WTF is Vision, Mission & Culture?
After I co-authored a book on the Culture of Zomato a lot of people - founders, HR leaders, people who are keen to start something someday, have reached out to ask me - What went into writing the book?; What is culture?; Is culture just a buzz work or does it really matter?; Is articulating a vision and mission a good to do or a must to do?
The last question isn't as surprising as one would think especially given a lot of companies tend to pivot over the long term, and more so in the recent past where in people have started to build companies to build companies rather than solve real problems.
And so I thought it could fun to take a shot at answering some of these questions in a manner that would help unpack this for a 20 year old :)
Let's try a thought experiment
Have you ever walked into a space (office, college, hospital, hotel) and immediately felt both welcomed and inspired? Close your eyes and actually think back to the last time you felt like this.
The odds are that it's the unmistakable power of a strong culture at work. It's not solely about the services we provide or products we create but is deeply rooted in the underlying culture, vision, and mission that guide every individual that's a part of the organisation. It's also what differentiates a finite minded organization from an infinite minded organisation.
Purpose: Our Why
A clear vision and mission articulate what we are collectively striving to achieve - the what, why and why so; i.e. the mental models that inform the why we pick and the structures we design around them. Alignment of our personal why, with our organisational why is what helps us get out of bed on cold, or rainy mornings, it’s what brings us joy in a job well done, it’s what
Our vision serves as our north star, guiding our structures, strategies and interventions, while our mission drives our daily operations and helps us stay focused on our goals. For example, if our vision is to 'revolutionise the way the world accesses clean energy,' every project, meeting, and innovation is a step towards this overarching goal.
Culture: What we repeatedly do
The culture we build is a reflection of who we are and what we believe in. It's about how we show up every day, how we support each other, celebrate our successes, and face our challenges. It's not just what we think or what we say, or what's posted on our walls—it's what we repeatedly do. It’s about these actions becoming the very fabric that binds us together and propels us toward our common goals.
Purpose: Our why
A clear vision and mission articulate what we are striving to achieve and why. Our vision serves as a north star, guiding our strategies and interventions, while our mission drives our daily operations and helps us stay focused on our end goals. For example, if our vision is to 'revolutionise the way the world accesses clean energy,' every project, meeting, and innovation is a step towards this overarching goal.
Team: Our only real moat
When we hire, we're not just looking for skills and experience. We're looking for people who share our values and are passionate about our vision. This ensures that everyone is moving in the same direction, with a shared commitment to our vision. Without a compelling vision or a clear mission, a company is like a ship without a compass.
Alignment: What keeps us energised
Imagine setting sail without a compass; without a clear direction, any wind might seem favorable. Similarly, without a clear vision, our efforts may be scattered and ineffective, diluting our impact and potential. Just as a ship without a compass drifts aimlessly, a company without a clear vision can waste valuable resources on unaligned initiatives.
Our culture, vision, and mission are not just words on a page but are the essence of our identity and purpose. They are what attract and retain the best talents, inspire our teams, and ultimately, drive our success.
Who owns the culture, vision and mission of the organisation?
The founder and then everyone else. What do I mean by that? When we think of founders/ CEOs as systems designers it becomes clear that their first task entails designing the governing ideas – the purpose, vision and core values by which people should live. Building a shared vision is crucial as it fosters a long-term orientation, and an imperative for learning.
Borrowing from Peter Senge, "In a learning organisation, leaders are designers, stewards and teachers. They are responsible for building organizations were people continually expand their capabilities to understand complexity, clarify vision, and improve shared mental models – that is they are responsible for learning."
That said, while at the onset the articulating the culture, vision and mission is the founders job, eventually, this becomes the responsibility of the entire leadership team, and the original founding team, or the eventual core team become the stewards of this vision, their task is to manage it for the benefit of others.
While leaders may draw inspiration and spiritual reserves from their sense of stewardship, much of the leverage leaders can actually exert lies in helping people achieve more accurate, more insightful and more empowering views of reality. Building on an existing ‘hierarchy of explanation’ leaders can influence people’s view of reality at four levels: events, patterns of behaviour, systemic structures and the ‘purpose story’. By and large most managers and leaders tend to focus on the first two of these levels (and under their influence organizations do likewise). Leaders in learning organizations attend to all four, but focus predominantly on purpose and systemic structure.
Reflect on your own organization's culture: does it clearly reflect your core identity and purpose? How does it drive your collective success?