1. No one (not even you) can remember your Mission, Vision & Values (MVV).
Your MVV may be a fancy, laminated picture on the wall, but If no one can remember it, it isn’t working for you.
2. It’s not unique to who you are.
Insert company name here…we are the best, we offer superior customer service, we, we, we…sound familiar? Your mission, vision and values should be specific to who you are. When a great MVV exists, your key stakeholders know exactly who it belongs to. Only then have you done your job!
3. There is not a clear purpose.
Your purpose and reason for existing needs to be woven into your MVV. Why did you decide to start your business? What problem were you wanting to solve, or opportunity did you want to seize? Why does your business matter? Your community or stakeholders (including people who work for you) want to know your passion and purpose.
4. There are too many core values.
We all want to be smart, fun, interesting, glamorous, witty, stand-out, memorable, blah, blah, blah. Core values are the foundation of who you are, and they should be memorable to everyone in the organization. Three to four core values are all that are needed (or will be remembered) to set a strong foundation. These words are precious, and they matter. They should also help you connect with the people you serve, and they should be unique to you.
5. Your vision is not inspirational.
Where do you want to take your organization and how will what you do change people’s lives or build a better world? Where do you want to be in the future? Every person who works with you wants an inspirational roadmap for where you want to go, and they want to believe in the vision.
If you’d like to build a MVV that works for your organization — one that you can be proud of and remember, an inspirational and memorable message that people who work for you want to be part of and fulfill, one that will set a roadmap for your future success — reach out to Michele@opp-knocks.org and see how you can join an organization of peers mentors who are growing their business.
