Mission, Vision and Values – A different take

I am writing this to test my hypothesis. That means you are welcome to present your point of view- be it in line with the hypothesis or otherwise.
 
We hear it so often that #Mission, #Vision and #Values (MVVs) are decorative pieces adorning the walls of corporate offices.
 
That said, we also cannot ignore the fact that there are shining examples where MVVs form the fulcrum of the organization and are credited with supporting their growth and transformation. 
 
Unfortunately, those are few and far between.
 
MVVs remaining showpieces in such a large no. of organizations sounds so weird to me. A framework that is a guiding force for one organization should become an ornamental piece in another?
 
I am sure there are many reasons for this. And my experience and observation suggest that one of the major reasons is the approach taken to craft MVVs. 
 
So often it is done because other organizations are doing it.
 
Many a times It’s taken up directly at the leadership off-sites, with sample MVVs presented for reference.
 
The whole approach is ‘outside in’ where as I believe, it needs to be ‘Inside Out’.
 
In their very basic form:
 
a) Mission has to do with why someone is in business. What need is he catering to?  That being so, the process of crafting a mission should begin with a discovery meeting with the #Founder / #Entrepreneur / #CEO (as the case may be). We need  to capture that driving force of the person/s. And if that is fleshed out and captured correctly (and that’s where the role of facilitator comes in), that energy and force will always be felt in the organisation, by the words and deeds of the person driving the organization.
 
b) Vision is about where do you want to get with your offerings, in a certain timeframe. This again has to be first fleshed out with the person driving the organisation. How far is he/she willing to go to pursue his passion, is what needs to be captured.
 
c) Values will come from what behaviour / ethical standards are acceptable that will facilitate achievement of the mission and vision. Again, it requires exploration with the person/s at the helm of affairs. 
 
With these foundational elements fleshed out, it is of course, very useful to communicate, engage, tweak as necessary and align the CXO team and the rest of the organisation. And while doing that, all the best practices around crafting and articulating MVVs can be leveraged. 
 
The simple point I am making is that unless MVVs are real priorities of the person/s driving the organisation, there will never be enough energy and force for them to be institutionalised. And like I said earlier, there are shining examples of MVVs having contributed to sustainable growth of organizations when these have been driven by the founder’s priorities.  
 
The ‘outside in’ approach has been used for quite some time now. I think it’s time we changed the sequence and gave ‘Inside Out’ a chance.
#leadership #growth #transformation #business #management