Missions and Values

Winning is desired by all but should always be in a morally correct way- without playing any dirty games and in compliance with the companys rules andregulations.Undeserving win by unfair competitions is not upheld - Internal company processesand government regulatory bodies are a check! Mission and values are frequently talked about terms, bit abstract,overused but more often misunderstood. Mission is where and what weare heading towards. Values is how we successfully fulfil ourmission and what kind of a behaviour wouldbe required. Mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making. It provides "the framework or context within which the company's strategies are formulated". It answers the question, "Why do we exist?" The mission statement articulates the company's purpose both for those in the organization and for the public The company should make smart choices in terms of their employees,resources,investments. They should not fall prey to a commonly thought of mission ietoprovide every possible service to all the customers at all times! Company should consciously delineate their strengths andweaknesses,to determine the area in which it can yield profits in terms of lucrative growth and increasing value for the stake-holders but bold ideas are welcome too, which might at the moment sound impossible to achieve-something which has the power to excitepeople,inspirethem,encourage them towards what seems to be impossible. A mission would aim at balancing the possibleand the impossible. Creatingmissions that sounded real-not abstract but specific anddescriptive,with a global ambition. Practically this would involve examining the different sectors of work,identifyinggreyareas,fixing themandif need be sell off specified units.The mission should not be unheard off by the lower layers of themanagement.To sum up,it shouldbe reflected upon in every meeting, resulting strategies and decisions thereofshouldbe mission friendly,employees playing a positive role shouldbe awarded for their efforts and those who donot might as wellbe disregarded. Inputs should be welcome from every employee,especially the smart ones,from all quarters. Setting the missionis left to the top management.It should not be entrusted to anyone but those who ultimately bear the onus. Every business should have a mission statement, both as a way of ensuring that everyone in the organization is "on the same page" and to serve as a baseline for effective business planning.

Values-define behaviour that will direct us to winning.A value is a belief, a mission, or a philosophy that is really meaningful to the company. An example of a business value is: "Customer Satisfaction." Another example of a value is "Being Ethical and Truthful." Every company has one or more values, whether they are consciously aware of it or not. A value is a statement of the company's intention and commitment to achieve a high level of performance on a specific QUALITATIVE factor. It is debatable!-In smaller companies it can be taken up for discussions in all the meetings,though it might pose a problem in the larger ones.To deal with the latter,meetings,training sessions and as much as possible,personal discussions are held;sometimes the intranet can be a boon too.This eventually provides more ideas,better insights. The creation process is iterative-the executive creates a first version of it,which would be open to modifications by employees at all levels of the organisation. Values should be real- identifiable,tangible. Employees following them should be rewarded,this improves employee satisfaction,improves financial growth and above all,it gives rise to a force that binds all! The missions and values must be mutually reinforcing.There are times when companies have leaped to a different sector of business but ended up tragically due to forgotten missions and the values governing them.They more often get driven by fast profit making ideas. failing to figure out what values and behaviours would be practised to reach such a heady goal and eventually leading to collapses- loss of jobs for thousands! Specific missions and values go a long way in making ones enterprise profitable,ignorance in this regard would only create hindrances on their way to tap their full potential. Setting up a mission and developing values is a gradual,time consuming process.It might require long meetings,erratic work hours,prolongeddebates,letting go off employees who arnt living up to the mission and the existing value system. It is a long and painful process but given the time and energy,it would be worth it!

To cite an example:
Globally renowned brand McDonalds lives by the mission- to be their customers favourite place and way to eat. Their global strategy plan to win focusses on the five Ps: People, Products, Place, Price and Promotions. On its way McDonalds has accomplished quite a many milestones. To name a few: Most Admired Company in the world, awarded for their awe-inspiring Management quality, Global Competitiveness, Use of Corporate Assets, Best Long-Term Investment,etc. The Company strongly believes in keeping its mission in mind in all the meetings, have its every decision and initiative linked with the mission, rewarding those who contribute and letting go off those who fail to live up to their mission.

The Values are etched in every employers mind, they should be encouraged to contribute to the overall process which in turn creates a healthy working atmosphere where growth is inevitable. Some of its core values include: Placing their customers experience at the core of all they do- providing them food at the best quality and rates in a healthy and welcoming environment. Their goal is Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value for every customer at every time. Bringing together individuals from different backgrounds, honing different skills, nurturing talents and providing opportunities, rewarding achievements, producing leaders! Their Business model is depicted by the 3 legged stool of owners/operators ,Suppliers and Company employees .Business must be operated ethically i.e interests of one and all should be taken care of. With a Globally recognised name comes a great responsibility, that of contributing to the society in a positive manner. Funds are collected in Ronald McDonald House Charities. Every outlets size, scope and resources are leveraged, to do their bit in making this world a better place to live in. Providing sustained profitable growth to the stake-holders of the company, keeping in mind their customers wellness and health. Theres always a room for improvement! Changing customers, employees and system needs are dealt with to ensure steady evolution of the system aided by innovation.