How to Craft a Motivating Vision and Mission in 9 Steps

Let’s jump straight in,

1. Define your WHY - what's your purpose, what do you stand for?

Like SpaceX:

❌ We want to make money
✅ We want to become a multi-planetary species

You want to have a 'why' that people can rally around. It's the 'why' that keeps people going.

2. State your mission - what are you trying to achieve?

At Single Grain, our mission is to drive more traffic and conversions through innovative marketing.

It's clear what we're trying to deliver, and the word 'innovative' forces accountability.

3. Envision the future - where do you want to be in 10 years, 25 years?

Some people call this a 'BHAG', also known as a 'big hairy audacious goal'.

Microsoft, in the early years, wanted everyone to have a PC. Eventually, it happened.

4. Identify your values - what guiding principles will you operate by?

Your values are the operating system that you hire and fire on.

Our values:

• Be improvement-obsessed
• Be openminded
• Be unimpeachable

If someone is in violation of your values, it's on the leaders to hold them accountable. Otherwise, the values will end up meaning nothing, and it'll become a free-for-all. Your values will both attract and repel talent.

They aren't meant to be for everyone.

5. Overcommunicate all of the above to your team

It's your job as a leader to not just communicate but OVERcommunicate your mission and values.

If it feels like you're being repetitive, then you are doing your job. People are busy and need realignment.

6. Make it actionable - what specific goals can you set to achieve your mission?

As legendary management consultant, Peter Drucker, famously said:

What gets measured, gets managed.

You can't build a cathedral in a day. Break down your goals by quarter and make them measurable.

You can use goal frameworks such as:

SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timebound
OKRs - Objectives & Key Results
KPIs - Key Performance Indicators

7. Hold yourself and your team accountable to the mission, vision, and values.

Most people don't want to be accountable, and that's ok.

Just not for your organization.

Demonstrate a history of holding people accountable, and people will understand how serious you are.

8. Celebrate milestones

People want to feel like they are part of a winning organization.

Many leaders, including myself, suck at celebrating. It's important to celebrate along the way as you hit your goals. It's fun, and people like fun!

9. Evolve - as you grow and learn, make sure to adjust your mission, vision, and values accordingly.

Over time, the mission and vision may evolve.

Companies pivot based on countless variables. Your values may change as the mission changes.

A motivating mission and vision is something that people can get behind and rally around.

It's not just a bunch of words on a piece of paper - it's a living, breathing thing that guides your company's decisions and actions.

I hope you learned something new.

To your growth,
Eric Siu

P.S. I’m gearing up to host a webinar on how AI will change business and marketing forever. I’ll fill you in on the details a little later this week.