Clients come to coaches for a variety of reasons. Some are seeking encouragement, clarification, an unbiased partnership, ways to do things differently or to do different things. At Trevero, we help by listening intently, asking probing questions, evoking awareness, and facilitating growth that leads to results.
Within that process, we often are asked to help bring light to the process of strategic planning. Values, vision, purpose, mission, and goals are all important components of a company’s or individual’s strategic planning process. Here’s a brief explanation of each:
Values: Values are the guiding principles that shape an individual’s or organization’s decision-making and behavior. They reflect the core beliefs and ethics of the organization or individual, and help to define what is considered important and what is not. For example, a company might have values like honesty, integrity, and respect, which inform how it interacts with employees, customers, and the wider community.
Vision: A vision is a statement that describes the future state that an individual or organization aspires to achieve. It provides a clear picture of what success looks like and what the organization or individual hopes to accomplish in the long-term. For example, LinkedIn’s vision is to “create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.” Amazon, “Our vision is to be the earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they may want to buy online.”
Purpose: Purpose refers to the reason why an individual or organization exists. It is the core reason for its existence, beyond just making money or achieving success. Purpose is often driven by a desire to make a positive impact on society or to contribute to a larger cause. Chick-fil-A is an excellent illustration of a company that knows why they exist. “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.
Mission: A mission statement is a concise statement that outlines an organization’s purpose and how it aims to achieve it. It describes the organization’s products or services, target audience, and key values, and provides a roadmap for how the organization plans to achieve its vision. A great example of an action-oriented mission statement comes from Google: “Organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
Goals: Goals are specific, measurable objectives that an individual or organization aims to achieve within a defined timeframe. Goals should be aligned with an organization’s mission, vision, and values, and should be used to measure progress towards achieving those larger objectives. For example, a company might set a goal to increase its revenue by 10% over the next year, or to reduce its carbon footprint by 20% within the next five years.
Discovering and articulating these parts of strategic planning is an exercise that benefits anyone at any stage of life or career. It is also a journey that we do not need to take alone. Oftentimes, we need the wisdom of someone who has gone before us, who is ahead of us on a similar path. Or perhaps an outsider’s view of our situation can help refocus our own intentions and direction. This is what we do. At Trevero, we would love to partner with you to discover your personal or professional values, vision, purpose, mission, and goals.