Vision, Mision & Core Values

The mission statement communicates the purpose of the organization, the vision statement provides insight into what the company hopes to achieve or become in the future, and the values statement reflects the organization's core principles and ethics.

Imagine an organization that has no reason for existence. It advertises a career opportunity but provides no job description or expectations from the candidates. A handful of people apply and are hired without going through any interviews, and they are to report to the office the following day. Trust me; that will either turn out to be a cult or a wrestling ring. Many organizations are just like what I have described above. They have a silent mission and vision, and the employees are not even aware of them, but who is to blame?

Lack of growth in many organizations can be traced back to a lack of a clear mission and vision. Employees are like headless chickens, each trying to find their way, and in such cases, conflicts are inevitable. I'm a firm believer in ethics and morals; the two are supreme, far beyond religion and spirituality. As a matter of fact, some religions are immoral and unethical. Having strong core values shapes the morals of the organization; they bring about uniformity in the beliefs and character of the staff despite their ranks.

In my second place of employment after college, my boss, Anne Wavinya, made it a must for all members of staff to know our vision, our mission, and the core values. In fact, a roll-up banner was printed capturing the same, and all the staff were supposed to memorize, recite, and, above all, live the vision, mission, and values of Fountain Media Group. She was so serious about it that she had promised to send people on leave to internalize it if they didn't grasp it as fast as she expected. Otherwise, "What mission are you here for?" she would ask.

In the organization that I work for, integrity is one of the core values. How far should that value guide me? Within the premises of the organization or far beyond, up to my personal life. Defining the values and helping your staff internalize them makes your staff a good representation of you beyond the office. Their character represents you as an employer in and out of the office. Take a scenario where you visit office "A," and the receptionist is a neighbor in your apartment who will always abuse the neighbors for using her hanging lines. You are then handed to a staff member whom you saw drunk yesterday and fighting and abusing the waiters; the CEO is familiar because he has appeared in different papers with several scandals. What will come to your mind? Will you still proceed to engage with them further on what took you there?

Once internalized, vision, mission, and core values become a guiding light beyond the work environment.