Mission - Why Does Your Organization Exist?

For a lot of people, this can be a tricky question.

One answer might be, "It’s what we do.”

But that's not very inspiring or unique - and your answer needs to be just that.

Because "why" your company exists - is the bedrock of its mission.

Without an inspiring and unique mission, it’s easy to get bogged down in the?day-to-day grind of your business. It’s easy to “fall asleep at the wheel.”

But that’s how knowing your mission can save you - it's what keeps your business?focused, on track, and growing.

Last time, we covered Vision and Goals.

Mission is the 3rd?element of the Trifecta: Vision - Mission - and Goals.

So consider the following 5 questions to help you define and sharpen your mission.

1. Why does your company exist?

Last time I sent you a shortened version of Simon Sinek’s famous "Start with Why"?TED Talk. It asks you to think beyond profit, and ask what your company’s purpose?really is. Consider:

• What do you want to be known for?
• When people look between you and your competition, what sets you apart?
• What justifies your company’s existence?

This question takes us to the big picture. What we’re trying to do is get to the heart of?what your organization means to you, and what you want it to mean for your industry?and market.

2. Who is your company for?

Yes, you need to know what you want to accomplish - what you want to be known for.?

But you also need to know who?is benefiting from that.

If you struggled with the first question, this question can offer more clarity. After all,?you’re not just in business solely for yourself. Hopefully, you also want to improve your?customers’ lives.

Put it another way: What would your customers’ lives be like if you didn’t exist?

• Who is affected by your absence?
• What are your customers missing?
• Where are they turning to instead?

That’s what you provide - and those people who would miss you. They are who your?company is for.

3. How do you do it?

If you know what you want to accomplish with your business, and who you want to serve,?you’ve got a great start on your mission. If you know where you want to go, it’s easier to?get there.

But it’s not just about knowing you want to succeed. You have to know how you're going?to do it. You have to know what you do best.

You have to know what is your value proposition.

There are different routes to achieve your goal, and in order to understand your mission,?you need to know which route you’re taking.

4. Who are you?

If you can say why your company exists, who it’s for, and how you do what you do best, you?can define who you really are - or want to be - as an organization. That self-understanding is?fundamental to creating a rock-solid mission.

However, this can be another lofty question that’s tough to pin down.

So get specific: What are your core values?

• What values define your customer service? Honesty and transparency? Timeliness?
• What about your production? Quality? Innovation? On-Time-Delivery?
• How about your work environment? Collaborative? Supportive?

You have to understand your identity in order to communicate that identity to others. If your?investors, customers, and employees align with your core values, they’ll stick around because?your missions match. After all, that's what makes you so special.

5. What’s next?

Knowing where you want to go, and how you’re going to get there is how you create a vision?for your company’s future.

You also need to consider - what’s next out there?

Changes in your market, new developments in your industry, and other variables will undoubtedly?affect not only your present state of being,? but also your mission and your view of yourself as a?business.

You need to be ready for these variables - so you need to take time now to think about the future,?and ask “what’s next?”

Ultimately, you ask yourself: What does “the end of the road” look like for us?

• Where do you want to be in 3 years, 5 years, or further out in the future?
• What roadblocks might appear in your way? How will you overcome them?
• How will your mission hold up against changes in your industry?

Keeping an Eye On Your Mission

The day-to-day work of running a business is relentless, I know. It can be hard to take a step back?and really look at the big picture - and harder still - to keep looking at the big picture.?

So here’s an approach to help you.

Write these questions somewhere you can see them every day. Then, as you brainstorm your answers, jot them down on Post-It notes and stick them below the questions.

Every day as you look at these notes, you’ll begin to hone in on your answers, adding or taking down the Post-Its as you need. Eventually, you’ll find the answers that stick (no pun intended).

A great business isn’t just here to clock in and grind it out: ?you’re here to put your stamp on the?market in some distinct way.

Defining your mission will tell you what that stamp - what your legacy - is going to look like.

And living up to that legacy by staying true to your mission tells you how to run your organization.

What to Consider…

1. Does your company have a central, guiding purpose? If not, what is the “why” that justifies your existence?
2. Do you have a specific, articulated vision for success? Or is your mission just to “achieve the most revenue possible”?
3. Is your company's identity clear to your employees and the people you do business with? Is it clear to you?

For a lot of people, Mission can be a "soft and fuzzy" topic. Done properly it can separate you in the market - and help you achieve both your Vision and your Goals.?

And that's worth the effort.

What do you think?

Use the comment area below and share your experience or advice on this topic.

Like to learn more? Request: The Ultimate Growth Strategy Guide: 3 Keys to Avoid Spending Time, Money & Resources Going in the Wrong Direction. Contact me at 480-766-1772 or [email protected] .

Rich Kohler is a Business Growth Expert. His company, Kohler Consulting Group specializes in helping CEOs and Marketing Executives of Mid-Market Aerospace & Defense, Hi-Tech firms who want to recapture growth momentum, confidently navigate change, reduce risk around their strategy to accelerate sales, maximize profitability, achieve full potential.

A former Fortune 500 Executive, he has helped BAE SYSTEMS, Eaton, GE Aviation, Smiths PLC, Transdigm address stalled growth, flat-lined revenues, declining profit margins; to take a step back to more clearly and confidently navigate rapidly changing markets & technology, intensifying competition to reduce uncertainty, increase effectiveness of their strategy.

We apply a comprehensive CEO perspective to attack growth on multiple fronts, utilize proprietary & globally proven systems, methodology and combine consulting, coaching, and training to produce significant near-term results. We focus first on enhancing profitability, then pursue growth.? We also apply a unique approach - designing customized strategies “Built from Within” that are right for your business - fully leverage your unique organization capabilities…so you can accelerate profitability and sales growth in any economy.

Serious about accelerating your growth - and moving to that next level of success? ?Contact Rich at: [email protected].