision inspires the team on their journey.
Values establish the guidelines. Behaviors make the words real and actionable.
Why do mission, vision, values actually matter?
Don't they just get dusty as a poster on the wall? Values bring organizations closer together - which is why they must be true to how you actually work, not just nice thoughts on swag.
When posted on a wall or projected on a slide, if your mission, vision, or values elicit an eye-roll response from your team - instead of a nod, a "yup, that's right," or even a "hell yeah!" - that's your sign that it's time to take a fresh look at what you claim and get closer to the actual reality of working in your organization. If they don't actually reflect the experience of being inside your organization, they'll never ring true to inside OR outside audiences.
This is true about anything you communicate to candidates and employees - if employer brand messaging, internal comms initiatives, or executive communications don't match the real experience of working in your organization, they will simply not work.
- If your mission, vision, or values could be a direct cut-and-paste from any other organization, it's time to take a fresh look.
- If your values only describe basic, mature human decency - but don't describe anything that gets close to what actually makes you different or what actually drives decision-making and behavior in your firm: time to take a fresh look.
What does it look like when organizations actually get sharper and more real?
It feels more like telling the truth than spin. And it is actually visible in behavior. This is why great mission, vision, values work hand-in-hand with leadership culture.
At Employera, we work collaboratively with organizations to define relevant and real Mission, Vision, and Values to help them define the company narrative and establish statements that take on the genuine personality of the company.
Two clients successfully completed a refresh of their mission, vision, values and the important strategic move they made was to identify the genuine behaviors that bring them to life. Our client, Off Base, a creative marketing agency and technology studio serving the gaming industry, worked in concert with our experts to blend the agency’s personality and culture into a powerful mission, inspiring vision and unique values. Hayward, a billion-dollar public company celebrating it's 100th anniversary, brought together their global team to land on mission, vision, values, and behaviors that will guide them well into their second century.
Want to Keep the Conversation Going?
If you’re looking to refresh your mission, vision and values let’s work together and shape a narrative that captures the truth of who you are and where you're going.