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rands
need to evolve just like the organizations and companies they represent.
Maybe your services have changed
or you have new leadership. Maybe you need to move into new markets and connect
with different audiences. |
A first step is to take a good
hard look at your company vision, mission and values. And if necessary, develop
new ones. I have peers whose eyes glaze over at the thought. Or even when faced
with giving them a needed review. I’m the opposite. My eyes dance. I see this as
an opportunity. To discover, create, and, if necessary, evolve.
One of the most-liked and respected
brands: Southwest
Just to ensure we’re on the same
page with these terms, here’s what I mean when talking about vision, mission and
values. Southwest Airlines offers great examples of each.
- Vision
- The why. Describes a desired future state that motivates and
inspires your team. It’s rooted in today, but focuses on
tomorrow. Use simple, short words that people can remember.
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Southwest Airlines:
To become the world’s most loved, most flown, and most profitable
airline. |
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- Mission
- The how. Sets forth a clear, compelling goal that is tangible
and achievable. It focuses your team’s efforts. It holds you
accountable for delivering a consistent customer experience.
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Southwest Airlines: Dedication
to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of
warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit. |
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- Values
- Define your culture and are revealed through time and
experience. These guiding principles serve as a basis for
actions to fulfill your mission and advance toward your vision.
Less is more; strive for a set of three to seven.
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Live the
Southwest Way
-
Warrior Spirit
-
Servant’s
Heart
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Fun-LUVing
Attitude
Work the
Southwest Way
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Our agency’s been in business for close to
30 years.
In that time, we evolved through many
messaging iterations. Brands should
typically be refreshed every five to seven
years. Most recently, we based our efforts
on Gino Wickman’s Traction system.
This highly practical approach breaks down
any business to six key components: vision,
people, data, issues, process and execution.
Vision rightfully serves as the starting
place. Wickman likens it to getting your
team all rowing - and in the same direction. |
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To develop your vision,
Wickman walks you through some commonsense questions. These force you to really
look at your core values, focus, long-term and short- term goals, marketing
strategy, issues and quarterly action items (which Wickman, borrowing from
Stephen Covey, calls Rocks), This simple, focused process can lead to deep
discussions and profound results.
You whittle down and
funnel input as part of a purposeful journey.
You do less meandering and arrive at your
destination faster. Our five-member, agency
Traction team did this in two dedicated,
full-day sessions. You can download a free
worksheet
here
and do the same
yourself. |
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One of our most
enlightening exercises was in developing our
values.
EOS again led us
through a series of paring down attributes.
We started by listing three team members we
think could best lead us to market
domination. (Aim high, right?) Then we
listed the qualities of those people. |
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The list was
long. We then edited those down. Combining
similar traits. Circling the absolute,
most-needed characteristics. We ended with
less than seven. We then put them aside. A
Traction member did some slight wordsmithing, then the full team reviewed the values a final time to
ensure they rang true. They did. |
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Putting it all
together
Once developed, we take the
vision, mission, values and wrap them up into a cohesive manifesto. Here’s ours.
The
Greteman Group Manifesto
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Give us a challenge. You don’t
have to tell us what to do or how to do it. Our band of highly motivated,
self-directed pros go after it. We work independently and collaboratively,
passionately and fearlessly, wrestling with ideas until we pin down the best.
We like to succeed, and often do,
but how we get there matters. Grace and integrity walk our halls. Transparency
generates open and honest conversations.
Each of us brings unique skills
that, when combined, make us a powerhouse. Our lifelong learners find joy in
their work. When you hear, “I work at Greteman Group,” it packs a punch. You
know that person:
Together, we help brands fly
high. |
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Think about whether it’s time to dust off
your vision, mission and values.
They should uniquely represent your company,
not just serve as generic platitudes like
"excellent customer service.”
Whether you use EOS as we did, just be sure
you ask the right questions and that you
carve out dedicated think and collaboration
time. Set your expectations. Be disciplined. |
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And remember.
These messages are not something you simply
write down and file. You live them. And they
guide your path. You use them as a basis for
hiring new team members, setting goals,
evaluating performance and more. We used
ours to shape a dynamic, new website for
ourselves.
Check
it out to see whether you think we
succeeded in following our own advice. |
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| ©BlueSky
Business Aviation News | 21st September 2017 | Issue #432 |
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BlueSky
- your weekly business and executive aviation news - every
Thursday
www.blueskynews.aero
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