ROADTRIP! If you could jump in your car and go anywhere, where would it be?
When planning a getaway, you most likely don’t just jump in your car and drive. You pull up Google Maps on your phone and plug in your desired destination and use that blue line as your compass to get you where you want to go! Sure, you might plan a pit stop to visit a friend or try a restaurant you saw on TV, but ultimately you are going to follow that blue line to your location. Business values and that blue directional line have a lot in common.
The dictionary defines values as:
- the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.
- A person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life.
Most companies have a mission, vision, and values statement on their website.
So what is the difference between the three, and how do they affect your company’s goals and direction?
A mission statement is what a company is wanting to achieve. Most mission statements include the action steps the business will take to get there. Going along with the travel theme, think of the mission statement as the places you want to see, things you want to do, and the food you want to eat on the way to your destinations, like Buc-ees!
A vision statement is your long-term goal for your company, where you want your business to end up. This is not only your destination but your whole point of choosing that location, like visiting Arizona to hike!
Values or core values- are standards that guide the way you do business. Ultimately they sum up what your company stands for and drives how and why you do things. While business plans, strategies, even the mission, and vision may pivot (looking at you 2020), your business’s core values will usually remain the same, although can shift as you change personally, professionally, etc!
But where to start?
Block out some time. This process is not quick, nor is it easy.
Start with a brainstorming session. If your company was a person, what would you want their personality to be?
What do your customers say they love about your company?
What values would you put above a profit?
What is your company’s mission? What values are naturally related to what you want to achieve?
Benefits of creating your company values.
Your company’s values serve as your compass when making decisions. When you face a business decision, ask yourself, ‘does this reflect my company’s values.’
Having a solid set of values also helps in:
- Making choices
- Narrowing down job candidates
- Selecting your ideal clients (which in turn helps you know where and how you look for clients)
- The systems you create
- Creating your work schedule
Have you created company values? How did you decide on them?
Rooting for you,
Meridith
PS: Did you know I have a free Facebook group all about how to outsource to a virtual assistant? Join us here!