The 3 elements of a shared perspective

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Good morning, this is Refresh. Rethink., where we even Rethink our Rethinking!

Today, we Rethink one of the most misunderstood concepts out there – Strategy. "Strategic” has become buzzy, and used to make business-related topics sound more important:

• A simple Meeting becomes a Strategic Meeting and we spend twice the time on it;

• A Marketing plan becomes a heavyweight Strategic Marketing plan;

• It’s no longer enough to have Goals, they’re always Strategic Goals now.

Do you see how fancy everything looks when it becomes strategic? I’d even say my marriage isn’t a simple marriage. It’s a strategic marriage 😎✌️.

Anyways, let me give you my own simple explanation of what a business strategy actually is.

In a nutshell, strategy is about “deciding what your company achieves and how to get there”.

Strategy is about choice.

And you have to choose, because you can’t be and do everything and for everyone all at once.

All choices start with a perspective.

What is perspective and why do you need it in strategy?

Perspective is a way of seeing things in the light of your business. You can have multiple perspectives, but to move forward you must choose. The one you choose is the one your articulate.

When people share the same perspective, they have a sense of belonging to one another. And when we belong, we share a purpose.

In the 24 years of my experience in leading people and teams, I have seen that when people share a purpose. People are more engaged and motivated.

I’ve also seen what happens when there’s no common perspective. Teams become like life rafts drifting in the vast ocean at night with no lighthouse to guide them.

If you want your team to do amazing things, then, as a leader, it is your job to guide them.

And we – leaders – give guidance by creating a shared perspective.

Here’s how.

The 3 elements of a shared perspective

A shared perspective consists of three key elements:

• Mission statement

• Vision statement

• Core values

Mission statement

At the surface level, a Mission statement looks like a sentence about your company. But it can and should be much more than that.

What you want to avoid is a Mission statement like

“We are a good company serving clients with formidable services”.

That’s what we call fluff.

Instead, you want your Mission statement to express why your company exists. What does it try to solve, for whom, and how is beneficial? Right here, right now.

A well-defined Mission statement drives your strategic planning. It also defines what your organization will look like, and what kind of people you can expect to get on board.

A Mission statement speaks about the present, but we want to express WHERE we want to move. This is where the Vision statement comes in. It adds importance, substance, and meaning to the Mission statement.

Vision statement

The words “the greater good” might make you cringe, but it’s what the Vision statement is all about.

It is an expression of your beliefs and your contribution to something larger. Larger than what? Larger than becoming bigger, better, and richer yourself.

No, you don’t have to chase some humanitarian cause to be contributing to the greater good. The greater good can even be the school community of your children or your chess club.

With a Vision statement, you want to paint a picture of the future you dream and hope for. The change that inspires you. And the contribution you make to others.

A Vision statement is what gives purpose to your mission. It makes work meaningful for the people you invite on your mission.

When people feel purpose in their work, they are 42% more likely to be highly engaged in what they do. Higher engagement always leads to higher profit.

Now we know what we do in the present (Mission) and how we contribute to the future (Vision). Next, we ask ourselves: “Who do we want to be during that journey?”

We define our Core Values.

Core values.

Have you ever asked yourself: “Why are we friends with our friends?”

The answer is shared values!

Values define a piece of our personality. When we share values with someone else, we relate to them.

The same goes for an organization.

When we share organizational values with one another, we relate to the company.

Many businesses fail to articulate their Core Values. Or they have set up values that they are not practicing daily. Unpracticed values make the organization’s culture feel inauthentic.

Would you want to be friends with someone who’s not authentic or even insincere? I wouldn’t.

That’s why to be a next-generation leader is to be very clear on your organizational values.

Organizational values or Core Values are an expression of the following:

• How do we want work to be approached?

• How do we want people to interact with each other?

• How do we want to be perceived outside of our organization?

Let me note that organizational values are not necessarily the same as brand values. There might be some overlap, but they have different functions. Organizational values streamline and encourage the right behavior. The behavior that contributes towards achieving the company’s goals.

Value-driven companies are four times more likely to attract and retain top talents.

Values tell us who we want to be during our journey toward our mission and vision. This is what we call the perspective of the company.

Once you have clearly defined this, your journey will go a lot smoother. Decision-making, goal-setting, planning, and execution happen in a more autonomous and efficient manner.

It is one of those things that make a massive difference.

So, tell me. How well are your Mission, Vision, and Values defined?

Let me know by replying to this email.

I wish you a great rest of your Saturday.

See you next week,

Leon

Do you want to get clarity on your company’s Mission, Vision, and Values?

I’d be happy to provide you with helpful insights on what you can do to define or tweak your Mission, Vision, and Values.

Click below if you want that: