The Importance of Being Mission Driven in Your Business

As a business coach, one of the questions I hear most often is “why be mission-driven?” The answer is simple: so that you and your team never lose sight of the bigger purpose behind your existence. When you focus on your mission and vision, you can stay motivated and inspired even in the midst of the day-to-day routine of running your business.

Without a clear mission and vision, businesses can become boring and uninspiring. And yet, many companies don’t bother to distinguish between the two. They might have a separate values statement, but when asked about their vision and mission, they give the same answer for both. This is a mistake – your mission and vision should be distinct, and they should be used to energize your employees and create a unique, passionate culture within your company.

The best mission and vision statements are those that become mantras for action. They’re not just words on a page or framed on a wall; they’re catalysts that inspire people to work towards a greater purpose. The worst statements are those that are too long, too detailed, and too forgettable. You want your mission and vision to be memorable, exciting, and thought-provoking. You want them to spark debate, encourage discussion, and cause people both inside and outside your company to take notice.

So, what actually is the difference between mission and vision? Your mission should describe what you do best every day, while your vision should describe what the future looks like because you do that mission so exceedingly well. In other words, your mission is about managing with strength and greatness to improve everything daily, while your vision is about leading with inspiration and courage and being obsessed with future possibility and change.

Your mission should be what feeds the confidence of your organization. It should make people feel like they can do anything and that they are the best at what they do. It should inspire revolutionary ideas about even the most mundane tasks and banish mediocrity from your workplace. Meanwhile, your vision should create a growing anticipation about the future. It should encourage people to embrace change as a step closer to that compelling future you’re working towards.

Both your mission and vision should be alive and evolving. You should be constantly reinventing and growing the statements along with your business. They should be treated like living, breathing entities that inspire and motivate you and your team to be better and do better every day.

To really make your mission and vision come alive, turn them into mantras that people actually say with pride. When your employees feel invested in your company’s purpose, they’ll be more productive, creative, and engaged. They’ll feel a sense of ownership and pride in everything they do, and they’ll be motivated to work towards a common goal that’s bigger than themselves.

In conclusion, being mission-driven is essential to creating a successful and meaningful business. Your mission and vision should be distinct, memorable, and inspiring. They should be used to create a unique and passionate culture within your workplace that encourages people to be their best selves every day. Remember, your mission and vision are not just words on a page – they’re living entities that should be constantly evolving and growing along with your company.