Does your organization have stated values and a vision? I am often surprised that many don’t. Values and vision are tightly entwined and sometimes expressed as Unifying Principles. Still, they have fallen out of use in many places because they became stale and weren’t developed but directed.
Values for an organization are like your individual values; they are the timeless guiding principles of your business. It is who you are as a team, your behavior, actions, and habits. There should only be a few, 3 to 7, developed by the leaders. They are the critical underpinning for your culture and should be simple but descriptive.
Like your personal vision, your organization’s vision should be the aspirational description of what you want to be, with as much detail as possible. The vision for an established business will be different than a new business.
Vision should include your revenue goals, target market, ideal client, 3- and 5-year pictures, and even a 10-year target. It is the end state you’re striving to attain, and when everyone can see that end state, they can plan and act according to their roles.
With well-communicated values and vision, every teammate plays the same game; productivity improves, turnover decreases, and objectives become more precise. Tell somebody where you’re going, and they will go with you.
Challenge: look at your team pick out a few teammates who personify the perfect teammate/employee. Write down the characteristics that make them so. Now compare those against your stated values. Do they line up? If you’re a leader, take it to the table. Well-developed values and vision will improve your culture and your bottom line.
