Without Purpose, Your Mission and Vision Will Go Unrealized
Not to get all deep here but, a business without purpose is like a rudderless ship, pushed in directions beyond the Captain’s control. So, even if Ole Cap understands his mission is to get the ship from Point A to Point B, and he has the vision to make it happen if at all possible – if he lacks purpose he’ll likely fail.
Vision and mission come from purpose; that is, the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. (Lexico.com)
While purpose is the natural foundation of the two most commonly accepted business branding steps, your Vision and your Mission will have little value if not based on a purpose.
As in life, purpose in business offers direction; it motivates; it is the very reason your business exists. It also helps when making decisions, both minor and major.
Define Your Business Purpose
Your purpose for starting a business does not have to be based on some grand universal design for saving the world, or even humanity. (Most of those are self-indulgent and impossible anyway.)
However, it should be about something that does reflect your values; those things that matter most in your life. It can even be something as simple as, “My purpose is to create wealth for future generations of my family”.
Since we don’t have the space to examine every possible purpose each of you might outline for your business, we’ll simply offer this little exercise in purpose building to help you articulate it for yourself.
As an exercise to help define your business purpose: Write about how you feel – and think – of and about your business. Try journaling with a pen and paper, or grab your laptop, open a doc, and just start writing. Write about how you truly feel and what you want out of life. Then, imagine how you might be able to Captain the ship of your business in the direction that will get you there.
Remember that no one is going to read this but you, so don’t be afraid to express your thoughts and feelings. Then, reduce it to a single sentence or two and create a Purpose Statement for your business that reflects your conviction to make it happen.
And there is the secret to this exercise, and to discovering your business purpose. Unlike a Mission Statement or Vision Statement which should be published on your website, your Purpose Statement belongs to you alone.
It’s a way to clarify both your mission and your vision, with a solid foundation for future growth.
Doing this will also help to provide clarity about exactly what you and your business are capable of providing, within the framework of what you have to offer.
Finally, your Mission and Vision Statements must reflect your business purpose, but without a published “Statement”. That is a private guide for you as a business owner and/or your team.
If you're searching for help articulating your business purpose, Ted remains available with real-world experience as a business consultant to the trade. To find out more… Contact TD Fall today.