Our Mission and Values (2024)

FAQs

What are the mission and values? ›

The mission is how a company puts its purpose and vision into action. Company values define how your company does business. Shared company values are guiding principles for how people show up, treat each other, and how a company succeeds.

A good mission statement should only focus on what is most important to the organization. It should be brief, clear, informative, simple and direct. It should avoid elaborate language, clichés, and generalizations, and it should emphasize outcomes and the people the organization is serving.

The mission statement defines how the organization differentiates itself from other organizations in its industry. It is more specific than the vision statement and is intended to show how stakeholders' needs will be satisfied. The values statement defines how people in the organization should behave.

Mission statement: Creating products to minimize human labor, so we can focus more on living and less on working. Vision statement: To reduce the need for human labor and create a more AI-focused labor force in the next five years. Value statement: Scientific study, innovation and cost reduction.

Core values are the principles and priorities that guide an organization's actions. They represent the foundational commitments and deeply held beliefs that allow a company to navigate complex situations while keeping their identity and culture at the forefront.

Mission statement – This defines your purpose. It's what you ultimately want to achieve in your life or career, expressed in a specific, measurable way. Vision statement – This is a bit more emotional. Here, you define your core values, and how you'll apply those values to your mission.

Value statement: “Service to the customer, respect for the individual, strive for excellence, act with integrity.” Walmart does a great job explaining their values in a way that is simple and easy to understand. They use everyday language, and their explanations are short and sweet.

Leaders often need to revisit the mission, vision and values of an organization. Often this is done in that order -- mission, vision, then values -- the theory being that values should support the vision, so you need to know the vision first.

Purpose, mission, and values, including company core values and leadership values, are strategic business elements that act as a roadmap, guiding organizations toward their goals. They influence business decisions, inspire employees, and build customer loyalty.

Your values form a significant part of your personal identity. They shape you into your authentic self and give you a sense of purpose and meaning, driving your personality, goal setting, and how you lead your life. Your values also give you a better understanding of who you are.

What is more important mission, vision or values? ›

Mission is the building block and vision is the fuel that drives you forward. Your core values are what keep you on track. Without adhering to a set of values, an organization runs the risk of falling apart.

Your mission statement should clearly express what your brand does, how it does it, and why the brand does it. You can quickly sum this up in your mission statement by providing the following: Brand purpose. What does your product or service do or aim to offer and for whom?

Statements of vision and mission should be simple, concise and easy to remember. Use just enough words to capture the essence. The statements need to capture the very essence of what your organization or business will achieve and how it will be achieved.

Some organizations call these guiding principles, company principles or company beliefs. Mission and purpose answer the question of why an organization exists. Values answer the question of how it gets where it wants to go.

A mission-driven business is one that integrates its values into its operations, from corporate philanthropy to administrative decisions. It prioritizes its purpose beyond generating profit, focusing on how it can use that profit to reinvest in its employees, consumers, and community.

Leaders often need to revisit the mission, vision and values of an organization. Often this is done in that order -- mission, vision, then values -- the theory being that values should support the vision, so you need to know the vision first.